Cardiopulmonary bypass in anesthetic management of resection. Its use for severe tracheal stenosis.

On initial evaluation, two patients were found to be in severe respiratory distress from tracheal obstruction. One patient had late obstruction after a crushing injury to the chest, whereas the other had subtotal tracheal obstruction from a carcinoid adenoma. In each case, the state of the patient seemed to preclude safe anesthetic induction with an endotracheal tube as the sole means of oxygenating the patient. Partial cardiopulmonary bypass provided an adjunct to ensure adequate oxygenation for tracheal resection. Consideration for the use of this technique is recommended in similar circumstances.