ECMO as bridge to lung transplant

Mauer Biscotti; Joshua Sonett; Matthew Bacchetta

doi:10.1016/j.thorsurg.2014.09.010

ECMO as bridge to lung transplant

Thorac Surg Clin. 2015;25(1):17-25. doi: 10.1016/j.thorsurg.2014.09.010.

Authors

Mauer Biscotti¹, Joshua Sonett², Matthew Bacchetta¹

Affiliations

¹ Section of Thoracic Surgery, Price Family Center for Comprehensive Chest Care, Center for Acute Respiratory Care, Columbia University Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, 161 Fort Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10032, USA.
² Section of Thoracic Surgery, Price Family Center for Comprehensive Chest Care, Center for Acute Respiratory Care, Columbia University Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, 161 Fort Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10032, USA. Electronic address: js2106@columbia.edu.

PMID: 25430426
DOI: 10.1016/j.thorsurg.2014.09.010

Abstract

Since the advent of lung transplantation more than 5 decades ago, preoperative, surgical, and anesthetic management have improved. The growing experience with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has enabled clinicians to expand its effective use to care for patients while bridging them to transplant (BTT). We highlight the approach in which ECMO is used to successfully bridge critically ill patients to lung transplantation when stringent daily clinical assessment is applied. In patients who continued to meet transplant criteria and were successfully transplanted, postoperative survival rates are acceptable. Larger studies are needed to inform decision algorithms for BTT patients and optimize outcomes.

Keywords: Bridge to transplant; ECMO; Lung transplant.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Algorithms
Critical Illness
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / methods*
Humans
Lung Transplantation / methods*
Patient Selection
Preoperative Care / methods
Survival Rate