[Concomitant use of peripheral veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) and central veno-arterial ECMO during lung transplantation for coronavirus disease 2019 patients].

OBJECTIVE

To summarize the strategy of using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support during lung transplantation from 2 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with end-stage respiratory failure.

METHODS

Two COVID-19 with end-stage respiratory failure patients were admitted to Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital in March 2020. As the homoeostasis and vital signs could not be maintained in balance by conventional treatments, lung transplantations were performed. Here, detail information about combined application of peripheral veno-venous ECMO (VV-ECMO) and central veno-arterial ECMO (CVA-ECMO) during the operation will be discussed.

RESULTS

Case 1: 59 years old, 172 cm height, 72 kg weight, who received mechanical ventilation for 22 days, tracheotomy tube for 17 days, and VV-ECMO support for 7 days. Case 2: 72 years old, 178 cm height, 71 kg weight, who received mechanical ventilation for 19 days, tracheotomy tube for 17 days, and VV-ECMO support for 18 days. As both of them have severe COVID-19-associated respiratory failure, and the recovery was determined to be unlikely, lung transplantations were performed. Severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and cardiac insufficiency were found during the operation. Based on preoperative VV-ECMO, CVA-ECMO was added. The concomitant use of peripheral VV-ECMO and CVA-ECMO offered satisfied intraoperative oxygenation and cardiopulmonary status,the operations run smoothly, and the CVA-ECMO was successfully removed, no ECMO-related complications occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

The combined use of VV-ECMO and CVA-ECMO is an optimal strategy in the end-stage ARDS patients with severe PAH and cardiac insufficiency, which can offer benefits on respiratory and cardiac functions simultaneously, and ensure surgery safety.