Treatment Strategy for Severe Airway Stenosis Due to a Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm.

A 75-year-old woman who underwent total aortic arch replacement complained of dyspnea for a few days. Computed tomography revealed a thoracic aortic aneurysm causing compression of the trachea. She was referred to our hospital for surgical treatment. The tracheal stenosis was severe, with a risk of an inability to ventilate during the general anesthesia. Therefore, under respiratory support for venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO), we performed decompression of the thoracic aortic aneurysm by thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair, followed by tracheal stent placement. The postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged without any symptoms. VV-ECMO is useful for treatment of tracheal stenosis.