Frontiers in Transplantation (Jul 2023)

Case report: Paracorporeal lung assist device for 215 days as a bridge-to-lung transplantation in a patient with bronchopulmonary dysplasia and severe pulmonary hypertension

  • Sebastian G. Michel,
  • Sebastian G. Michel,
  • Sebastian G. Michel,
  • Maja Hanuna,
  • Joseph Pattathu,
  • Jelena Pabst von Ohain,
  • Jelena Pabst von Ohain,
  • Christian Schneider,
  • Christian Schneider,
  • Theresa Kauke,
  • Theresa Kauke,
  • Nikolaus Kneidinger,
  • Nikolaus Kneidinger,
  • Juergen Behr,
  • Juergen Behr,
  • Katrin Milger,
  • Katrin Milger,
  • Juergen Barton,
  • Juergen Barton,
  • Tobias Veit,
  • Tobias Veit,
  • Christine Kamla,
  • Christoph Mueller,
  • Robert Dzieciol,
  • Lauren Christen,
  • Michael Irlbeck,
  • Roland Tomasi,
  • Jan Abicht,
  • Patrick Scheiermann,
  • Matthias Feuerecker,
  • Robert Dalla-Pozza,
  • Marcus Fischer,
  • Andre Jakob,
  • Matthias Hermann,
  • Nikolaus Haas,
  • Christian Hagl,
  • Christian Hagl,
  • Christian Hagl,
  • Jürgen Hörer,
  • Jürgen Hörer

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/frtra.2023.1197906
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2

Abstract

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Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a known and life limiting complication of preterm born young adults with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), ultimately leading to progressive right ventricular (RV) failure. Prognosis remains poor, especially in patients unresponsive to modern vasoactive pharmacotherapy. Therefore, lung transplantation presents the treatment of choice to avert cardiac failure. With limited donor organ availability and long waiting times, the implantation of a paracorporeal lung assist device (PLAD) is a way to bridge the patient as an alternative to veno-arterial ECMO. Herein, we present the case of a prematurely born 23-year-old female, who developed severe PH due to BPD and consequently experienced therapy refractory RV failure. Urgent PLAD implantation was performed and the patient successfully underwent double-lung transplantation after 215 days of PLAD support. No major PLAD-associated complications occurred and full recovery of RV function could be observed after double-lung transplantation.

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