Journal of International Medical Research (Nov 2022)

Successful extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in a patient with central airway obstruction due to an endotracheal mass

  • Misoon Lee,
  • Hyun Chul Jung,
  • Jaewoong Jung,
  • Yang-Hoon Chung,
  • YongHan Seo,
  • Bon-Sung Koo,
  • Won Seok Chae

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/03000605221133688
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 50

Abstract

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Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) assists blood circulation and gas exchange via a heart–lung machine. ECMO is used mainly in intensive care units as bridging therapy until heart and respiratory failure can be addressed or until transplantation can be performed. ECMO is sometimes used during surgery under general anaesthesia, depending on the patient’s underlying diseases and the nature of the operation. If the oxygen supply and carbon dioxide removal capacity are limited, venovenous (VV)-ECMO can be helpful. Here, we describe the use of VV-ECMO for surgical resection of an endotracheal mass through rigid bronchoscopy in a patient who developed decompensating dyspnoea due to central airway obstruction (CAO).