Use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in thoracic or airway surgery: a single-center experience

Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasingly used in patients undergoing thoracic and airway surgical procedures. However, studies reporting the clinical outcomes of these patients are scarce. This study was designed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of these patients and summarize the experience of ECMO in our hospital. Methods: Between May 2013 and December 2018, we reviewed the clinical data of 15 patients undergoing ECMO-assisted airway or thoracic surgery in our hospital. Results: Of the 15 patients, 10 cases received peripheral veno-arterial (VA) ECMO and 5 cases received veno-venous (VV) ECMO. Indications for ECMO were pulmonary transplantation (n = 5), traumatic main bronchial rupture (n = 2), traumatic lung injury (n=1), lung cancer affects the distal airway, carina and large blood vessels (n = 1), airway tumor leading to severe airway stenosis (n = 2), huge mediastinal mass infiltrated vena cava (n = 3) and right thigh synovial sarcoma with pulmonary metastasis (n=1). All patients were successfully extubated and weaned from ECMO postoperatively. The main complications were hemorrhage (26.7%), infection (53.3%), acute hepatic dysfunction (33.3%) and venous thrombosis (26.7%). There was only one hospital death and postoperative one-year survival rate was 86%.