• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.104-107
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• 2010

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is difficult to treat and it is often fatal. If the medical treatment for ARDS is not effective, then extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can be applied to the patient. A 22-year-old female who suffered multiple traumatic injuries due to a car accident presented with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Veinarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) was started to treat her respiratory failure. With the VA ECMO, the systemic oxygen saturation remained at only 84%, and so the ECMO system was switched to V-VA ECMO via an additional venous outflow through the right jugular vein to increase both the systemic and pulmonary oxygen saturation. After conversion to the V-VA type ECMO, the systemic oxygen saturation increased to 94% and the partial pressure of oxygen ($PaO_2$) increased to 65 mmHg. We report here on a successful case of ECMO conversion from the VA type to the V-VA type in a patient with severely hypoxic respiratory failure.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.348-355
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• 2021

Background: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a rare disease often requiring mechanical ventilation after birth. In severe cases, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) may be needed. This study analyzed the outcomes of patients with CDH treated with ECMO and investigated factors related to in-hospital mortality. Methods: Among 254 newborns diagnosed with CDH between 2008 and 2020, 51 patients needed ECMO support. At Asan Medical Center, a multidisciplinary team approach has been applied for managing newborns with CDH since 2018. Outcomes were compared between hospital survivors and nonsurvivors. Results: ECMO was established at a median of 17 hours after birth. The mean birth weight was 3.1±0.5 kg. Twenty-three patients (23/51, 45.1%) were weaned from ECMO, and 16 patients (16/51, 31.4%) survived to discharge. The ECMO mode was veno-venous in 24 patients (47.1%) and veno-arterial in 27 patients (52.9%). Most cannulations (50/51, 98%) were accomplished through a transverse cervical incision. No significant between-group differences in baseline characteristics and prenatal indices were observed. The oxygenation index (1 hour before: 90.0 vs. 51.0, p=0.005) and blood lactate level (peak: 7.9 vs. 5.2 mmol/L, p=0.023) before ECMO were higher in nonsurvivors. Major bleeding during ECMO more frequently occurred in nonsurvivors (57.1% vs. 12.5%, p=0.007). In the multivariate analysis, the oxygenation index measured at 1 hour before ECMO initiation was identified as a significant risk factor for in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.04; p=0.05). Conclusion: The survival of neonates after ECMO for CDH is suboptimal. Timely application of ECMO is crucial for better survival outcomes.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.199-202
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• 2016

A 7-month-old girl with no medical history was treated with mechanical circulatory support due to myocarditis. Her cardiac contractility did not improve despite more than one week of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment. Thus, we planned a heart transplant. However, a high level of cytomegalovirus was found in blood laboratory results by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The patient's heart contractility recovered to normal range four days after ganciclovir treatment. She was discharged with slightly decreased cardiac contractility with a left ventricular ejection fraction of 45%.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.203-206
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• 2016

Patients with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) frequently suffer from pulmonary edema due to left ventricular dysfunction that accompanies left heart dilatation, which is caused by left atrial hypertension. The problem can be resolved by left atrium (LA) decompression. We performed a successful percutaneous LA decompression with an atrial septostomy and placement of an LA venting cannula in a 38-month-old child treated with venoarterial ECMO for acute myocarditis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.1
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• pp.244-249
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• 2021

A 53-year-old woman presented with dyspnea. She had undergone extended thymectomy for an invasive thymoma two months prior. CT revealed numerous small nodules in the lung. After that, she deteriorated owing to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and the vascular surgeon planned veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). During percutaneous cannulation through the left femoral vein, a vascular injury was suspected, and the patient's vital signs became unstable. Diagnostic angiography showed a ruptured left common iliac vein, and the bleeding was stopped by placement of a stent-graft. May-Thurner syndrome was diagnosed on abdominal CT. Here, we report a rare case of ECMO-related vascular injury in a patient with an unrecognized anatomical variant, May-Thurner syndrome.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.34-38
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• 2015

The case of a patient with a transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) to whom extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) had been applied is reported. A 55-year-old male injured with liver laceration (grade 3) without chest injury after car accident. He received lots of blood transfusion and underwent damage control abdominal surgery. In the immediate postoperative period, he suffered from severe hypoxia and respiratory acidosis despite of vigorous management such as 100% oxygen with mechanical ventilation, high PEEP and muscle relaxant. Finally, ECMO was applied to the patients as a last resort. Aggressive treatment with ECMO improved the oxygenation and reduced the acidosis. Unfortunately, the patient died of liver failure and infection. TRALI is a part of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The use of ECMO for TRALI induced severe hypoxemia might be a useful option for providing time to allow the injured lung to recover.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.403-406
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• 2017

Tracheobronchial rupture due to blunt chest trauma is a rare but life-threatening injury in the pediatric population. Computed tomography (CT) is not always reliable in the management of these patients. An additional concern is that ventilation may be disrupted during surgical repair of these injuries. This report presents the case of a 4 -year-old boy with an injury to the lower trachea and carina due to blunt force trauma that was missed on the initial CT scan. During surgery, he was administered venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Although ECMO is not generally used in children, this case demonstrated that the short-term use of ECMO during pediatric surgery is safe and can prevent intraoperative desaturation.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.54 no.8
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• pp.345-349
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• 2011

A 3-year-old girl with acute respiratory distress syndrome due to a H1N1 2009 influenza virus infection was complicated by necrotizing pneumonia was successfully treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). This is the first reported case in which a pediatric patient was rescued with ECMO during the H1N1 influenza epidemic in Korea in 2009.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.205-208
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• 2018

A 71-year-old female patient was admitted to the emergency department with sudden aggravation of chest pain and severe dyspnea. Computed tomography showed extensive pulmonary thromboembolism. Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was instituted due to sudden bradycardia and hypotension. An emergency operation was performed. However, chronic pulmonary thromboembolism combined with an acute pulmonary embolism was detected in the operating room. Embolectomy and endarterectomy were performed. ECMO was then discontinued. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 13 with warfarin for anticoagulation. The patient was followed up for 46 months as an outpatient without further thromboembolic events.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.210-213
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• 2015

Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) is widely used in patients with cardiogenic shock. Insufficient decompression of the left ventricle (LV) is considered a major factor preventing adequate LV recovery. A 40-year-old male was diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction, and revascularization was performed using percutaneous stenting. However, cardiogenic shock occurred, and VA ECMO was initiated. Severe LV failure developed, and percutaneous transaortic catheter venting (TACV) was incorporated into the venous circuit of VA ECMO under transthoracic echocardiography guidance. The patient was successfully weaned from VA ECMO. Percutaneous TACV is an effective, relatively noninvasive, and rapid method of LV decompression in patients undergoing VA ECMO.