Martin, Archer K

Lung transplantation (LTx) historically was performed with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) or Off-pump. Recent data suggest an increased interest in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as perioperative circulatory support by many lung transplantation centers worldwide. However, there are no established guidelines for anesthetic management for LTx. We present a patient with a history of systemic sclerosis and interstitial lung disease complicated by acute onset of systemic pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure undergoing LTx. We aim to discuss perioperative circulatory support, including ECMO bridge to LTx, and how best to consider the varied intraoperative strategies of CPB vs ECMO vs off-pump during LTx, intraoperative maintenance, and coagulation management.

A 53-year-old male patient was presented to our institution with the clinical picture of biventricular failure. The echocardiogram revealed congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries, dextrocardia with situs solitus, atrioventricular discordance and ventriculoatrial discordance, severe systemic and mitral valves regurgitation, and severe pulmonary hypertension (mean pulmonary artery pressure: 51 mm Hg). He underwent heart–lung transplant. He was discharged on postoperative day 25 with left ventricular ejection fraction of 60%–65%, and with oxygen independency.

The recent decline in available personal protective equipment (PPE) due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has given rise to a host of three-dimensional (3D) printed prototypes for facemask and respirator units. Many of these models have been made open access and publicly available for printing and use, and have been promoted by various media outlets. Although these desktop 3D printing measures have provided a possible venue for success in providing homemade and cost-effective PPE to health care workers, the rapid dissemination of these prototypes has been performed without reproducible methods of standardization and vetted safety in use. Although these methods have not been sanctioned by authoritative organizations as viable production approaches to address the PPE shortage, a concerted effort within the 3D printing community to adhere to scientific methodology and organized research efforts has the potential to provide a solution to this critical issue.

Extracorporeal circulation (ECC) support using intraoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) during lung transplantation (LTx) is now a routine practice for many high volume centers. Circuits that are dedicated to ECMO alone can be expensive and do not allow full cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) to be performed. We describe our technique of instituting venoarterial ECMO during LTx using a less-expensive hybrid circuit that facilitates easy and immediate conversion to full CPB if needed, without interruption of ECC.

The clinical, educational, and research facets of lung transplantation have advanced significantly since the first lung transplant in 1963. The formation of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) and subsequent Registry has forged a precedent of collaborative teamwork that has significantly affected current lung transplantation outcomes. The Society for the Advancement of Anesthesia (SATA) is dedicated to developing educational platforms for all facets of transplant anesthesia. Additionally, we believe that the anesthetic training for lung transplantation has not kept pace with other advances in the field. As such, SATA presents for consideration these educational milestones and competencies for anesthetic fellowship training in the field of lung transplantation. The proposed milestones were designed on the framework of 6 core competencies created by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education. The milestones were identified by combining the expert opinion of our Thoracic Transplant Committee, our experience as educators, and literature review. We offer this White Paper to the anesthesiology and transplant communities as a starting point for the discussion and evolution of perioperative anesthetic care in the field of lung transplantation.