ECMO in Lung Transplantation
I. Introduction Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a necessary component of a lung transplant program to provide physiologic support for patients that suffer severe primary graft dysfunction (PGD). However, the role of ECMO in the support of lung transplantation has evolved substantially in many programs beyond the traditional, physiologic lung replacement and support for patients with severe PGD. It is now also applied as lung support or replacement for potential lung transplant recipients in a bridge-totransplant paradigm when failing current ventilator support, as well as for patients during the transplant operation to minimize hypoxia, hypercapnia, and hemodynamic instability without the need for full cardiopulmonary bypass and anticoagulation.
