Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Acute Lung Injury after Surgery for Aortic Dissection: A Case Report

摘要

Acute respiratory failure after surgery for aortic dissection is a serious complication that has been associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Veno-venous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is reported as one of the treatments for this life-threatening complication. A 78-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital for Stanford type A acute aortic dissection. He underwent emergency replacement of the ascending aorta, after which he developed acute lung injury. It was difficult to maintain oxygenation with a respirator mask. Therefore, VV-ECMO was initiated on postoperative day 1. The oxygenation gradually improved, and VV-ECMO was continued until postoperative day 13. On postoperative day 25, mechanical ventilation was withdrawn. The patient was discharged from the hospital on postoperative day 149. We report a case of successful treatment of acute lung injury with VV-ECMO initiated after surgery for aortic dissection. VV-ECMO can be considered as a treatment option for severe acute lung injury after surgery for aortic dissection.