[Intraoperative high frequency oscillatory ventilation in 2 children undergoing lung surgery]

Over the past 10 years, the application of high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) has been extended beyond the neonatal period. The technique is now used in various respiratory disease settings when conventional mechanical ventilation fails. Even though HFOV has become increasingly routine in some pediatric intensive care units, familiarity with it is still limited among anesthesiologists and surgeons and it is not often applied during surgery. We report our experience using HFOV during thoracic surgery on 2 pediatric patients, one aged 5 years and the other aged 1 month. The respective surgical procedures were to close a bronchopleural fistula and to obtain a lung biopsy in order to provide guidance for limiting therapeutic intervention. In both cases the procedure was performed without adverse effects and allowed medical interventions to be carried out. We conclude that it is possible to perform thoracic surgery in pediatric patients undergoing HFOV. This ventilation mode can be useful during surgery and teams that care for critically ill children should be familiar with the equipment.