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Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Robot-Assisted Kidney Transplantation
Published on: July 19, 2021
ECMO During Combined Heart-Kidney Transplantation: A Case Report
Shai M Chazin1, Michael A Bresticker2, Darshika Chhabra3
1From the Department of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Insights
Combined heart and kidney transplantation (CHKT) is for patients with both heart and kidney failure. This case highlights successful kidney transplantation during venoarterial-ECMO support after heart transplant.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nephrology
- Transplantation Medicine
Background:
- Combined heart-kidney transplantation (CHKT) addresses end-stage heart and kidney failure.
- Accurate assessment of kidney disease reversibility is vital for patient selection in CHKT.
- Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an emerging support modality in CHKT.
Observation:
- A 69-year-old male with cardiogenic shock underwent orthotopic heart transplant (OHT).
- Post-OHT, the patient required venoarterial-ECMO (VA-ECMO) due to mediastinal bleeding.
- The patient successfully underwent a kidney transplant while remaining on VA-ECMO support.
Findings:
- This case demonstrates the feasibility of performing a kidney transplant in a patient supported by VA-ECMO following OHT.
- It is the second reported instance of kidney transplantation during VA-ECMO after OHT.
Implications:
- This case expands the understanding of managing complex cardiac and renal failure patients.
- It suggests that VA-ECMO may not be an absolute contraindication for simultaneous or sequential transplantation.
- Further research is warranted to establish protocols for ECMO-assisted transplantation in CHKT candidates.
Abstract:
Combined heart-kidney transplantation (CHKT) is a therapy for a carefully selected subgroup of patients with concomitant heart and kidney failure. Discerning whether there is reversible or irreversible kidney disease is crucial to selection for CHKT versus heart transplant alone to optimize therapeutic value and organ allocation. Methods for determining extent of kidney disease include estimating glomerular filtration rate, creatinine clearance, kidney ultrasonography, and kidney biopsy. Additionally, the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the setting of CHKT only recently emerged as feasible. We present a case of a 69-year-old man with cardiogenic shock who was placed on venoarterial-ECMO (VA-ECMO) following orthotopic heart transplant (OHT) due to severe mediastinal bleeding and remained on VA-ECMO during kidney transplant. To our knowledge, this is the second report of a patient undergoing kidney transplant while on VA-ECMO following OHT.
Related Concept Videos
Kidney Transplant I: Introduction
Kidney Transplant II: Surgical Procedure
Kidney Transplant III: Nursing Management
Kidney Structure
Data Reporting and Recording
Anatomy of the Heart

