Utilization of Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation as Bridge to Heart Transplantation in a Child With Congenital Heart Defect
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Published on: October 24, 2018
Hordyslava Yemets1, Pooja Shetty2, Craig Laurence3
1Department of Anaesthesia, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
Insights
For children with end-stage heart failure awaiting heart transplants, venovenous extracorporeal mechanical oxygenation offers a viable bridging option. This unconventional strategy proved successful in a complex pediatric case, highlighting its potential for select patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Limited bridging options exist for pediatric patients with end-stage heart failure awaiting heart transplantation.
- Congenital heart disease often necessitates unconventional treatment strategies.
Abstract:
Children with end-stage heart failure, waiting for heart transplantation, have limited bridging options. Unconventional strategies are often utilized in children with congenital heart disease. We report the case of a 12-year-old boy with Ebstein anomaly whose clinical course was complicated by valve thrombosis, right ventricular dysfunction, and intracranial bleed. Venovenous extracorporeal mechanical oxygenation was successfully used as bridge to transplantation, where other strategies were too precarious. Judicious use of venovenous extracorporeal mechanical oxygenation may be used as a bridge to cardiac transplantation in selected patients.
