Early pulmonary vein thrombosis after single lung transplantation

Pulmonary venous obstruction after single lung transplantation may be mistaken for reperfusion injury or myocardial dysfunction. Complete obstruction of one of the major pulmonary veins will result in hemorrhagic infarction of the affected lobe within 4 to 6 hours, limiting the option of treatment to resection (lobectomy) or retransplantation. Early diagnosis is therefore essential. Transesophageal echocardiography can show the pulmonary venous anastomosis and, combined with color flow and Doppler imaging, offer a quick and reliable method of diagnosis. Prevention of this complication entails harvesting an adequate margin of left atrial tissue around the pulmonary vein orifices, meticulous surgical anastomosis, and the use of anticoagulation in the presence of a thrombogenic tendency in the recipient.