Advances in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in the Setting of Lung Transplantation

Lung transplantation has become an increasingly important modality for the treatment of severe lung disease. From its inception, the procedure has been refined so that it now represents the standard of care for end stage respiratory failure. The widespread adoption of this treatment option, however, has brought into sharp relief the current organ donor shortage. In tandem with the explosion in lung transplant procedures, a number of support modalities have seen an expanded role. Perhaps one of the most versatile tools in the armamentarium of the pulmonary transplant surgeon is extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). This powerful tool is being increasingly implemented in all stages of lung transplantation—from supporting the failing native organ as a bridging tool to transplantation, to stabilizing the patient intra-operatively during the transplant procedure, to rescuing the patient with severe primary graft dysfunction immediately post-transplant. A number of advanced techniques for the application of ECMO in order to optimize the pulmonary transplant procedure are gaining traction—and with ECMO’s expanded role in lung transplantation, so also has come a new set of technical and ethical challenges that must also be overcome

Management of the Sensitized Cardiac Transplantation Recipient

Preoperative sensitization of the cardiac transplant recipient, defined as the presence of anti-Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) antibodies before transplant, represents a significant management challenge for physicians. Sensitization prolongs the pre-transplant wait time and is associated with postoperative transplant complications and death. It is critical that sensitized heart transplant candidates be identified and optimized before surgery. In this review, we describe the risk for sensitization, discuss the means through which sensitization may be diagnosed, and highlight some of the new therapeutic options for managing the sensitized cardiac transplant patients

Heart Transplantation in the Era of the Left Ventricular Assist Devices

Orthotopic heart transplant is recognized as the gold standard for the treatment of end-stage heart disease. However, there is a perennial shortage of donor organs. Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) represent a revolutionary tool for temporizing heart failure that is refractory to medical management until a suitable organ becomes available. This review highlights the LVAD as a tool for bridging to transplant. The history of the LVAD and its use in heart transplantation is described, as well as the current indications for use in the general heart transplant candidate as well as for selected subpopulations. It also highlights the major complications of LVAD use, advancements in the field, and selected current controversies related to the LVAD as bridge-to-transplant therapy

Mechanical Circulatory Support Devices

Heart failure (HF) is a global public health concern that has the potential to reach epidemic proportions. The gold standard for treating end-stage HF remains heart transplantation. Unfortunately, given the scarcity of available organs, alternative means for providing cardiac support are required. Mechanical circulatory support devices (MCSDs) have the potential to treat many patients with end-stage HF. They replace some of the mechanical functions of the failing heart to improve cardiac output and organ perfusion. These include the intra-aortic balloon pump, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, ventricular assist devices, and the total artificial heart. In this chapter, we will discuss a brief history of MCSD, available devices, indications, patient selection, surgical procedures, postoperative management, complications, and outcomes

Effectiveness of Hydrogen Rich Water on Antioxidant Status of Subjects with Potential Metabolic Syndrome—An Open Label Pilot Study

Metabolic syndrome is characterized by cardiometabolic risk factors that include obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension and dyslipidemia. Oxidative stress is known to play a major role in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of hydrogen rich water (1.5–2 L/day) in an open label, 8-week study on 20 subjects with potential metabolic syndrome. Hydrogen rich water was produced, by placing a metallic magnesium stick into drinking water (hydrogen concentration; 0.55–0.65 mM), by the following chemical reaction; Mg + 2H2O → Mg (OH)2 + H2. The consumption of hydrogen rich water for 8 weeks resulted in a 39% increase (p<0.05) in antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) and a 43% decrease (p<0.05) in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in urine. Further, subjects demonstrated an 8% increase in high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and a 13% decrease in total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol from baseline to week 4. There was no change in fasting glucose levels during the 8 week study. In conclusion, drinking hydrogen rich water represents a potentially novel therapeutic and preventive strategy for metabolic syndrome. The portable magnesium stick was a safe, easy and effective method of delivering hydrogen rich water for daily consumption by participants in the study

Percutaneous coil embolization to manage pulmonary artery hemorrhage after distal endarterectomy

Selective pulmonary artery coil embolization can be a viable treatment option for acute pulmonary hemorrhage after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy

Surgical outcomes after cardiac surgery in liver transplant recipients

ObjectiveThis was a single-center retrospective study to assess the surgical outcomes and predictors of mortality of liver transplant recipients undergoing cardiac surgery.MethodsFrom 2000 to 2010, 61 patients with a functioning liver allograft underwent cardiac surgery. The mean interval between liver transplantation and cardiac surgery was 5.4 ± 4.4 years. Of the 61 patients, 33 (54%) were in Child-Pugh class A and 28 in class B. The preoperative and postoperative data were reviewed.ResultsThe overall in-hospital mortality was 6.6%. The survival rate was 82.4% ± 5.1% at 1 year and 50.2% ± 8.2% at 5 years. Cox regression analysis identified preoperative encephalopathy (odds ratio, 5.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.8-15.5; P = .003) and pulmonary hypertension (odds ratio, 3.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-9.4; P = .045) as independent predictors of late mortality. The preoperative Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores of patients who died in-hospital or late postoperatively were significantly greater statistically than the scores of the others (in-hospital death, 23.7 ± 7.8 vs 13.1 ± 4.5, P < .001; late death, 15.2 ± 6.1 vs 12.3 ± 4.1, P = .038). The Youden index identified an optimal MELD score cutoff value of 13.5 (sensitivity, 56.0%; specificity, 67.6%). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis successfully demonstrated that the survival rate of the MELD score less than 13.5 (MELD <13.5) group was significantly greater than that of the MELD >13.5 group (MELD <13.5 group, 93.8% ± 4.2% at 1 year and 52.4% ± 11.8% at 5 years; MELD >13.5 group, 66.9% ± 9.6% at 1 year and 46.1% ± 11.1% at 5 years; P = .027). In contrast, the survival rate when stratified by Child-Pugh class (class A vs B) was not significantly different.ConclusionsCardiac surgery in the liver allograft recipients was associated with acceptable surgical outcomes. Preoperative encephalopathy and pulmonary hypertension were independent predictors of late mortality. The cutoff value of 13.5 in the MELD score might be useful for predicting surgical mortality in cardiac surgery

Perioperative Care for Lung Transplant Recipients: A Multidisciplinary Approach

Lung transplantation has evolved as the gold standard for selective patients with end-stage lung disease since the first clinical lung transplant was performed in 1983 in the United States. Over the last few decades, lung transplantation volume has increased worldwide with steadily improving outcomes; however, access to lung transplantation remains limited due to the critical shortage of donor organs. Factors that have contributed to improved outcomes include a multidisciplinary management approach supported by advancements in surgical and anesthetic techniques, nursing and critical care, immunosuppressive therapy, transplant immunobiology, and the perioperative use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP). Excellent outcomes have been achieved in selective patients with high-risk comorbidities such as age over 65 years, concomitant severe coronary artery disease (CAD), and preexisting sensitization with donor-specific antibodies (DSAs). Such comorbidities are no longer considered absolute contraindications to lung transplantation. This chapter provides an overview of perioperative care of lung transplant recipients with focus on a multidisciplinary approach and highlights management strategies for patients with concomitant severe coronary artery disease and end-stage lung disease as well as those with preexisting sensitization with DSAs