Extracorporeal life support use in limited lung function: a narrative review

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In thoracic surgery, different modalities of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) can be used for cardiorespiratory support in complex scenarios. Decades of learning in clinical practice and physiology associated with technological development led to a great variety of ECLS technologies available. Thoracic surgery procedures with difficult or impossible single lung ventilation may still be performed using different ECLS modalities. The aim of this review is to describe the use of ECLS, with its different modalities, as a solution to perform complex surgeries in a patient with difficult or impossible single lung ventilation. METHODS: A literature review was conducted using the terms “extracorporeal life support pulmonary resection” and “extracorporeal life support thoracic surgery”, and articles were selected according to defined criteria. KEY CONTENT AND FINDINGS: To support lung function during thoracic surgery, the most efficient and popular variety of ECLS is venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Lung resection on a single lung after pneumonectomy, surgery in a patient with severe hypercapnia and/or low respiratory reserve, carinal and airway surgery, and severe thoracic trauma are the main examples of situations where ECLS may be the solution to provide a safe surgical environment in patients who cannot tolerate single lung ventilation. Multidisciplinarity, selection of patients and careful surgical planning are cornerstones in defining the situations that may benefit from ECLS support. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge on techniques of ECLS are essential for every thoracic surgeon. Although rarely used, these techniques of cardiorespiratory support should be considered when planning complex cases with difficulties in ventilation and emergent situations.