Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Repair of Tracheal Injury during Transhiatal Esophagectomy

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) for repair of tracheal injury during transhiatal esophagectomy Tracheal injury is a rare but potentially fatal complication of esophagectomies requiring prompt recognition and treatment. We describe a case of tracheal injury recognized in the operative period of an open transhiatal esophagectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of the mid to distal esophagus. When injury was discovered, attempts to improve oxygenation and ventilation by conventional methods were unsuccessful. Therefore, peripheral ECMO was used to support oxygenation during the tracheal defect repair. The use of ECMO for the repair of a tracheal injury during esophagectomy is very uncommon but, in our case, provided adequate oxygenation and ventilation while the surgeon repaired the injury and the patient was able to be promptly weaned from ECMO support and extubated not long after.