Case report: successful emergent transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement within failing pulmonary artery conduit in the setting of cardiogenic shock with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support

BACKGROUND: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR) with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support with successful decannulation as a bridge to recovery in a young adult with complex congenital heart disease. CASE SUMMARY: We describe a 24-year-old male patient with a history of D-transposition of the great arteries with ventricular septal defect status post-Rastelli repair at age three lost to follow-up and presenting with severe biventricular failure, left ventricular thrombus, and critical pulmonary conduit stenosis, deemed non-surgical and non-transplant candidate, who underwent conduit stenting and TPVR in the setting of cardiogenic shock. Upon intubation for general anaesthesia, the patient suffered from ventricular tachycardia arrest requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation and veno-arterial ECMO. Once stabilized, conduit stenting and TPVR was performed with significant haemodynamic improvement and immediate ECMO decannulation with subsequent biventricular function improvement. DISCUSSION: In critically ill patients with complex congenital heart disease that are neither surgical nor transplant candidates, ECMO support can be used as a means of support during a transcatheter intervention to improve haemodynamics and a bridge to recovery, allowing time for future potential candidacy for surgery or transplantation as indicated. Patients with congenital heart disease need regular follow-up in specialty clinics to prevent the development of such critical illness.