Anesthetic management of heart and lung transplantation: analysis of 14 cases in a single center

BACKGROUND: Aggressive management of heart and lung transplant (HLTx) requires a team of specialists with dedicated expert to improve long-term outcomes. This study aimed to summarize practical experiences of anesthetic management in HLTx operations. METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed the anesthesia-related clinical records of 14 cases of HLTx performed from September 2015 to October 2019. Preoperative diagnoses included congenital heart disease with pulmonary arterial hypertension, idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension with right heart failure, end-stage cor pulmonale, dilated cardiomyopathy, end-stage heart failure with pulmonary arterial hypertension, congenital heart disease, and lung transplant failure. All recipients received intravenous-inhalation general anesthesia with single-lumen endotracheal intubation, Swan-Ganz catheterization, and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). RESULTS: All 14 cases of HLTx were completed successfully and the patients were transferred to the intensive care units (ICUs). The postoperative data of the 14 patients were collected from 1 month to 4 years: seven cases survived the first year, four cases died in the short term (within 30 days), and one case died within 24 h. As at the end of November 2019, eight cases were reported dead (the longest survival was 2 years 1 month and 22 days). Four cases used extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for cardiopulmonary support. CONCLUSIONS: The success of the HLTx was attributed to the joint efforts of the entire transplantation team. The anesthesiology team was required for experiences in anesthesia for HLTx. The key to anesthesia management was the in-depth participation in preoperative discussions and assessments. Preventing the exacerbation of right heart failure and pulmonary arterial hypertension is critical during the induction of anesthesia. Regulation and support are crucial from the withdrawal of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) to within 1 h of the circulation and respiratory functions undertaken independently by the donor heart and lungs.