Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Lung Transplantation: Analysis of Techniques and Outcomes

EXTRACORPOREAL MEMBRANE oxygenation (ECMO) was first used in the perioperative care of a lung transplantation patient in 1975, a mere 3 years after initial introduction into clinical use.1 As ECMO technology progressed, indications for its clinical use expanded significantly within the end-stage lung disease (ESLD) population. Within the lung transplantation population, ECMO is now used across the entire spectrum of perioperative management, including bridge to transplant (BTT) and intraoperative and postoperative support.