Successful bridge to clinical lung transplantation using the pumpless extracorporeal lung assist device NovaLung ® in patients with severe ventilation-refractory hypercapnia

Abstract

Rapid deterioration of end-stage lung failure in patients (pts) awaiting a lung transplantation (LTx) may ultimately lead to ventilation-refractory hypercapnia. In this situation further treatment might be impossible without ECMO-support. This, however, has led to poor outcome following LTx so that many centers decline LTx under these circumstances. Here we report first on the successful use of the novel pumpless extracorporeal lung assist device NovaLung® (ECLA) forbridge to LTx in pts with ventilation-refractory hypercapnia.