Severe aspiration pneumonia after surgery for reconstructed gastric tube cancer treated with extracorporeal life support

Jpn J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1999 Aug;47(8):394-7. doi: 10.1007/BF03218032.

Abstract

A 68-year-old man who had received resection for thoracic esophageal cancer 8 years ago, was operated on for the cancer of the reconstructed gastric tube. On the day of the operation, he accidentally swallowed gastric juice due to an obstruction in the reconstructed gastric tube. He suffered from acute hypoxic respiratory failure which could not be controlled with conventional therapy on postoperative day 1. Therefore, extracorporeal life support was employed at 3.0 L/min. extracorporeal flow for 11 days. Before extracorporeal life support data: PO2/FiO2 = 45, A-aDO2 = 600. During extracorporeal life support, the ventilator setting was pressure control (16 cmH2O) ventilation with a positive end expiratory pressure of 8 cmH2O, respiratory rate of 5 breaths/min., and FiO2 of 0.4. The patient was successfully weaned from extracorporeal life support and extubated on postoperative day 12. After extracorporeal life support data: PO2/FiO2 = 225, A-aDO2 = 465. We report on a successful weaning case from extracorporeal life support and discuss the efficacy these of regarding this patient.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Esophagoplasty
  • Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / methods*
  • Humans
  • Intraoperative Complications
  • Life Support Care*
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
  • Pneumonia, Aspiration / etiology*
  • Pneumonia, Aspiration / therapy*
  • Reoperation