Respiratory support using extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is rarely used in the setting of adult lung surgery, with the exception of lung transplantation. We report the case of a patient with pulmonary aspergilloma, for whom selective bronchial intubation was required to facilitate surgery. Intolerance to unilateral ventilation was anticipated due to poor underlying lung function. Intra-operatively, an attempt to lung exclusion was responsible for severe hypoxemia. The use of veno-venous ECMO allowed to improve oxygenation and lung resection was carried out successfully at the expense of major intra-operative bleeding.
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