Temporary cardiopulmonary bypass and isolated lung ventilation for tracheal stenosis and reconstruction

A 27-yr-old lady with a past history of prolonged ventilationpresented with worsening respiratory distress caused by trachealstenosis. She required urgent tracheal resection and reconstruction.Because of the risk of an acute respiratory obstruction, spinalanaesthesia was used to establish cardiopulmonary bypass bycannulating the femoral artery and femoral vein. Adequate gasexchange was possible with full flow rate. Thoracotomy was thencarried out to mobilize the left main bronchus. After successfullysecuring an airway by intubation of the left main bronchus,cardiopulmonary bypass was discontinued and tracheal resectionand anastomosis was done under conventional one lung anaesthesia. Br J Anaesth 2003; 91: 742–4