Use of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in a case of tracheal injury repair in a patient with severe relapsing polychondritis

Abstract

Tracheobronchial malacia occurs in 50% of patients with relapsing polychondritis (RP), and is often managed with stent insertion. While severe complications have been described after silicone tracheal stent insertion, there are few reports describing tracheal injury in patients with RP. We present a case of tracheal perforation secondary to Dumon® stent manipulation in a patient with RP. The tracheal injury was successfully repaired with a silicone Y-stent inserted via right thoracotomy using veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) for ventilatory support. It is safe and feasible to introduce a silicone Y-stent through a thoracotomy for a tracheal trauma in combination with VA-ECMO support.