Anesthesia management for lung transplant in children with obliterated bronchiolitis after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a single-center experience.

BACKGROUND

Lung transplantation (LTx) is the definitive treatment for patients with end-stage lung diseases, but its application in pediatrics is limited by donor scarcity and surgical complexity. There is a general lack of experience and consensus on anesthetic management during LTx in children with bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). We summarized the data of children undergoing LTx with BOS after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine (SAHZU) to devise an anesthetic management strategy and describe practical experience.

METHODS

Children with BOS who underwent LTx at SAHZU from January 2021 to September 2023 were reviewed. Data on demographics, perioperative clinical parameters, and outcomes were collected and recorded. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) guided the dynamic evaluation of cardiac function, volume management, and pulmonary vascular anastomosis. Pulmonary artery catheters (PACs) were used to monitor pulmonary artery pressure (PAP).

RESULTS

Ten children with BOS post-HSCT underwent LTx, including eight males and two females. One patient had a single LTx, and the others had double LTx. All children received allogeneic red blood cell (RBC) infusion. Three received continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) during the operation. Postoperative mechanical ventilation time was 2 (IQR, 2-24) days. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) time was 12 (IQR, 6-12) hours. Four patients developed acute kidney injury (AKI) within 48 hours, and primary graft dysfunction grade 3 (PGD3) occurred in 10% within 48-72 hours. Intensive care unit (ICU) stay was 9 (IQR, 6-40) days, and the 30-day survival rate was 100%.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative evaluation, volume management, hemodynamic monitoring, TEE, and ECMO application are the key points that anesthesiologists should pay attention to in such cases.