title: Extracorporeal life support as a bridge to lung transplantation.
abstract: Patients who are excellent candidates for lung transplantation often die on the waiting list because they are too sick to survive until an organ becomes available. Improvements in lung transplant outcomes, patient selection, and artificial lung device technologies have made it possible to bridge these patients to successful life-saving transplantation. Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) should be tailored to minimize morbidity and provide the appropriate mode and level of cardiopulmonary support for each patient's physiologic requirements. Novel device refinements and further development of ECLS in an ambulatory and simplified manner will help maintain these patients in better condition until transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Division Thoracic Surgery, Toronto Lung Transplant Program, Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, M5G2C4, Canada.
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cypel
authors.forename: Shaf
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keshavjee
mesh_terms: D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000266:history / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D016040:Lung Transplantation; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D014850:Waiting Lists