Perioperative management of esophagectomy in a patient who previously underwent bilateral lung transplantation

Background General theory of anesthetic managements for nontransplant procedures in lung transplant patients was proposed. However, there are few literatures reporting the perioperative management of thoracoabdominal major surgery following lung transplantation in detail. Herein, we scrupulously report a perioperative management of esophagectomy in a patient who previously underwent bilateral lung transplantation (BLTx), focusing on protection of the transplanted lungs and the respiratory function of the patient. Case presentation A 50-year-old woman was listed for cadaveric BLTx for severe respiratory failure due to end-stage diffuse panbronchiolitis. She underwent BLTx under veno-arterial extracorporeal membranous oxygenation support. Blood loss during the BLTx was 13,675 mL, and mild lung edema developed. She was weaned from the ventilator on the sixth postoperative day (POD) and discharged on the 65th POD. Two years after the BLTx, respiratory function improved markedly, but she was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and was scheduled for thoracoscopic esophagectomy with radical lymph node dissection, hand-assisted laparoscopic gastric mobilization, and anastomosis of the gastric conduit to the cervical esophagus via posterior mediastinum. We were concerned that impaired lymphatic drainage could cause pulmonary edema or lymphangiogenesis could cause a severe immunologic response against the lung grafts. To avoid graft injury and rejection, we addressed lung protective ventilation, reduced transfusion volume, continued immunosuppressive agents, administered volatile anesthetics, and prevented dynamic pain by epidural analgesia. These factors and the improved respiratory function may have contributed to successful management of esophagectomy. During the perioperative period, the major respiratory problems were a slight right lung edema and a persistent pulmonary air leak due to the division of thoracic adhesions, which resolved on 13th POD. Conclusions Cancer surgeries in lung transplant recipients become more common. When such patients undergo thoracoabdominal major surgery, we should pay special attention to respiratory function, operative stress, immunosuppressive therapy, transfusion volume for the prevention of lung edema, and thoracic adhesions.