Current opinion in anaesthesiology
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Lung transplantation can be performed off-pump, with sequential one-lung ventilation, or using mechanical circulatory support (MCS). MCS can either be in the form of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) or veno-arterial or veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO or VV ECMO).This article reviews the indications, benefits and limitations of these different techniques and evaluates their effect on outcomes. ⋯ The trend toward ECMO and away from cardiopulmonary bypass is backed up with good survival rates. However, to date, there has not been a randomized controlled trial to further guide the choice of MCS strategy for lung transplantation.