EXTRACORPOREAL MEMBRANE-OXYGENATION AS A BRIDGE TO DEFINITIVE TRACHEAL SURGERY IN CHILDREN

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was used as a bridge for three inf ants with complicated long segment congenital tracheal stenosis to tra cheal homograft transplantation with cadaveric tracheal homograft and for one child, with an extensive traumatic tracheal laceration caused by aspiration of a sharp foreign body, to definitive tracheal repair, In all four cases mechanical ventilation was impossible and death almo st certain without extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.