New intervention to protect lungs during cardiac surgery, feasible, safe, and effective, study finds

Medical Xpress / University of Bristol / Journal of the American Heart Association ^ | Sept. 27, 2024 | Raimondo Ascione et al

[ConservativeMind]

A new intervention which keeps lungs regularly expanding when using a heart-lung machine during heart valve surgery might protect lung function and exercise capacity in adult patients after the operation, a clinical trial has found.

The research could benefit similar patients globally undergoing cardiac surgery.

The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to find out if keeping the lungs regularly expanding, known as low frequency ventilation (LFV), during heart-lung machine in patients undergoing heart valve surgery could be linked to better postoperative lung function and exercise ability.

The study also wanted to find out the feasibility and safety of keeping lungs expanding during heart-lung machine, whether it affected surgery and if any specific change in biomarkers of lung injury could be identified and therefore targeted in future studies to develop a lung protection drug.

Current practice involves the lungs being left collapsed when using heart-lung machine during heart surgery, which is already known to trigger lung damage and reduced function after an operation. These complications are associated with a longer hospital stay and a greater risk of mortality in high-risk cases.

Sixty-three patients with severe mitral or aortic valve disease were randomized to either LFV or usual care with collapsed lungs. The average age of the patients was 66.8 years, 30% were women, and participants were followed up for six to eight weeks after discharge.

The trial found it was feasible and safe to use LFV when using heart-lung machine in patients undergoing heart valve surgery. In addition, it showed preserved lung function and patients walked significantly longer during the 6-minute walking test before discharge compared to those treated with usual care.

Also, LFV triggered a change to a specific biomarker/mediator (sRAGE) of lung function, which could be targeted in future studies.

[ConservativeMind]

Low frequency ventilation (LFV) appears to be a modification from current collapsing of the lung. It seems collapsing the lungs damages them, which would seem intuitively obvious, having both sides of lungs touching each other without normal pumping occurring.

This may be available as a current option worth exploring with your doctor.

[ConservativeMind]

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[sauropod]

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[sauropod]

Bkmk

[goodnesswins]

Thanks for all your postings.

[The Westerner]

Had a collapsed lung occur during surgery. Not a picnic to recover from. 2 lungs must be pure hell. Must be one of the reasons a successful valve replacement surgery can still end up being fatal.