Anesthetic management of carcinoid heart disease after cardiac surgery. A possible use of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support

Carcinoid heart disease (CHD) is the cardiac manifestation of a “functioning” neuroendocrine tumour. Patients with CHD undergoing cardiac surgery are at higher risk of developing postoperative haemodynamic instability due to carcinoid crisis and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. In particular the former is related to the clinical vasomotor manifestations d ue to the release of serotonin, 5-hydroxytryptophan, histamine, bradykinin, tachykinins, kallikrein and prostaglandins [1] secreted by neuroendocrine tumours.
Source: Journal of Clinical Anesthesia - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research