Effective handling of substantial arterial air embolization during extracorporeal perfusion

1 INTRODUCTION

The occurrence of substantial arterial air embolization during open‐heart procedures is a rare incident, but which can result in direct occlusion of cerebral arteries and serious neurological consequences.1, 2 Coordination and decisiveness in the responses of the operating team can play a major role in preventing or at least minimizing damage that may result from such a critical event.

We report a case of substantial arterial air embolization which occurred during extracorporeal perfusion, and which we treated successfully with a combination of systemic hypothermia, hyperoxia, and retrograde cerebral perfusion.