Early airway dehiscence: Risk factors and outcomes with the rising incidence of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a bridge to lung transplantation.

Despite increased ECMO utilization, the incidence of AD has remained stable. Multiple independent risk factors for AD were identified and poor postoperative outcomes confirmed. However, many known impediments to wound healing such as recipient chronic steroid use, recipient and donor diabetes, and donor smoking were not identified as risk factors for AD, reinforcing the critical role of technical performance.