Follow-up on ECMO after Cardiac Surgery: How Can We Evaluate Therapy?

Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) provides temporary cardiorespiratory support for patients in cardiogenic shock despite high-dose inotropic therapy and use of an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) [Muehrcke 1996]. Postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock has an incidence of 2%-6% after routine adult cardiac surgery [Hernandez 2007]. There are 0.5%-1.5% of patients who are refractory to medical and device therapy, and cardiogenic shock can lead to multiorgan dysfunction and mortality [Rastan 2010]. Prolonged cardiorespiratory support, which can be achieved with ECMO, may provide time for myocardial recovery and prevent multiorgan dysfunction and reduce mortality [Smedira 2001]. However, this device is associated with serious complications [Khorsandi 2017]. The reported survival rate on ECMO is 36% [Biancari 2018]. The aim of this study is to follow up on factors that can influence therapy outcome for patients who receive VA-ECMO after cardiac surgery.