Extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation temporary support for early graft failure after cardiac transplantation☆

Abstract

ECMO support is a reliable therapeutic option in severe EGF after cardiac transplantation; furthermore, patients treated with ECMO have the same 1-year conditional survival as patients not having suffered EGF.

Incidence and outcome of Levitronix CentriMag support as rescue therapy for early cardiac allograft failure: a United Kingdom national study

“…Two studies have reported survival rates of 50% and 53% following ECMO support for primary allograft failure [23,24] compared with 50% 30-day and 32% 1-year survival in this study. However, survival-rates are influenced by many factors, including the threshold at which support was instituted; hence, the results from these single-centre studies cannot be used to compare the efficacy of ECMO with that of CentriMag VADs seen in this comprehensive national study.…”

Acquired von Willebrand syndrome in patients with extracorporeal life support (ECLS)

“…Indications include ischemic cardiomyopathy [1], postcardiotomy failure [2], graft failure after heart transplantation [3], and acute myocarditis [4]. Moreover, the temporary support can serve as a bridge to decision, e.g., for a long-term ventricular assist device [5].…”

Extracorporeal life support in preoperative and postoperative heart transplant management

“…The device of choice and timing of insertion varies among institutions, and the use of mechanical circulatory support tends to be more liberal and favors early support in high-volume centers with a potentially positive effect on allograft recovery. In a recent analysis of 54 patients supported on ECMO for PGD in a large French center, 36 patients (67%) were weaned from the assisting device, and 27 of the patients supported with ECMO (50%) were discharged from the hospital (21). Overall conditional survival was 73% at 1 year and 66% at 5 years.…”