Augmented venous access in the problematic ECMO patient: a case report

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) provides an adjunct to support of neonates with respiratory distress. The rate of venous drainage is the limiting step to the amount of arterial flow that may be generated during ECMO. We present a 3-kg, 37-week gestation female with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) whose anatomic venous drainage was insufficient to allow total extracorporeal support. The internal jugular vein was of insufficient size to allow placement of a cannula large enough to support adequate bypass flow. We established minimally acceptable flow by simultaneous caudad and cephalad catheterization of the internal vein. We performed a right lower quadrant retroperitoneal dissection and cannulated the common iliac vein when systemic pressures deteriorated at 24 hours with marginal venous drainage. After triple cannulation the bypass flows were normal. The right leg developed mild cyanosis and edema immediately following cannulation, but these changes resolved over 24 hours with elevation. The common iliac vein provides a desirable route for augmentation of venous drainage in the patient with difficult standard, or cephalad, jugular venous access for extracorporeal support.