Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026
Lung Rapid Recovery Procurement Combined with Abdominal Normothermic Regional Perfusion in Controlled Donation after Circulatory Death
Published on: August 15, 2022
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for primary allograft failure
G Arpesella1, A Loforte, E Mikus
1Department of Cardiac Surgery, Heart and Lung Transplantation Program, Bologna University, Bologna, Italy.
Objective:
Herein we have reported our experience concerning the usefulness of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in heart transplant patients.
Patients And Methods:
Between July 2002 and March 2007, 11 heart transplant patients, namely, 8 men and 3 women of overall mean age of 49.4 +/- 13.9 years (range, 19-62 years) with primary graft failure underwent ECMO implantation. Two patients had pulmonary hypertension; 3 had been transplanted with hearts from marginal donors. At the time of implantation, all were in severe cardiogenic shock despite maximal inotropic support. In 6 patients, the ECMO was implanted centrally in the operating room when there was failure of weaning of cardiopulmonary bypass. Among the 5 remaining patients, ECMO was implanted peripherally in the intensive care unit, during the first 60 hours, including 3 cases of hemodynamic instability and 1 of irreversible cardiac graft arrest. The last patient was implanted on day 30 after transplantation because of acute rejection.
Results:
Mean pump outflow was 2.7 +/- 0.4 L/min/m(2). One patient died on circulatory support due to a cerebral hemorrhage. Ten patients were weaned from ECMO after a mean duration of 9.1 +/- 6.9 days (range, 1-18 days). All of them were successfully discharged. No retransplantation occurred.
Conclusion:
Rapid operating room or bedside placement of ECMO allowed stabilization of hemodynamics with potential myocardial recovery in patients with cardiac graft failure.
