Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in postoperative pediatric cardiac surgical cases

We prospectively analyzed the results of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) done in our Pediatric Cardiac Unit from January to December 2007. We present a series of nine patients who required ECMO after open heart surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD). The overall survival rate of these patients was 77.8%. The survival rate was 100% in patients who were electively put on ECMO after intracardiac repair for tetralogy of fallot, 50% in patients who were put on ECMO following the arterial switch operation and 50% in patients who were put on ECMO after VSD closure. Our results seem to suggest that patients placed on ECMO electively rather than after a cardiac arrest posts congenital cardiac surgeries have a better outcome.