[Extracorporeal circulation in no-cardiac surgery: experience at the Clinica Universidad de Navarra]

Analyse the use of the Extra-Corporeal Circulation (ECC) in no-cardiac operations at the Clinica Universidad de Navarra.

Between 1985 and 2009, the ECC has been involved in 28 operations for retroperitoneal tumour with inferior vena cava thrombus, in 43 isolated hyperthermic perfusion of a limb for locally advanced cancer and in 8 cases of chest mass with invasion of the pulmonary veins or bronchial carina.

The intraoperative mortality for renal cancer has been of 7% while the 28% of patients showed a major complication. None patient died for the isolated hyperthermic perfusion and the 81% showed no toxicity. 1 patient out of 8 for chest mass died during the surgery for impossibility of weaning from the ECC.

The ECC has been utilised in our experience mostly in cases of advanced cancer. It is an aggressive technique with a certain rate of complications. Nevertheless mid- and long-term results are encouraging.

The ECC is the only technique in some advanced cancer in order to safely perform the mass removal. The precise co-ordination of the team is necessary to reduce the complication rate.