Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 12, 2026
Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Peripheral Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Without Left Ventricular Venting
Published on: January 17, 2025
Decompression of Left Ventricle During Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support as a Step to
Bahadır Gültekin1, Özgür Ersoy, İlknur Akkaya
1From the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
Objectives:
Left ventricular distention can be recognized during the use of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a key complication. Left ventricular decompression may decrease pulmonary pressure, minimize ventricular distention, and allow myocardial recovery.
Materials And Methods:
We applied venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to 4 patients while on a wait list for cardiac transplant.
Results:
Two patients with severe heart failure developed high end-diastolic pressures leading to left ventricular distention. We used atrial venting methods to decrease the pressure.
Conclusions:
Here, we discussed the strategies to manage ventricular distention by conservative, interventional, and surgical means.
