Postoperative Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection.

BACKGROUND

Few studies have investigated the use of postoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in acute type A aortic dissection (aTAAD). We identified aTAAD surgical patients at risk of ECMO implantation postoperatively and analyzed the prognosis of these patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 162 consecutive aTAAD patients undergoing operations from January 2008 to December 2015. Patient data were analyzed for risk factors leading to an ECMO requirement. Short-term and long-term outcomes in patients who did and did not require ECMO were compared.

RESULTS

Postoperative ECMO was required in 20 patients (12.3%), and in-hospital mortality was higher in the ECMO group (65.0% vs 8.5%, p < 0.001). Factors predicting postoperative ECMO were preoperative hemodynamic instability (p = 0.049), aortic cross-clamp time (p = 0.036), and postoperative peak creatinine kinase-MB (p = 0.002). ECMO survivors presented at a younger age (p = 0.036) and had a less postoperative blood transfusion (p = 0.034) than ECMO nonsurvivors. The postdischarge survival rate was equivalent in patients with or without ECMO support.

CONCLUSIONS

Although postoperative ECMO is an important predictor of in-hospital death, this pilot study showed that aTAAD patients supported with postoperative ECMO who survive to hospital discharge have a long-term survival comparable to patients who did not receive ECMO.