ECMO and congenital heart disease

Although initially designed for respiratory failure, venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) has become a mainstay of therapy in the treatment of patients with congenital heart disease, providing preoperative and postoperative support for infants with temporary impairment of myocardial function. Postoperative support for pulmonary hypertension has allowed dramatic improvements in lesions such as total anomalous pulmonary venous connection. VA ECMO has also proven to be an acceptable bridge to cardiac transplantation in patients too small for currently available ventricular assist devices. Intraoperative elective use of ECMO has also provided a surgical environment with some specific advantages over conventional cardiopulmonary bypass for lesions such as long segment tracheal stenosis. The results of “rescue ECMO” or extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) has shown that many children with congenital heart disease are very salvageable despite sudden decompensation and arrest. These techniques of VA ECMO have evolved and improved over the last two decades, allowing expanded application of this life saving support.