Postcardiotomy extracorporeal membrane oxygenator: No longer a bridge to no where?

Background: Postcardiotomy extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (PC-ECMO) represents a unique subset of critically ill patients, with a paucity of data regarding long-term survival and correlated characteristics. We present a retrospective cohort of PC-ECMO patients, with outcomes at 1 and 3 years.

Methods: Data were collected retrospectively for all patients requiring ECMO within 72 hours of an index cardiac operation (excluding assist devices and transplants).