Discontinuation of the OriGen® Dual-Lumen Right Atrial Cannula Decreased Venovenous ECMO Usage in Neonates and Older Children: A Survey of the American Pediatric Surgical Association.

Introduction: Dual-lumen cannulas for venovenous (VV)-ECMO are widely used in pediatric patients. The popular OriGen® dual-lumen right atrial cannula was discontinued in 2019 without a comparable replacement.

Methods: A survey covering VV-ECMO practice and opinions was distributed to attending members of the American Pediatric Surgical Association.

Results: 137 pediatric surgeons responded (14%). Prior to discontinuation of the OriGen®, 82.5% offered VV-ECMO to neonates, and 79.6% cannulated with the OriGen®. Following its discontinuation, those that offered only venoarterial (VA)-ECMO to neonates increased to 37.6% from 17.5% (p = 0.0002). An additional 33.8% changed their practice to sometimes use VA-ECMO when VV-ECMO was indicated. Reasons for not incorporating dual-lumen bi-caval cannulation into practice included risk of cardiac injury (51.7%), inexperience with bi-caval cannulation in neonates (36.8%), difficulty with placement (31.0%), and recirculation and/or positioning problems (27.6%). For the pediatric/adolescent population, 95.5% of surgeons offered VV-ECMO prior to OriGen® discontinuation. Few switched to exclusive VA-ECMO (1.9%) when the OriGen® was discontinued, but 17.8% of surgeons began to incorporate selective use of VA-ECMO.

Conclusion: Discontinuation of the OriGen® cannula drove pediatric surgeons to alter their cannulation practices, dramatically increasing VA-ECMO use for neonatal and pediatric respiratory failure. These data may suggest a need for targeted education accompanying major technological shifts.

Level Of Evidence: Level IV.