Ischemic complications after percutaneous decannulation of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (va-ECMO) are not rare and can lead to significant morbidity or even mortality in case of delayed diagnosis or treatment. A possible cause of thromboembolic complications is the formation of thrombus between in the short segment between the large bore retrograde arterial cannula of va-ECMO and the antegrade limb perfusion sheath due to absence of blood flow (dead space). In this case report, we demonstrate a new technique of flushing the dead space to prevent embolic complications during va-ECMO decannulation.
Keywords: ECMO; peripheral complications; vascular access.
© 2021 The Authors. Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.