Internal Jugular Vein Avulsion Complicating Dual-Lumen VV-ECMO Cannulation: An Unreported Complication of Avalon Cannulas.

The Avalon Elite dual lumen cannula (Avalon Laboratories, Rancho Dominguez, CA) was developed as a means of single-site cannulation for veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in patients with severe refractory respiratory failure. This cannulation strategy has several advantages over conventional strategies, however, is not without complication. We describe a case of right internal jugular vein "on a stick" (avulsion) after cannulation with the Avalon Elite cannula, and corroborate the critical importance of imaging guidance when using this system.