Lower Limb Ischemia in Surgical Femoral Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the incidence, clinical impact on survival, and risk factors of lower limb ischemia (LLI) of surgical peripheral femoral venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) in the current era.

DESIGN

A retrospective analysis of the authors' institutional database of VA ECMO was performed. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the occurrence of LLI. The primary endpoint was survival to hospital discharge. Risk factors of LLI were searched with multivariate analyses.

SETTING

University hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

Adult patients receiving peripheral VA ECMO for refractory cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN

RESULTS

From January 2018 to December 2021, 188 patients (mean age: 52.0 ± 14.1 years; 63.8% male, 36.2% female) received peripheral VA ECMO. Male sex was more prevalent in the group without LLI (65.9% v 33.3%; p = 0.031). Twelve (6.4%) patients developed LLI during VA ECMO support (n = 6) or after VA ECMO removal (n = 6). Survival to hospital discharge was not statistically different between patients with and without LLI (50.0% v 48.3%; p = 0.571). Female sex patients were at increased risk for LLI (odds ratio 4.38, 95% CI 1.21-15.81; p = 0.024).

CONCLUSIONS

Peripheral femoral VA ECMO through a surgical approach is associated with a low LLI rate, which does not increase the risk of in-hospital mortality. The female sex is an independent risk factor for LLI.