One Limb or Two? Does It Make a Difference in Femoral Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation?

The article discusses the use of femoral vessel cannulation for extracorporeal life support (ECLS) or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in adults. While this method offers advantages such as avoiding neurologic injury associated with carotid artery cannulation, it is also associated with complications that can lead to amputation or death. The article reviews data from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) and concludes that bilateral femoral vessel cannulation is associated with fewer complications and lower mortality compared to unilateral cannulation. However, the article acknowledges limitations in the data and calls for further research on factors such as cannula size and monitoring methods to prevent complications. [Extracted from the article]