The Use of a Hollow Fiber Membrane Oxygenator for Extended Extra-Corporeal Support

There is a small percentage of patients, who having undergone cardiac surgery, are unable to be weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass. Some reports in the literature seem to indicate some success with extended extra-corporeal support. In an effort to reduce the amount of supplies needed and the resulting confusion of utilizing a completely different oxygenator, a hollow fiber membrane oxygenator was selected as the oxygenator of choice for an extended extra-corporeal support system.