Weaning from prolonged veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) after transfer to a specialized center: a retrospective study

Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vvECMO) is increasingly used as rescue therapy in severe respiratory failure. In patients with pre-existent lung diseases or persistent lung injury weaning from vvECMO can be challenging. This study sought to investigate outcomes of patients transferred to a specialized ECMO center after prolonged ECMO therapy. We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients admitted to our medical intensive care unit (ICU) between 01/2013 and 12/2016 who were transferred from an external ICU after > 8 days on vvECMO. 12 patients on ECMO for > 8 days were identified. Prior to transfer, patients underwent ECMO therapy for 18 ± 9.5 days. Total time on ECMO was 60 ± 46.6 days. 11/12 patients could be successfully weaned from ECMO, 7/12 in the first 28 days after transfer (8 ± 8.8 ECMO-free days at day 28). In 7 patients, ECMO could be terminated after at least partial lung recovery, in 4 patients after salvage lung transplant. No patient died or needed re-initiation of ECMO therapy at day 28. In summary, weaning from vvECMO was feasible even after prolonged ECMO courses and salvage lung transplant could be avoided in most cases. Patients may benefit from transfer to a specialized ECMO center.