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    VA ECMO for postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock in adults

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    Description

    Postcardiotomy refers to the period immediately after open-heart surgery. Postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock (PCS) is a rare but life-threatening situation that happens when the heart cannot pump blood well enough to meet the body's needs.

    Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) is when blood is taken out of the body and put through an artificial lung located outside of the body (extracorporeal). The ECMO machine adds oxygen to the blood (oxygenation), removes carbon dioxide and pumps the blood around the body. This is done over days or weeks. Tubes take blood out of the major veins in the groin, neck, or both, and return it through tubes into a large artery (venoarterial).

    VA ECMO aims to do the work of the heart to provide oxygenated blood to the body while the heart recovers or as a bridge to a treatment.