Additional Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Pump Without an Oxygenator for Transseptal Left Atrial Decompression: A Case Report

Abstract

A 63-year-old man developed chest pain and dyspnea. Venoarterial-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was applied to the patient due to failing heart after percutaneous coronary intervention. We used an additional ECMO pump without an oxygenator for transseptal left atrial (LA) decompression and performed a heart transplant. Transseptal LA decompression with venoarterial ECMO is not always effective for severe left ventricular dysfunction. Here, we report a case of the effective use of additional ECMO pump without an oxygenator for transseptal LA decompression through controlling the blood flow rate of the transseptal LA catheter.