Inferior vena cava thrombosis in two adult patients with veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(VA-ECMO) is indicated in patients with severe cardiogenic shock.During extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO) use,systemic anticoagulation is generally used to ensure the normal functioning of ECMO.Hemorrhage and thrombosis are two important complications of ECMO.However,despite adequate anticoagulation,some patients still experience thrombosis,such as inferior vena cava thrombosis (IVCT),after the removal of ECMO.[1,2]A metaanalysis showed that the incidence of venous thrombosis during ECMO treatment is approximately 10%,[3]but IVCT is rarely reported.We report two cases of IVCT after the removal of VA-ECMO cannulas.