Outcomes of axillary artery side graft cannulation for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Objective: To determine the safety, efficacy, and frequency of side graft axillary artery cannulation for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support and compare it with other cannulation techniques. Methods: From January 2001 to October 2011, 308 adult patients were supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation at a single center. In 81 patients (26.3%), the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuit was composed of an arterial inflow by a side graft sewn to the axillary artery. Of the 308 patients, 166 (53.9%) underwent femoral arterial cannulation and 61 (19.8%) underwent ascending aortic cannulation The pertinent variables and postprocedural events were retrospectively analyzed in this cohort of patients. Results: The most common complication in the axillary artery group was hyperperfusion syndrome of the ipsilateral upper extremity (n = 20, 24.7%), followed by bleeding from the arterial outflow graft (n = 14, 17.3%). Lower extremity ischemia and fasciotomy were more frequent after femoral arterial cannulation (n = 27, 16%, and n = 18, 10.8%, respectively). The predictors for a poor in-hospital outcome for the entire group of patients were age and postoperative cerebral vascular accident. The cannulation method was not a predictor of in-hospital outcomes. Conclusions: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support with side graft axillary artery technique was more frequently associated with hyperperfusion syndrome than other cannulation sites. Lower extremity ischemia and compartment syndrome was more common after femoral arterial cannulation. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2013;145:1088-92)