Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and surgical embolectomy for high-risk pulmonary embolism

Patients with high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) presenting with cardiogenic shock refractory to supportive measures have a high mortality [1, 2]. Therapeutic success depends on rapid haemodynamic stabilisation and restoration of pulmonary blood flow. Thrombolytic therapy is the most widely used recanalisation strategy, but this treatment has substantial drawbacks including a high rate of bleeding complications and limited efficacy in patients with large embolic burden or in patients with recurrent PE presenting with acute-on-chronic events [3–8].

Source: European Respiratory Journal - April 24, 2019 Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Ius, F., Hoeper, M. M., Fegbeutel, C., Kühn, C., Olsson, K., Koigeldiyev, N., Tudorache, I., Warnecke, G., Optenhöfel, J., Puntigam, J. O., Schäfer, A., Meyer, B. C., Hinrichs, J. B., Bauersachs, J., Haverich, A., Cebotari, S. Tags: Original Articles: Research letters Source Type: research