Efficacy and safety of percutaneous post-closure technique during the decannulation for veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Background: In recent years, during the decannulation process for veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO), methods for suturing the femoral artery have included the pre- and post-closure techniques. The safety and efficacy of the pre-closure technique are widely recognised; however, reports on the post-closure technique are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the post-closure technique using ProGlide (Abbott Healthcare, Green Oaks, IL, USA) device during VA-ECMO decannulation.

Methods: We reviewed 170 patients who underwent VA-ECMO between January 2021 and June 2023. All patients had their femoral artery puncture sites closed using the post-closure technique upon decannulation. The success rate of this technique and incidence of lower limb complications were recorded and analysed.

Result: Technical success was achieved in 157 (92.4%) patients. Sixteen patients (9.4%) experienced lower limb-related complications, including 8 (4.7%) with lower limb arterial thrombosis and 11 (6.5%) with pseudo-aneurysms. Among all lower limb-related complications, four patients (2.4%) required interventional procedures. This study included 170 patients: 80 in the 'S' (15-16 F) group and 90 in the 'M' (17-19 F) group. In the univariate analysis of different arterial cannula sizes for in-hospital lower limb-related complications, the differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The multivariate logistic model indicated that, compared to the S (15-16 F) group, the M (17-19 F) group was not associated with an increased rate of in-hospital lower limb-related complications.

Conclusions: The suture-mediated closure of the femoral artery during VA-ECMO decannulation is a promising therapeutic strategy.