Late Outcomes of Infants Supported by Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Following the Norwood Operation

Overall, 13.4% of single ventricle patients received ECMO support following the Norwood operation. Although there were no preoperative or operative predictors of the requirement of ECMO support following the Norwood operation, unplanned reoperation for shunt problems or technical complications was associated with an increased need for ECMO use. Although hospital death was high at 58% in patients who required
postoperative ECMO support, those who survived to hospital discharge had interstage mortality, progression through consecutive palliation stages, freedom from heart transplantation, and late survival that were comparable to those in patients who did not require ECMO following their Norwood operation.