Background: We retrospectively evaluated vascular complications and wound infections after surgical or percutaneous transfemoral removal of temporary extracorporeal life support systems (ECLSs).
Methods: A total of 83 patients were weaned from ECLS between August 2015 and September 2020. We analyzed for a composite endpoint of vascular complications and wound infections requiring negative-pressure wound therapy. Patients were divided into two groups: percutaneous group using the MANTA vascular occlusion system (VCD; Teleflex, Morrisville, North Carolina, United States) (n = 23) and surgical group (n = 60).
Results: The median age in the entire cohort was 67 years. Vascular complications were seen in 20% (n = 12) in the surgical group and in 13% (n = 3) in the percutaneous group (p = 0.72). A total of 32% (n = 19) in the surgical group and 9% (n = 2) in the percutaneous group (p = 0.031) had wound infections. A composite endpoint of vascular complications and wound infections showed significantly more complications in the surgical group (52%, n = 31) as compared with the percutaneous group (22%, n = 5) (p = 0.020). The median duration in the intensive care unit was 13 days for the surgical group and 12 days for the percutaneous group without any significant difference in both groups (p = 0.93).
Conclusions: Using the MANTA VCD for percutaneous removal of ECLS cannulas after weaning from ECLS is safe and reproducible. A composite endpoint of vascular complications and wound infections was significantly lower in the percutaneous removal group as compared with the surgical group.
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