Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a bridge to thoracic multiorgan transplantation

Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has emerged as a crucial tool in the care of patients with multiorgan failure and is increasingly utilized as a bridge to transplantation. While data on ECMO as a bridge to isolated heart and lung transplantation have been described, our emerging experience with ECMO as a bridge to thoracic multiorgan transplantation is not yet well understood.

Methods: The United Network for Organ Sharing database was used to identify adult patients undergoing thoracic multiorgan transplantation between 1987 and 2022. Exclusion criteria were recipient age <18 and bridging with other non-ECMO mechanical circulatory support, Survival analysis was performed to compare outcomes between patients bridged to transplantation with ECMO and those who were not bridged.

Results: Of 3,927 patients undergoing thoracic multiorgan transplantation, a total of 203 (5.2%) patients received ECMO as a bridge to transplantation. Among ECMO recipients, patients were most commonly bridged to heart-lung (45.8%), followed by heart-kidney (34.5%), and lung-kidney transplantation (11.8%). At a median follow-up of 35.5 months, unadjusted survival among patients bridged with ECMO was decreased versus multiorgan transplant recipients who were not bridged (p < 0.001). Among patients surviving past 30 days following transplantation, conditional long-term survival was similar between ECMO and non-ECMO patients (p = 0.82).

Conclusions: ECMO is increasingly utilized as a bridge to thoracic multiorgan transplantation and is associated with increased 30 day mortality and decreased long-term survival. In select patients surviving to 30 days following transplantation, similar long-term survival is seen between patients bridged with ECMO and those not bridged.