Ten-year experience with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for severe XXXX .

@entity1 @entity295 @entity1576 @entity548
In the last ten years, 17 @entity1 with @entity1576 refractory to standard ventilator therapy have been treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) at the Toronto General Hospital. One @entity1 was treated with ECMO twice. Four perfusions were veno-arterial, the remainder veno-venous. Perfusions ranged from 1 1/2 to 19 days, with a mean of six days. Ten @entity1 died during treatment or soon after it was discontinued. Eight @entity1 improved enough to allow resumption of standard ventilation, and four @entity1 recovered sufficiently to have normal arterial blood gas levels on room air. Three are long-term survivors. Multiple surgical procedures have been performed successfully during use of ECMO including lung lavage, open lung biopsy and three lung transplants. Major complications include @entity548 and @entity295 . The technique involves a substantial commitment of time and personnel but remains a tenable option for presumed reversible life-threatening @entity1576 .
