Successful support and separation from veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support in a three-month-old patient following bidirectional Glenn procedure

While extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a useful mechanism of providing support in pediatric patients with cardiopulmonary dysfunction following surgery for congenital heart disease, outcomes have varied dramatically between distinct cardiac diagnoses. Reported outcomes of ECMO support following a bidirectional Glenn procedure in patients with single ventricle physiology are uniformly poor due in part to physiological and anatomical challenges inherent to cannulation in this population. We describe a unique veno-venous cannulation that can be applied to this patient population and has allowed for successful decannulation in our practice.