Bridge to recovery: A case of V-V ECMO following V-A ECMO in Eisenmenger syndrome

We report a case of successful treatment for a severe acute pulmonary hypertension crisis in a patient with Eisenmenger syndrome (ES) associated with patent ductus arteriosus following trauma-related spine surgery, utilizing both veno-arterial (V-A) and veno-venous (V-V) ECMO. The patient’s clinical course was complicated by right ventricular failure amid a pulmonary hypertensive crisis, necessitating V-A ECMO support. Persistent hypoxia, despite improved right heart function, warranted transition to V-V ECMO. This case demonstrates that peripheral V-A ECMO can be safely employed to decompress the right heart in the presence of a significant PDA shunt. Furthermore, weaning from ECMO in these patients requires a much higher hematocrit in order to compensate for the chronic hypoxia.