Prone positioning during veno-venous or veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: feasibility and complications after cardiothoracic surgery

Abstract Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a standard treatment for refractory hypoxaemia (veno-venous ECMO, VV-ECMO) and cardiogenic shock (veno-arterial ECMO, VA-ECMO). Severe hypoxaemia may persist despite ECMO. Prone positioning (PP) can improve outcomes of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)(1,2). However, few data exist on PP in hypoxaemic patients receiving VV-ECMO or VA-ECMO, particularly after cardio-thoracic surgery. Here, we evaluated oxygenation and complications seen with PP during ECMO.