Emergency repair of proximal hard-tube connector crack during veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support: a case report

TL;DR

A 70-year-old patient on V-A ECMO had a cracked connector repaired with bone wax, avoiding full circuit replacement and maintaining stable support.

Contribution

Demonstrates a novel emergency repair method using bone wax for V-A ECMO circuit damage without interrupting treatment.

Findings

Emergency repair with bone wax successfully fixed a proximal hard-tube connector crack during V-A ECMO.

Low-flow ECMO operation maintained hemodynamic stability during the repair process.

The repair avoided full circuit replacement and allowed continued ECMO support without complications.

Abstract

Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-A ECMO) is critical for patients with severe cardiac or respiratory failure. Circuit damage, particularly at the proximal hard tube connector, can lead to complications such as blood leakage and hemodynamic instability. This case report examines the repair of a crack in the proximal hard tube connector during V-A ECMO treatment.

A 70-year-old female receiving peripheral V-A ECMO support via femoral cannulation for acute heart failure suffered a crack in the proximal hard tube connector, causing arterial blood leakage. The team performed an emergency repair using bone wax while maintaining low-flow ECMO operation. The repair was successful, and V-A ECMO support was continued without interruption, with stable hemodynamics.

Bone wax proved effective for repairing the V-A ECMO circuit crack in this case. The low-flow operation ensured uninterrupted V-A ECMO support and maintained hemodynamic stability, offering an alternative to full circuit replacement in similar cases.

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