Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has evolved into the high-risk category in the past 2 decades. Endovascular patients are on average sicker than in the past due to increased age, complex anatomy, reduced global left ventricular systolic function and a greater frequency of surgical refusal. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can be taken into account for the management of extremely high-risk PCI without any hemodynamic instability. The rationale for the use of ECMO includes a lower risk of hemodynamic collapse which leads to low perfusion episodes minimization. In the evidence based on ECMO-assisted high-risk PCI, there are no randomized clinical trials but only observational studies and case reports. In this paper, we describe one-year long-term results of ECMO support for PCI in patients without hemodynamic disturbances.
Part of the book: Advances in Extra-corporeal Perfusion Therapies