• Robert Musiał, Tomasz Darocha, Sylweriusz Kosiński, Jarosław Stoliński, Jerzy Sadowski, and Rafał Drwiła.
• Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, John Paul II Specialist Hospital in Krakow, Poland. r.musial@aclex.com.pl.
• Anaesthesiol Intensive Ther. 2015 Jan 1; 47 (4): 324-7.

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to present our experience with short-term mechanical circulatory support by veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-A ECMO). A series of cases is described involving patients with symptoms of severe cardiogenic shock successfully treated with V-A ECMO.Case ReportsDepending on indications, veno-venous (V-V) or veno-arterial (V-A) ECMO can be used. The patients described here presented symptoms of severe cardiogenic shock and the ECMO kit was successfully applied as an element of circulatory support. V-A ECMO was used as a bridge to recovery in a patient after pulmonary artery embolectomy and a bridge to heart transplantation in a patient with giant cell myocarditis; in the third case, ECMO was applied to the treatment of cardiogenic shock in deep hypothermia.ConclusionsThe number of cases in which ECMO has been successfully applied in patients with cardiogenic shock and in deep hypothermia is increasingly high; therefore, it seems advisable to elaborate ECMO guidelines to be used in such situations. V-A ECMO is an effective and recognized method of treatment of patients in cardiogenic shock and deep hypothermia.

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