• Edwin R Grajeda Silvestri, Jesus E Pino, Elie Donath, Pedro Torres, Robert Chait, and Waqas Ghumman.
• Internal Medicine/Cardiology, University of Miami/JFK Medical Center Palm Beach Regional GME Consortium, Atlantis, Florida.
• J Card Surg. 2020 Jun 1; 35 (6): 1237-1242.

Background And AimImpella is frequently used to unload the left ventricle in patients with cardiogenic shock on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). There is limited data regarding the use of this strategy. This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the said strategy.MethodsA systematic search for studies comparing Impella plus VA-ECMO (ECVAD) vs VA-ECMO alone was performed using Pubmed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus. Studies meeting inclusion criteria were then used to perform a meta-analysis.ResultsThree studies involving 448 patients were included in the final analysis. In total, 117 (26%) patients were female, mean age was 57 years. VA-ECMO was placed in 355 out of 448 (79%) patients, while ECVAD was placed in 93 out of 448 (21%). Death occurred in 49 out of 93 (52.6%) patients on ECVAD and 226 out of 355 (63.6%) on ECMO, relative risk (RR): 0.76, confidence interval (CI), 95% (0.62-0.94) P = .01. Hemolysis was present in 46 (49.4%) patients in the ECVAD vs 67 (18%) in the ECMO group, RR: 2.64, CI, 95% (1.97-3.55) P < .01. Bleeding was present in 42 (45.2.%) patients in the ECVAD group and 135 (38%) in the ECMO group, RR: 1.25, CI, 95% (0.95-1.63) P = .11. CVVHD was used on 31 (33.3%) patients in the ECVAD group while 89 (25%) in the ECMO group, RR 1.35, CI, 95% (0.95-1.91) P = .10.ConclusionThis study suggests that the use of Impella as an unloading strategy in patients with VA-ECMO decreased mortality, increased rate of hemolysis, neutral bleeding risk, and similar rates of acute kidney injury requiring CVVHD.© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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