Abstract:Objective To analyze the common complications of patients treated by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO) after cardiac surgery. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data and perioperative management of 35 patients who underwent extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy for cardiopulmonary dysfunction after cardiac surgery at Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from January 2016 to June 2022, including ECMO team building, postoperative complications, treatment measures, multi-system monitoring, and complication management. Of the 35 patients, there were 24 males and 11 females, aged from 42 to 76 years, with an average age of(61.5±11.9) years; 12 underwent valve surgery, 5 had surgery for adult congenital heart disease, 3 underwent major vascular surgery, and 15 underwent coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG), including 6 who also had concurrent valve surgery. Results All 35 patients underwent venous arterial ECMO, the ECMO assisted time was 116-273 hours, with an average time of(187±45) hours. Among them, 20 patients successfully withdrew from ECMO, with a success rate of 57.1%. Fifteen patients(42.9%) were unable to wean off ECMO, and 5 weaned-off patients(14.3%) died of infection, cerebral infarction, multiple organ failure. Fifteen patients(42.9%) recovered and were discharged. Twenty-nine patients(82.9%) experienced ECMO-related complications, with renal dysfunction(48.5%) being the most common complication, followed by bleeding(45.7%), infection(31.4%), and arrhythmia(28.6%). The duration of ECMO support was closely related to the success of the treatment. Conclusion ECMO treatment for critically ill patients following cardiac surgery is associated with a high incidence of complications and mortality. The key to successful treatment lies in actively preventing and treating o the complications during the perioperative management, and striving to minimize the duration of ECMO support.