Modified central extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for distended left ventricle.

A 38-year-old man who was resuscitated from ventricular fibrillation was diagnosed with acute aortic dissection complicated by coronary malperfusion. He underwent total aortic arch replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting to the left anterior descending coronary artery. Due to low cardiac output syndrome from cardiac ischemia, central extracorporeal membrane oxygenator (ECMO) was established with aortic cannulation from the side branch of the implanted prosthetic graft and venous drainage from the femoral vein. Ventricular venting was added from the right upper pulmonary vein for the distended left ventricle. ECMO was weaned off on postoperative Day 4. The patient is back on his normal daily life for more than 1 year after the surgery.