Successful rescue of sustained ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can be set up quickly at the bedside and provides reliable temporary mechanical circulatory support for severe heart failure. We report the case of a 56-year-old female with circulatory collapse due to sustained ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation (VT/Vf) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) who was successfully resuscitated using ECMO. The sustained VT/Vf might have been secondary to myocardial stunning, ischemia, infarction, or reperfusion. There were 40 cardioversions within the first 5 postoperative days. The patient improved after 8 days of ECMO in addition to use of an intraaortic balloon pump and administration of inotropic agents for profound heart failure. Left ventricular ejection fraction improved from 28% preoperatively to 54.5% on the 20th postoperative day. Cardiogenic shock due to sustained VT/Vf after CABG may be an indication for ECMO support. Immediate establishment of circulatory support using ECMO provides valuable time for spontaneous and interventional correction of reversible causes of sustained VT/Vf.