Introduction
In patients affected by postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock (PCS) following cardiac surgery, the use of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) has increased steadily in the last decades [1-3]. However, the complications and mortality rates associated with this mechanical support remain high [1-5]. In this context, prolonged VA-ECMO support with the risk of ECMO-induced complications is inversely associated with cardiopulmonary recovery and survival [1,3-5]. However, the optimal duration of VA-ECMO remains controversial, and the available evidence in PCS patients is limited [1,3,4-9]. We report the results of the large multicentre “Postcardiotomy Veno-arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation” (PC-ECMO) study, analysing the impact of VA-ECMO duration on hospital mortality and early complications.