Summary
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been adopted to support
patients with acute severe cardiac or pulmonary failure that is
potentially reversible and unresponsive to conventional management. In
the presence of pulmonary embolism, mesenteric ischemia (MI) can present
as a life-threatening disorder that leads to intestinal ischemia. Due to
the nature and acuity of these conditions, determining adequate
perfusion upon surgical intervention is challenging for the operating
surgeon, especially in the presence of cardiogenic shock despite ECMO
support. Indocyanine green fluorescent angiography (ICG-FA) has proven
to be useful for real-time vascular perfusion assessment, which may
potentially decrease the rate of development of perfusion-related
complications. The case report here-in presented, breaks the paradigm of
performing noncardiac surgical procedures on ECMO support via a
pioneering visual aid technique.