Gao F, Ma S, Xiao X, Yang H, Qian MJ. Emergency veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulation through the femoral vein with a pre-positioned inferior vena cava filter: A case report. World J Clin Cases 2025; 13(26): 105486 [DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i26.105486]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Ming-Jiang Qian, Associate Chief Physician, Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Xinpu Road, Zunyi 563000, Guizhou Province, China. 13984963907@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Critical Care Medicine
Article-Type of This Article
Case Report
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Cases. Sep 16, 2025; 13(26): 105486 Published online Sep 16, 2025. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v13.i26.105486
Emergency veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulation through the femoral vein with a pre-positioned inferior vena cava filter: A case report
Fei Gao, Shan Ma, Xuan Xiao, Huai Yang, Ming-Jiang Qian
Fei Gao, Shan Ma, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, Guizhou Province, China
Fei Gao, Shan Ma, Severe Acute Pancreatitis Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, Guizhou Province, China
Xuan Xiao, Huai Yang, Ming-Jiang Qian, Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, Guizhou Province, China
Author contributions: Gao F, Ma S, and Qian MJ were major contributors in writing the manuscript; Xiao X and Yang H collected the data and materials for this study. All the authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Written informed consent was obtained from the patient’s husband, her medical power of attorney, for publication of this case report. All authors approved the publication.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Ming-Jiang Qian, Associate Chief Physician, Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Xinpu Road, Zunyi 563000, Guizhou Province, China. 13984963907@163.com
Received: February 11, 2025 Revised: April 19, 2025 Accepted: May 29, 2025 Published online: September 16, 2025 Processing time: 162 Days and 22.2 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Acute pulmonary thromboembolism is a complication of venous thrombosis. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), an effective rescue measure for rapid hemodynamic recovery, can be used in patients for whom thrombolysis therapy has failed.
CASE SUMMARY
This case report describes an extreme rescue process for a patient with a preset inferior vena cava (IVC) filter in a relatively economically underdeveloped area with an insufficient supply of consumables. In an emergency, veno-arterial ECMO was successfully initiated by intubation through the IVC filter to the right atrial opening without displacement of the filter during the entire process.
CONCLUSION
This study demonstrates that in resource-limited settings, femoral vein cannulation for veno-arterial ECMO is a feasible and safe option for patients with pre-implanted IVC filters.
Core Tip: Managing pulmonary thromboembolism in critically ill patients with pre-positioned inferior vena cava filters poses significant challenges, especially in resource-limited settings. This case report describes the successful initiation of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation using femoral vein cannulation through a 32 mm inferior vena cava filter without complications. Careful pre-procedural evaluation ensured safe extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support and filter integrity. Our findings provide a feasible emergency strategy for intensive care physicians facing similar scenarios, offering a life-saving approach when conventional access is limited.
