Axillary Dacron Graft Versus Direct Femoral Arterial Cannulation for Peripheral VA-ECMO After Heart Transplantation: A Single-Center Cohort Study

Background/Objectives: Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) remains a major cause of early morbidity and mortality after heart transplantation, and peripheral veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) represents an established rescue therapy for severe cases. Although direct femoral arterial cannulation is commonly used because of its rapid deployment, axillary artery cannulation through a Dacron graft provides antegrade arterial perfusion and may represent an alternative approach. This study compared early clinical outcomes and cannulation-related complications between these two arterial cannulation strategies.