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Objective: Studies have shown that requiring tracheostomy following cardiac surgery has significant implications on outcomes. This study proposes a risk stratification model to predict the likelihood of requiring a tracheostomy after cardiac surgery. Methods: Patients who underwent cardiac surgery between January 2010 and December 2019 were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test were used to estimate and compare survival between cohorts. A prediction model for the need for postoperative tracheostomy was developed with logistic regression combined with undersampling analysis. Results: A total of 9849 patients underwent cardiac surgery, and 176 (1.8%) required postoperative tracheostomy. Tracheostomy patients were older (mean age 68.4 ± 12.3 vs 65.9 ± 11.2 years; P < 0.01) and more likely female (43.8% vs 28.5%; P < 0.01). Predictors for requiring tracheostomy included hypertension (odds ratio [OR] 1.91; P = 0.05), New York Heart Association III/IV (OR 2.68; P < 0.001), chronic lung disease (OR 3.27; P < 0.001), and history of prior myocardial infarction (OR 3.32; P < 0.001). Three-year Kaplan-Meier survival was worse in patients who received tracheostomy (log-rank P < 0.001). Conclusions: A risk prediction model for requiring tracheostomy after cardiac surgery is proposed in this study. A history of New York Heart Association III/IV, chronic lung disease, and myocardial infarction as well as undergoing valve surgeries were associated with increased risk of requiring a tracheostomy.
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OBJECTIVES: The Ross procedure is traditionally considered for young adult patients with aortic valve disease. This study compares long-term outcomes of patients undergoing the Ross procedure who are ≥50 and <50-years old. METHODS: Data were collected from 225 patients undergoing Ross procedure at a single centre from 1994 to 2019. Patients were categorized into younger (<50-years old; n = 156) and older (≥50-years old; n = 69) cohorts. Baseline demographics clinical outcomes were compared. RESULTS: The mean age was 36 ± 8.1 and 55 ± 4.2 years in the younger and older cohort, respectively. Both groups were predominantly male (58.5% vs 69.6%; P = 0.59). The younger group had a higher rate of aortic insufficiency (51% vs 26.1%; P < 0.01), and bicuspid aortic valve (81.4% vs 58.0%; P < 0.01). Aortic stenosis was more prevalent in the older cohort (25.6% vs 58.0%; P < 0.01). Operative mortality was acceptable in both groups (1.3% vs 4.3%; P = 0.15). Survival up to 10 years was not statistically different between 2 groups (96.2% vs 91.3% P = 0.16), whereas survival up to 15 years for younger patients was significantly higher (94.9% vs 85.5%; P = 0.03). After non-cardiac related deaths were excluded, survival up to 15 years (98.7% vs 91.3%; P = 0.02) was significantly lower than younger patients. In both groups, survival after the Ross procedure was similar to the age- and sex-matched US population. CONCLUSIONS: Survival up to 10 years after Ross procedure were similar, but up to 15 years was significantly higher in younger patients. The Ross procedure restored patients from both groups to expected survival. Our results suggest that at experienced centres, the Ross procedure is a safe and reasonable option for patients who are 50 years and older.
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Insuficiência da Valva Aórtica , Estenose da Valva Aórtica , Doença da Válvula Aórtica Bicúspide , Implante de Prótese de Valva Cardíaca , Valva Pulmonar , Adulto Jovem , Humanos , Masculino , Adulto , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Feminino , Estudos Retrospectivos , Insuficiência da Valva Aórtica/cirurgia , Estenose da Valva Aórtica/cirurgia , Doença da Válvula Aórtica Bicúspide/etiologia , Doença da Válvula Aórtica Bicúspide/cirurgia , Valva Aórtica/cirurgia , Resultado do Tratamento , Valva Pulmonar/cirurgia , Implante de Prótese de Valva Cardíaca/efeitos adversos , Implante de Prótese de Valva Cardíaca/métodosRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: The utility of routine in-person clinic appointments after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is uncertain, especially after the increase of telehealth visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of routine in-person follow-up for patients undergoing LC prior to changes implemented during the pandemic and to determine whether a return to routine in-person follow-up is warranted. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed follow-up encounters for all patients undergoing LC from April 2018 to February 2020. All patients were routinely scheduled for in-person postoperative clinic follow-up 2-4 wk after discharge. Follow-up was considered nonroutine if new studies or medications were ordered, the patient was referred to the emergency department or readmitted, or malignancy was identified on pathology review. RESULTS: Of 661 patients undergoing LC, 449 (68%) attended their scheduled in-person postoperative appointment and 212 (32%) did not. The postoperative appointment was nonroutine for 39 patients (9% of clinic attenders). Readmission occurred in 42 patients, with no differences between clinic attenders and nonattenders (P = 0.12). Furthermore, attending a postoperative clinic visit did not affect odds of readmission (odds ratio: 0.705, 95% confidence interval: 0.368, 1.351; P = 0.29). Readmission occurred on median day 9 after discharge in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of nonroutine follow-up after LC is low, and attendance at follow-up clinic was not associated with reduced readmissions. A return to routinely scheduling in-person follow-up 2-4 wk after discharge may not be warranted. Telehealth visits within 1 wk of discharge after LC should be considered.
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COVID-19 , Colecistectomia Laparoscópica , Telemedicina , Humanos , Colecistectomia Laparoscópica/efeitos adversos , Pandemias , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Estudos Retrospectivos , Assistência AmbulatorialRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Although >150,000 mitral TEER procedures have been performed worldwide, the impact of MR etiology on MV surgery after TEER remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to compare outcomes of mitral valve (MV) surgery after failed transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) stratified by mitral regurgitation (MR) etiology. METHODS: Data from the CUTTING-EDGE registry were retrospectively analyzed. Surgeries were stratified by MR etiology: primary (PMR) and secondary (SMR). MVARC (Mitral Valve Academic Research Consortium) outcomes at 30 days and 1 year were evaluated. Median follow-up was 9.1 months (IQR: 1.1-25.8 months) after surgery. RESULTS: From July 2009 to July 2020, 330 patients underwent MV surgery after TEER, of which 47% had PMR and 53.0% had SMR. Mean age was 73.8 ± 10.1 years, median STS risk at initial TEER was 4.0% (IQR: 2.2%-7.3%). Compared with PMR, SMR had a higher EuroSCORE, more comorbidities, lower LVEF pre-TEER and presurgery (all P < 0.05). SMR patients had more aborted TEER (25.7% vs 16.3%; P = 0.043), more surgery for mitral stenosis after TEER (19.4% vs 9.0%; P = 0.008), and fewer MV repairs (4.0% vs 11.0%; P = 0.019). Thirty-day mortality was numerically higher in SMR (20.4% vs 12.7%; P = 0.072), with an observed-to-expected ratio of 3.6 (95% CI: 1.9-5.3) overall, 2.6 (95% CI: 1.2-4.0) in PMR, and 4.6 (95% CI: 2.6-6.6) in SMR. SMR had significantly higher 1-year mortality (38.3% vs 23.2%; P = 0.019). On Kaplan-Meier analysis, the actuarial estimates of cumulative survival were significantly lower in SMR at 1 and 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of MV surgery after TEER is nontrivial, with higher mortality after surgery, especially in SMR patients. These findings provide valuable data for further research to improve these outcomes.
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Insuficiência da Valva Mitral , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Insuficiência da Valva Mitral/diagnóstico por imagem , Insuficiência da Valva Mitral/etiologia , Insuficiência da Valva Mitral/cirurgia , Estudos Retrospectivos , Resultado do Tratamento , Valva Mitral/diagnóstico por imagem , Valva Mitral/cirurgia , Sistema de RegistrosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Race, neighborhood disadvantage, and the interaction between these 2 social determinants of health remain poorly understood with regards to survival after aortic valve replacement with concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (AVR+CABG). METHODS: Weighted Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and Cox proportional hazards modeling were used to evaluate the association between race, neighborhood disadvantage, and long-term survival in 205,408 Medicare beneficiaries undergoing AVR+CABG from 1999 to 2015. Neighborhood disadvantage was measured using the Area Deprivation Index, a broadly validated ranking of socioeconomic contextual disadvantage. RESULTS: Self-identified race was 93.9% White and 3.2% Black. Residents of the most disadvantaged quintile of neighborhoods included 12.6% of all White beneficiaries and 40.0% of all Black beneficiaries. Black beneficiaries and residents of the most disadvantaged quintile of neighborhoods had more comorbidities compared with White beneficiaries and residents of the least disadvantaged quintile of neighborhoods, respectively. Increasing neighborhood disadvantage linearly increased the hazard for mortality for Medicare beneficiaries of White but not Black race. Residents of the most and least disadvantaged neighborhood quintiles had weighted median overall survival of 93.0 and 82.1 months, respectively, a significant difference (P < .001 by Cox test for equality of survival curves). Black and White beneficiaries had weighted median overall survival of 93.4 and 90.6 months, respectively, a nonsignificant difference (P = .29 by Cox test for equality of survival curves). A statistically significant interaction between race and neighborhood disadvantage was noted (likelihood ratio test P = .0215) and had implications on whether Black race was associated with survival. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing neighborhood disadvantage was linearly associated with worse survival after combined AVR+CABG in White but not Black Medicare beneficiaries; race, however, was not independently associated with postoperative survival.
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BACKGROUND: Although placement of at least 1 arterial graft during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has a proven survival benefit, it is unknown what degree of revascularization with saphenous vein grafting (SVG) is associated with improved survival. OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to determine whether undergoing surgery performed by a surgeon who is liberal with vein graft utilization is associated with improved survival in patients undergoing single arterial graft CABG (SAG-CABG). METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational study of SAG-CABG performed in Medicare beneficiaries from 2001 to 2015. Surgeons were stratified by number of SVG utilized per SAG-CABG into conservative (≥1 SD below mean), average (within 1 SD of mean), and liberal (≥1 SD above mean). Long-term survival was estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and compared among surgeon groups before and after augmented inverse-probability weighting. RESULTS: There were 1,028,264 Medicare beneficiaries undergoing SAG-CABG from 2001 to 2015 (mean age 72.0 ± 7.9 years, 68.3% male). Over time, 1-vein and 2-vein SAG-CABG utilization increased, whereas 3-vein and ≥4-vein SAG-CABG utilization decreased (P < 0.001). Surgeons who were conservative vein graft users performed a mean 1.7 ± 0.2 vein grafts per SAG-CABG, whereas those who were liberal vein graft users performed a mean 2.9 ± 0.2 vein grafts per SAG-CABG. Weighted analysis demonstrated no difference in median survival among patients undergoing SAG-CABG by liberal vs conservative vein graft users (adjusted median survival difference 27 days). CONCLUSIONS: Among Medicare beneficiaries undergoing SAG-CABG, there is no association between surgeon proclivity for vein graft utilization and long-term survival, suggesting that a conservative approach to vein graft utilization is reasonable.
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Doença da Artéria Coronariana , Veia Safena , Estados Unidos , Humanos , Masculino , Idoso , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Feminino , Resultado do Tratamento , Grau de Desobstrução Vascular , Veia Safena/transplante , Medicare , Ponte de Artéria Coronária , Estudos Retrospectivos , Doença da Artéria Coronariana/cirurgiaRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Ample evidence exists to support the safety of fast-track discharge after elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), but there is currently no data available to support the safety of fast-tracking patients undergoing nonelective LC. We sought to determine whether fast-tracking patients undergoing nonelective LC is safe and feasible. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort review of 661 consecutive patients undergoing LC at a single teaching institution from April 2018 to January 2020. Subjects were divided into two groups: elective LC (ELC) and fast-track nonelective LC (FTLC). FTLC was defined as nonelective LC with total length of stay <36 h. Patients undergoing nonelective LC with length of stay exceeding 36 h were excluded. The primary outcome of interest was readmission within 30 d. The secondary outcomes included incidences of return to emergency department within 30 d, retained stone, bile leak, and wound infection. RESULTS: Of 661 LC, 185 (27%) were ELC and 476 (72%) were nonelective. FTLC included 121 (25%) of the nonelective LC. Preoperative characteristics were similar among the groups. On final pathology, chronic cholecystitis was predominant in both groups, but FTLC exhibited higher rates of acute cholecystitis (P < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in the primary outcome among groups: readmission within 30 d occurred in 6 (3%) ELC patients and 4 (3%) FTLC patients (P = 1.0). There were no significant differences in rates of return to emergency department within 30 d, retained stone, bile leak, or wound infection. CONCLUSIONS: With comparable postoperative complication rates to ELC, FTLC can be safely used in select patients. Additional studies are needed to determine preoperative predictors of FTLC suitability to prospectively identify appropriate patients.
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Colecistectomia Laparoscópica , Colecistite Aguda , Infecção dos Ferimentos , Humanos , Colecistectomia Laparoscópica/efeitos adversos , Estudos Retrospectivos , Resultado do Tratamento , Colecistite Aguda/cirurgia , Tempo de InternaçãoRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Isolated tricuspid valve (TV) surgery is uncommonly performed and has historically been associated with excessive operative mortality. We previously reported improved short-term outcomes at our center. Understanding contemporary outcomes of isolated TV surgery beyond the perioperative period is essential to properly benchmark outcomes of newer transcatheter interventions. METHODS: Patients who underwent isolated TV surgery from 2007 to 2021 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression modeling identified independent risk factors for all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Among 173 patients undergoing isolated TV surgery, 103 (60%) underwent TV repair and 70 (40%) underwent TV replacement. Mean age was 60.3 ± 18.9 y and 55 (32%) were male. The most common etiology of TV disease was functional (46%). In-hospital mortality was 4.1% (7/173), with no difference between TV repair and replacement (P = 0.06). Overall survival at 1 y and 5 y was 78.3% (111/142) and 64.5% (53/82), respectively. After median (interquartile range) follow-up of 2.0 (0.6-4.4) y, patients undergoing TV repair experienced a higher unadjusted survival as compared to those undergoing TV replacement (log-rank P = 0.02). However, after adjusting for covariates, TV replacement was not an independent predictor of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-2.76; P = 0.33). CONCLUSIONS: Isolated TV surgery can be performed with lower operative mortality than historically reported. Establishing survival benchmarks from TV surgery is important in the era of developing transcatheter interventions.
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Implante de Prótese de Valva Cardíaca , Insuficiência da Valva Tricúspide , Humanos , Masculino , Adulto , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Idoso , Feminino , Valva Tricúspide/cirurgia , Insuficiência da Valva Tricúspide/cirurgia , Estudos Retrospectivos , Implante de Prótese de Valva Cardíaca/efeitos adversos , Resultado do Tratamento , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The Ross procedure is not commonly performed, owing to the procedural complexity and the risk of autograft and/or homograft reoperation. This study examined outcomes of patients undergoing Ross reinterventions at a dedicated Ross center. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 225 consecutive patients who underwent a Ross procedure between 1994 and 2019. Index and redo operation characteristics and outcomes were compared between patients with and those without redo operations. Multivariate analysis was used to identify independent predictors of Ross-related reinterventions. Survival was estimated with Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: Sixty-six patients (29.3%) required redo Ross surgery, 41 patients (18.2%) underwent autograft reoperation only, 8 patients (3.6%) had a homograft reintervention, and 17 patients (7.6%) had both autograft and homograft reoperations (12 as a combined procedure and 5 as sequential procedures). The mean time to reintervention was 11 ± 6 years for autograft reoperations and 12 ± 7 years for homograft reoperations. Patients who underwent Ross-related reinterventions were younger (mean, 38 ± 11 years vs 43 ± 11 years; P < .01) and had a higher rate of New York Heart Association class III/IV (56% vs 38%; P = .02) at the index Ross procedure. Most patients undergoing autograft reintervention had aortic insufficiency and/or aneurysm (98.2%; 57 of 58). The primary reason for homograft reintervention was pulmonary stenosis (92%; 23 of 25). The operative mortality of Ross reintervention was 1.5% (1 of 66). Survival at 15 years was similar in patients who required a redo operation and those who did not (91.2% vs 93.9%; P = .23). CONCLUSIONS: Ross reinterventions can be performed safely and maintain patients at the normal life expectancy restored by the index Ross procedure up to 15 years at experienced centers.
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Insuficiência da Valva Aórtica , Estenose da Valva Aórtica , Implante de Prótese de Valva Cardíaca , Estenose da Valva Pulmonar , Valva Pulmonar , Humanos , Implante de Prótese de Valva Cardíaca/métodos , Resultado do Tratamento , Estudos Retrospectivos , Insuficiência da Valva Aórtica/diagnóstico por imagem , Insuficiência da Valva Aórtica/cirurgia , Insuficiência da Valva Aórtica/etiologia , Estenose da Valva Pulmonar/cirurgia , Reoperação , Valva Aórtica/diagnóstico por imagem , Valva Aórtica/cirurgia , Valva Pulmonar/cirurgia , Valva Pulmonar/transplante , Estenose da Valva Aórtica/cirurgia , SeguimentosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: A recent expert consensus statement proposed designation of comprehensive and primary valve centers, with a recommendation that comprehensive centers house surgical skill and resources to treat patients with infective endocarditis (IE). We sought to compare outcomes of patients who underwent valve surgery for IE at comprehensive versus primary valve centers within a large health care system. METHODS: We reviewed 513 consecutive patients who underwent IE surgery at 8 hospitals (2 comprehensive and 6 primary valve centers) from 2014 to 2020. Outcomes from comprehensive and primary valve centers were compared after propensity score matching on the basis of patient characteristics, valve involvement, valve type, and IE treatment status. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for operative mortality. RESULTS: Propensity score matching generated comparable groups with similar mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons/Gaca IE risk scores among comprehensive and primary valve center cohorts. Comprehensive valve centers were more likely to perform the Bentall procedure (60.4% vs 21.7%; P < .01) when aortic root abscess was present and mitral valve repair (50.4% vs 26.3%; P < .01) in cases of mitral valve involvement. Operative mortality was significantly lower at comprehensive valve centers (6.2% vs 13.0%; P = .04), and multivariate logistic regression suggested that surgery at comprehensive valve centers was protective against operative mortality (odds ratio, 0.39; 95% confidence interval, 0.17-0.88; P = .02). Similar findings were present in a sensitivity analysis limited to patients with active IE only. CONCLUSIONS: An increased risk for operative mortality was associated with surgery performed at primary valve centers compared with comprehensive valve centers. Referral or transfer of patients with IE and surgical indications to comprehensive valve centers should be considered.
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Procedimentos Cirúrgicos Cardíacos , Endocardite Bacteriana , Endocardite , Implante de Prótese de Valva Cardíaca , Próteses Valvulares Cardíacas , Humanos , Endocardite Bacteriana/diagnóstico , Endocardite Bacteriana/cirurgia , Endocardite Bacteriana/complicações , Endocardite/diagnóstico , Endocardite/cirurgia , Endocardite/etiologia , Valva Mitral/cirurgia , Procedimentos Cirúrgicos Cardíacos/efeitos adversos , Fatores de Risco , Resultado do Tratamento , Próteses Valvulares Cardíacas/efeitos adversos , Estudos RetrospectivosRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To compare the rate of structural valve degeneration (SVD) following surgical aortic valve replacement associated with the Trifecta (TF) valve (St Jude Medical) versus other bioprosthetic valves. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted for studies comparing durability of the TF prosthesis to other valve types, including Perimount (Edwards Lifesciences), Carpentier-Edwards Perimount Magna Ease (ME) (Edwards Lifesciences), and Mitroflow (LivaNova USA) after surgical aortic valve replacement. Random effect pairwise and network meta-analyses were performed to compare the incident rate ratio of the composite primary outcome of SVD or reintervention due to SVD. RESULTS: Ten studies with 31,029 patients were included, of whom 6832 received TF, 19,023 received Perimount, 3514 received ME, and 713 received Mitroflow. When compared with TF, ME was associated with lower rates of SVD or reintervention for SVD (incident rate ratio, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.02-0.92; P = .04). Similarly, at network meta-analysis, when compared with TF, only ME was associated with significantly lower rates of SVD or reintervention for SVD (incident rate ratio, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.02-0.97). ME (incident rate ratio, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.07-0.47) and PM (incident rate ratio, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.12-0.98) were associated with significantly lower rate of all-cause reintervention when compared with TF. No differences in the other secondary outcomes were found. CONCLUSIONS: The TF valve is associated with significantly higher rates of SVD or reintervention for SVD than the ME valve, but not the Mitroflow valve. The TF valve was also associated with higher rates of all-cause reintervention than ME and Perimount valves. The underlying mechanism(s) of these findings warrant further investigation.
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Bioprótese , Implante de Prótese de Valva Cardíaca , Próteses Valvulares Cardíacas , Humanos , Valva Aórtica/diagnóstico por imagem , Valva Aórtica/cirurgia , Metanálise em Rede , Implante de Prótese de Valva Cardíaca/efeitos adversos , Desenho de PróteseRESUMO
Background: The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) score has been used to risk stratify patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The Transcatheter Valve Therapy (TVT) score was developed to predict in-hospital mortality in high/prohibitive-risk patients. Its performance in low and intermediate-risk patients is unknown. We sought to compare TVT and STS scores' ability to predict clinical outcomes in all-surgical-risk patients undergoing TAVR. Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing TAVR from 2012-2020 within a large health care system were retrospectively reviewed and stratified by STS risk score. Predictive abilities of TVT and STS scores were compared using observed-to-expected mortality ratios (O:E) and area under the receiver operating characteristics curves (AUCs) for 30-day and 1-year mortality. Results: We assessed a total of 3270 patients (mean age 79 ± 9 years, 45% female), including 191 (5.8%) low-risk, 1093 (33.4%) intermediate-risk, 1584 (48.4%) high-risk, and 402 (5.8%) inoperable. Mean TVT and STS scores were 3.5% ± 2.0% and 6.1% ± 4.3%, respectively. Observed 30-day and 1-year mortality were 2.8% (92/3270; O:E TVT 0.8 ± 0.16 vs STS 0.46 ± 0.09), and 13.2% (432/3270), respectively. In the all-comers population, both TVT and STS risk scores showed poor prediction of 30-day (AUC: TVT 0.68 [0.62-0.74] vs STS 0.64 [0.58-0.70]), and 1-year (AUC: TVT 0.65 [0.62-0.58] vs STS 0.65 [0.62-0.58]) mortality. After stratifying by surgical risk, discrimination of the TVT and STS scores remained poor in all categories at 30 days and 1 year. Conclusions: An updated TAVR risk score with improved predictive ability across all-surgical-risk categories should be developed based on a larger national registry.
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BACKGROUND: Although several studies have characterized the risk of coinfection in COVID pneumonia, the risk of the bloodstream and respiratory coinfection in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) supports severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is poorly understood. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of patients with COVID-19 ARDS on ECMO at a single center between January 2020 and December 2021. Patient characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared. RESULTS: Of 44 patients placed on ECMO support for COVID-19 ARDS, 30 (68.2%) patients developed a coinfection, and 14 (31.8%) patients did not. Most patients underwent venovenous ECMO (98%; 43/44) cannulation in the right internal jugular vein (98%; 43/44). Patients with coinfection had a longer duration of ECMO (34 [interquartile range, IQR: 19.5, 65] vs. 15.5 [IQR 11, 27.3] days; p = .02), intensive care unit (ICU; 44 [IQR: 27,75.5] vs 31 [IQR 20-39.5] days; p = .03), and hospital (56.5 [IQR 27,75.5] vs 37.5 [IQR: 20.5-43.3]; p = .02) length of stay. When stratified by the presence of a coinfection, there was no difference in hospital mortality (37% vs. 29%; p = .46) or Kaplan-Meier survival (logrank p = .82). Time from ECMO to first positive blood and respiratory culture were 12 [IQR: 3, 28] and 10 [IQR: 1, 15] days, respectively. Freedom from any coinfection was 50 (95% confidence interval: 37.2-67.2)% at 15 days from ECMO initiation. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high rate of co-infections in patients placed on ECMO for COVID-19 ARDS. Although patients with coinfections had a longer duration of extracorporeal life support, and longer length of stays in the ICU and hospital, survival was not inferior.