Objectives: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is the standard of care for patients with refractory heart failure worldwide. We describe our initial experience of implementing an ECMO program in the Kovel-ECMO hospital district (1182) ELSO.

Methods: Since the launch of the ECMO program, between January 2023 and November 2024, 25 patients underwent ECMO, reflected according to our protocol, we retrospectively collected preoperative information, treatment course and clinical outcomes. All patients were divided into 2 groups: the first group (bridge to recovery – BTR) were patients who were connected to VA ECMO with acute heart failure in a state of cryogenic shock (11 patients) and the second group (bridge-to-transplant – BTT) were patients with chronic heart failure.

Results: Patients of the first group were on VA ECMO for 5 to 7 days. At the connection stage, the productivity was 3.7 l/min, at the disconnection stage, the productivity was 2.7 l/min. In the first group, 2 (20%) patients were connected in another medical institution, the time of connecting the patient to VA ECMO was up to 150 minutes. This is a perspective for the development of the ECMO program not only in the Volyn region, but also in Ukraine. Mortality in the first group was 3 (27%) patients, and survival was 8 (72%) patients. The cause of death was the progression of heart failure. In the second group, patients were on ECMO for an average of more than 20 days while waiting for a donor heart. Productivity started with 3.5 l/min at the connection stage, at the disconnection stage the productivity was 2.2 l/min. 2 (14%) patients of the second group underwent orthotopic heart transplantation. The survival rate of patients of the second group was 8 (57%) patients, 6 (43%) were disconnected and transferred from status I to status V of emergency distribution of donor organs, awaiting heart transplantation, 6 (43%) patients died.

Conclusions: The above results that we report are at least no worse than those obtained by many other ELSO member centers.