Outcomes Comparison
Across cannulation sites, infection rates appeared to be highest in patients with femoral cannulation (31%) compared to axillary cannulation (29%), and central cannulation (18%), (p=0.046). 62% of the femoral cannulation cohort required distal perfusion cannula for distal ischemia. Bleeding rates were observed to be 52%, 58%, and 43% in patients with central, axillary, and femoral cannulation, respectively (p=0.17). Overall survival to discharge in this cohort was 51.0%. Survival to discharge rates was 52% in the stroke-free population compared to 42% in the stroke population, without reaching statistical significance due to sample size (p=0.36).
Among stroke patients who survived to discharge, 4 patients (36%) had resolved neurologic deficit, and 7 patients (64%) were previously independent and unable to perform ADLs at the time of discharge (Table 3). Overall survival to discharge for patients who received femoral, axillary, and central cannulation was 37%, 100%, 40%, respectively (p=0.22).