Background and Objectives: Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a medical emergency associated with a
high mortality rate. Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) has become
an accepted therapy for CS. Despite widely available data for short-term survival rates, there are
only limited data available regarding long-term outcomes following successful VA-ECMO therapy.
Materials and Methods: We analyzed the demographics, past medical history, adverse events, and
outcomes of survivors who received VA-ECMO support for CS at our center from January 2012 to
December 2019. Post-cardiotomy cases were excluded. Results: A total of 578 VA-ECMO implantations
on 564 consecutive patients due to CS were identified during the study period. Successful weaning
was achieved in 207 (36.7%) patients. Among the survivors, 126 (63%) patients received VA-ECMO
therapy without preceding cardiac surgery during their current admission. A follow-up exceeding
12 (mean: 36 ± 20.9) months was available in a total of 55 (43.7%) survivors. The mean VA-ECMO
perfusion time was 10.9 (±7.7) days with a mean intensive care unit (ICU) stay of 38.2 (±29.9) days
and a mean hospital stay of 49.9 (±30.5) days. A total of 3 deaths were recorded during long-term
follow-up (mean survival of 26 ± 5.3 months). Conclusions: Despite the high mortality associated
with VA-ECMO therapy, a long-term follow-up with an acceptably low rate of negative cardiac
events can be achieved in many survivors. We observed an acceptable low rate of new cardiac
events. Further evaluation, including a quality-of-life assessment and a close follow-up for rarer
complications in these patients, is needed to elucidate the longer-term outcomes for survivors of
invasive VA-ECMO therapy