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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Jun 1.
Published in final edited form as: ASAIO J. 2021 Jun 1;67(6):601–610. doi: 10.1097/MAT.0000000000001432

Table 2:

Three Major Cannulation Strategies Which Dictate Cannula Selection for Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

Type Return Location Drainage Location(s) Advantages Disadvantages
Single lumen dual cannula Right atrium via internal jugular vein Inferior vena cava via femoral vein Limited patient mobility
Bicaval dual-lumen single cannula (DLSC) Tricuspid valve via the right internal jugular vein. superior vena cava; cannula extends across the right atrium and drains from within the inferior vena cava Potentially facilitates patient mobility Insertion more difficult, cannula movement, cerebral venous congestion, air embolism upon removal, possibly higher ICH with larger diameter catheters,7 may be more difficult to achieve higher flows
Bifemoral venous cannulation Right atrium via femoral vein Inferior vena cava via femoral vein Limited patient mobility

Abbreviations: ICH-intracranial hemorrhage