Early CDH repair on ECMO: Improved survival but no decrease in ECMO duration (A CDH Study Group Investigation)

Multi-center study of 1,170 CDH patients shows early surgical repair within 72 hours of ECMO cannulation improves survival to decannulation (87.1% vs 78.4%) despite longer ECMO duration, suggesting physiologic benefits in select high-risk patients with cardiac defects and intrathoracic liver.