Fibroelastic Tissue Ring Causing ECMO Catheter Obstruction: An Unusual Complication of Avalon Elite Catheter Insertion.

The Avalon Elite catheter (Maquet Cardiopulmonary, Rastatt, Germany) is a bicaval catheter for single-site cannulation that can be used in the initiation of venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) or as a transition from venoarterial ECMO. We report a unique complication of tissue obstructing the outflow aperture during insertion. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).