ECMO and adult mediastinal masses

The role of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is expanding as surgeons look at its utility beyond rescue treatment and have started adopting it for high-risk procedures to provide temporary airway and hemodynamic stabilization. ECMO needs to be deliberated in all patients with mediastinal masses who have compromised airways as well as in those with compression of heart and great vessels. There is a dearth of literature highlighting the definitive role of ECMO in patients with mediastinal masses. This article reviews the available adult literature and highlights the possible situations where the use of ECMO would be supportive in the management of patients with mediastinal masses.