birth via surgical repair , but about 40 % of babies born with CDH require ECMO support as a rescue therapy to maintain cardiac and pulmonary function while the heart and lungs grow stronger . While surgical repair after ECMO is preferred to reduce blood product usage with lower transfusion requirements , high-risk patients may require repair while on ECMO to prevent cases of non-repair and provide more time for lung growth .
IMPROVING SURVIVAL FOR SEVERE CDH
When compared to repair after ( off ) ECMO , repair on ECMO is