Aim: Acute aortic dissection has been considered a contraindication for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR). However, studies are lacking regarding the epidemiology and effectiveness of ECPR for this condition. We aimed to examine whether ECPR for acute aortic dissection during cardiac arrest is effective or not. Methods: Using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination inpatient database from July 2010 to March 2018, we identified all emergently hospitalized adults who received ECPR on the day of admission. ECPR was defined as receiving both chest compressions and percutaneous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation on the day of hospital admission. In-hospital mortality and neurological outcomes were compared between patients with and without acute aortic dissection. We also calculated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of ECPR for acute aortic dissection. Results: We identified 10,238 patients who received ECPR on the day of admission. Of these, 398 patients (3.9%) had acute aortic dissection. In-hospital mortality was 98% in the acute aortic dissection group and 79% in the non-acute aortic dissection group. Seven patients (1.8%) in the acute aortic dissection group survived to discharge after ECPR; of these, six patients had good neurological outcomes at discharge. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of ECPR for patients with acute aortic dissection was estimated at 159,337 US dollars per quality-adjusted life year gained. Conclusion: ECPR successfully rescued a small number of acute aortic dissection patients with cardiac arrest; however, the cost burden of ECPR for acute aortic dissection patients was unacceptably high.