Extracorporeal Membrane
Oxygenation (ECMO) 

Every cell in your body relies on oxygen. In heart or respiratory failure — or other conditions — your body may not be able to keep your blood oxygen levels steady. Without enough oxygen, your organs can fail. ECMO is a life-saving machine that works as both your heart and your lungs. It keeps your blood temperature and oxygen levels steady when your body cannot.

ECMO pumps your blood into a machine that adds oxygen, removes carbon dioxide, and warms your blood to the appropriate temperature. ECMO then pumps your blood back into your body providing life-sustaining circulation. 

ECMO gives your heart and lungs time to heal until they can work again on their own or provides additional critical time to stabilize a patient for definitive surgical intervention. Veno-venous or VV ECMO takes over the work for sick or failing lungs. Veno-arterial or VA ECMO takes over the work for sick or failing hearts.

ECMO may be utilized in lung conditions, including:

• Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
• Acute episodes of asthma
• Acute and chronic pulmonary thromboembolic disease
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Cystic fibrosis
• Interstitial lung disease
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Trauma, including direct injury to the lungs
• While awaiting lung transplantation

ECMO may be utilized in heart conditions, including:

• Acute and chronic pulmonary thromboembolic disease (pulmonary embolism)
• Cardiogenic shock
• Myocardial infarction
• Myocarditis
• Peripartum cardiomyopathy
• Post cardiotomy shock – failure to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass during cardiac surgery
• Trauma, including direct injury to the heart
• Drug intoxication
• Intractable cardiac arrhythmias
• While awaiting heart transplantation or LVAD