Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO): A Life Saving Support for Your Heart and Lungs
At Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, we are proud to offer ECMO, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. ECMO is an advanced, life-saving therapy for patients experiencing severe heart or lung failure. It provides critical support when the body’s organs need time to rest and recover when the heart and lungs are too sick to work properly on their own, often when no other treatment options remain.
What is ECMO?
ECMO is a form of mechanical life support that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and/or lungs. It works by pumping blood outside the body to a heart-lung machine that removes carbon dioxide and adds oxygen before returning the blood to the patient.
Think of it as a bypass system — allowing the heart and lungs to rest while the ECMO circuit handles circulation and oxygenation. This gives the body, particularly the heart and lungs, time to heal and allows other treatments to take effect.
Why Would Someone Need ECMO
ECMO is typically reserved for critically ill patients when other forms of support, such as ventilators or medications, are not enough. A patient may require ECMO for the following:
- Severe respiratory failure (such as, pneumonia, ARDS)
- Cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest
- Severe heart failure following a heart attack or surgery
- Waiting for a heart or lung transplant
- Serious complications from COVID-19 or other diseases affecting lung function
Our multidisciplinary intensive care unit (ICU) team includes critical care physicians, cardiothoracic surgeons, perfusionists, nurses and respiratory therapists, all specially trained in advanced life support. Because ECMO is only used when absolutely necessary and when there’s a good chance it could help a patient, this team of specialists is in the best position to provide guidance on when ECMO is the right treatment.
How Does ECMO Work?
ECMO uses a series of soft tubes that are placed in a patient’s blood vessels to help move blood through a specialized machine and circulate it outside the body. There are two main types:
- Veno-venous (VV) ECMO: Supports the only the patient’s lungs by providing oxygen and removing carbon dioxide, while the heart continues to function.
- Veno-arterial (VA) ECMO: Supports both the patient’s heart and lungs, helping to circulate oxygen-rich blood throughout the body.
When a patient is on ECMO, our expert team of doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists closely monitors the patient around the clock, ensuring the best possible outcome.
