ECMO Treatment

Every cell in your body needs oxygen. If your heart or lungs fail, your body cannot maintain enough oxygen in your blood. Without enough oxygen, your organs stop working. ECMO is a lifesaving machine that works as both your heart and lungs. It keeps your oxygen levels steady.

ECMO pumps your blood into a machine that:

• Adds oxygen
• Removes carbon dioxide
• Warms your blood to the correct temperature

Then, it pumps your blood back into your body to continue circulation.

ECMO gives your heart and lungs time to heal until they can work again on their own or helps to stabilize the patient before surgery. Veno-venous (VV) ECMO takes over for sick or failing lungs. Veno-arterial (VA) ECMO is for sick or failing hearts and lungs.

Unfortunately, ECMO is not a cure. It is the highest form of life support. It gives the body time for the lungs or heart to heal so they can work on their own.

If your heart and lungs improve, your doctors may decrease support from the ECMO machine. If your heart and lungs work without ECMO, your doctors will stop using it.

ECMO is for the most serious conditions.

The ECMO team at Emory Heart & Vascular delivers the highest level of care. Treatment is managed by a team of experts, including:

Cardiothoracic Surgeons

A cardiothoracic surgeon may perform the procedure to place you on ECMO support. This surgeon will also be involved during the process of weaning and ultimately removing ECMO support.

Critical Care Doctors

These doctors have specialized knowledge and skill in the diagnosis and treatment of serious medical conditions.  They will manage your medical care while you are in the intensive care unit on ECMO support. 

Perfusionists

Nurses or respiratory therapists who help identify changes quickly and communicate those to other team members.

ECMO Coordinator

You and your loved one’s primary contact will be an ECMO coordinator. ECMO coordinators are advanced practice providers (nurse practitioners or physician assistants) who are trained to care for patients while they are on ECMO support. They coordinate care between the members of your medical team and will oversee follow-up care in our clinics.

The Emory ECMO Program supports people in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee.

For patient referrals, 24/7 access is available. We review clinical information and provide telephone consultation.

In some situations, we will offer remote care. Our team travels to the patient and places them on ECMO support. Then, they transport them back to Emory Healthcare for ongoing care.

For more information about patient transfer to Emory Healthcare for ECMO, doctors should call 1-877-4ECMO24 (1-877-432-6624). They can also contact the Emory Transfer Center at 404-686-8334.

For more information, please download the Emory ECMO App.

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