Verified By Apollo General Physician May 24, 2024
New discoveries in the medical field of critical care medicine constantly stretch the bounds of what can be done to save lives. Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is a significant and innovative advancement in life support techniques that assist patients suffering from severe lung or heart failure by providing both cardiac and respiratory support. From its inception in the 1970s, ECMO has been elevated to a high degree of technological intervention that provides patients with a lifeline in times of critical illness. Let’s get into the details.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, or ECMO, is a type of life support for patients who have a life-threatening disease or incidents that impair the function of their heart or lungs. In contrast to conventional life support techniques, ECMO entails the temporary bypassing of the heart and lungs. ECMO maintains blood circulating through the body while also maintaining blood gas balance (oxygen and carbon dioxide). ECMO does not treat lung or heart problems but temporarily relieves their functions, enabling them to “rest.” It makes use of an external machine (extracorporeal), and this machine circulates blood, supplies oxygen, and helps with the body’s elimination of carbon dioxide. For the purpose of allowing your heart and lungs to recuperate after a respiratory illness, heart attack, or trauma, ECMO therapy can be quite helpful.
The main purpose of ECMO is to sustain patients who are not responding to traditional treatments and have severe cardiac or respiratory failure. Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), cardiogenic shock, postcardiotomy syndrome, and severe pneumonia are a few examples of these ailments. When this happens, ECMO acts as a temporary solution to help the patient heal until the underlying medical condition goes away or they are able to receive more permanent treatments like lung or heart transplants.
Many different serious medical conditions affecting the heart and lungs can be treated using ECMO. Common indications of ECMO for adults include:
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome might result from lung damage that impairs the ability of the lungs to absorb oxygen from the blood and expel carbon dioxide. This can occur with:
Pulmonary Embolism
The condition of pulmonary embolism develops when a blood clot originating in your body—usually from your legs—moves towards and becomes lodged in your lungs. This might prevent blood from entering the lungs, which might result in fatal heart/lung failure.
Surgery & Transplants
ECMO can act as a “bridge” till a patient is able to get the necessary treatment. When a patient is awaiting a heart/lung transplant or during some other periods, medical professionals employ ECMO.
Cardiogenic Shock
A medical condition that occurs when the heart can’t pump blood fast enough to fulfil the body’s needs frequently develops following a heart attack or severe heart failure.
These are just a few instances; ECMO may be modified to assist patients with a wide range of other serious medical conditions, offering critical care doctors a flexible tool for their toolkit.
In order to provide critically sick patients with both cardiac and respiratory support, ECMO, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, temporarily replaces the function of the heart and lungs. A perfusionist, a specialist in using the ECMO equipment in the critical or Intensive Care Unit (ICU), administers ECMO treatment. The ECMO machine’s parameters are adjusted by the perfusionist, who also keeps a close eye on the patient. Cannulas, which are plastic tubes, are inserted into the patient’s neck, chest, and leg’s big veins and arteries once they are sedated and comfortable. These cannulas will be attached to the ECMO machine. Subsequently, the blood is circulated via an external circuit consisting of a pump and an artificial lung (oxygenator). To simulate how the lungs exchange gases, carbon dioxide is taken out of the blood and oxygen is supplied in an oxygenator. After that, the pump bypasses the heart and lungs and returns the oxygenated blood to the patient’s body.
ECMO treatment is often given in the critical care unit. Throughout the procedure, a team of specialist healthcare experts monitors ECMO to maintain its optimal functioning and adjusts settings as needed.
Older adults are less likely to benefit from ECMO. You can get advice about the advantages and hazards of ageing from your doctor. There are several situations or scenarios in which ECMO is not a viable solution. These consist of:
Because of its many benefits, the ECMO procedure is a useful treatment alternative in critical care environments. The following outcomes are possible with this treatment:
Even though an ECMO machine is a very useful medical device, there are some serious risks associated with it.
The Apollo Hospital in Karnataka is a national leader in critical care, especially when it comes to ECMO treatment in Bangalore. With a staff of highly qualified doctors and modern infrastructure, Apollo Hospital provides unmatched experience in ECMO treatment. When looking for the best ECMO centre in Bangalore, Apollo Hospitals is the first pick because of its state-of-the-art equipment and caring medical staff. The hospital offers cutting-edge equipment and some of the most prominent professionals to guarantee that patients receive the best care possible. At Apollo, the success rates for ECMO procedures are astounding, with minimal risk.
For any further information or medical assistance, contact Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka.
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