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.

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 these providers:

• Cardiothoracic surgeons
• Doctors
• Nurse practitioners
• Nurses
• Perfusionists
• Physician assistants
• Respiratory therapists

Your primary contact will be an ECMO coordinator(s). They coordinate care between the members of your medical team.

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.