First
Jefferson Health was the first in the Philadelphia suburbs to offer ECMO.A Lifesaving Treatment for Respiratory & Cardiac Failure
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) provides prolonged respiratory and cardiac support to adult patients whose lungs and heart are too diseased or damaged to function normally on their own.
What Is Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation?
An ECMO machine provides support to adult patients whose heart and lungs can't function on their own. When you're placed on ECMO, blood is pumped outside of your body through tubing. Carbon dioxide is removed and oxygen is added by the machine's artificial lung. The blood is then rewarmed and infused back into your body, so it can deliver oxygen to your tissues. ECMO doesn't cure any diseases, but it lets your blood bypass your heart and lungs while they rest and heal.
Respiratory & Heart Conditions Treated with ECMO
We use ECMO for respiratory diseases and conditions such as:
- Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
- Aspiration pneumonia
- Burns (smoke inhalation)
- Drowning
- H1N1 Influenza A respiratory failure
- Pancreatitis with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)
- Pneumonia (viral, bacterial, atypical)
- Rescue therapy for failed lung transplant
- Bridge to lung transplant
- Sepsis-related acute respiratory distress syndromes (ARDs)
- Pulmonary embolism
- Tricyclic antidepressant overdose
We also use ECMO to support cardiac diseases and conditions such as:
- Cardiogenic shock (except when caused by sepsis)
- Acute myocardial infarction
- Refractory arrhythmia
- Myocarditis
- Postpartum cardiomyopathy
- Pulmonary embolus
- Postcardiotomy failure
- Acute or chronic heart failure
- Post-transplant organ failure
- Hypothermic arrest
- Bridge to VAD
- Bridge to heart transplant
Why Choose Jefferson Health for ECMO?
Our multidisciplinary Critical Care Medicine team provides minute-to-minute bedside care, with physicians on site 24/7.
Superior Outcomes
Our adult ECMO program survival rates far exceed national reported rates. Patients are placed on ECMO earlier than usual, which improves their chances of either being successfully weaned from ECMO or having surgery with fewer complications.
State-of-the-Art Technology & Newly Renovated ICU
Jefferson Health uses highly advanced pumps and oxygenators specially designed and proven to minimize potential complications.
Dedicated Adult ECMO Team
Our team of ICU physicians, physician assistants, nurses, perfusionists, respiratory therapists and certified critical care transport nurses provide a multidisciplinary, team-based approach to your treatment. We also provide mobile ECMO transport service when necessary.
Patient Story
New Mother Recovers from Rare Condition Thanks to ECMO Program
When Jenna Gresko experienced a life-threatening amniotic fluid embolism, the team at Jefferson Abington Hospital was there to help. “I was a healthy pregnant person...” she says. “This could happen to anyone, and choosing a hospital like Abington, with an ECMO program and trauma-informed care, absolutely saved my life.”
What to Expect From ECMO
When a patient is placed on ECMO, blood is pumped from their body through tubing into a specialized ECMO machine where it is oxygenated and then returned to the body.
There are two types of ECMO:
- In veno-arterial (VA) ECMO, one cannula will be placed in a large vein and another in an artery. We use VA ECMO when there are problems with the heart, lungs or both.
- In veno-venous (VV) ECMO, a double tube is placed in a large vein, removing unoxygenated (blue) blood and returning oxygenated (red) blood. VV ECMO is used when there are only lung problems.
Our dedicated intensive care team includes highly trained registered nurses, physician assistants, a perfusionist, a respiratory therapist and certified critical care nurses who closely monitor each patient during their procedure to ensure they are stable and comfortable.
As the patient's health improves, their heart and/or lungs will start to able to function on their own, so they'll require less support from the machine. On average, a patient can be on ECMO for a week to 10 days, with respiratory patients typically requiring ECMO for longer. Weaning from a breathing machine happens after we remove the ECMO.
Conditions We Treat
Facing any health condition can be overwhelming – Jefferson Health offers the depth and breadth of expertise you need for an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.
Clinical Specialties
Our dedicated departments, programs and centers bring together a team of nationally renowned specialists who are focused on you, your health and recovery.