Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is a life-saving technology that uses partial heart and lung bypass for extended periods. It is not a therapeutic modality, but rather a supportive tool that provides suf-fi cient gas exchange and perfusion for patients with acute, reversible cardiac or respiratory failure. This affords the patient's cardiopulmonary system time to rest, sparing them from the deleterious effects of traumatic mechanical ventilation and perfusion impairment. The Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) was formed in 1989 by a collaboration of physicians, nurses, perfusionists, and scientists with an interest in ECMO. The group provides an international registry that collects data from almost all ECMO centers in the United States and throughout the world. At the end of 2005, ELSO registered nearly 30,000 neonatal and pediatric patients treated with ECMO for a variety of cardiopulmonary disorders with an overall survival rate of 66%.