When a patient’s lungs are failing, time is the most important factor: The hourglass of life begins to drain time away when physicians need time to transport, time to find a transplant, time for the patient to gain strength for surgery. The ECMO technology provides precious time to the patient and physician.
The ECMO literally provides an out of the body experience, not in a metaphysical sense, but in a very real way: from outside your body, ECMO breathes for you. ECMO stands for Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation.
Similar to life-support, a respirator or a heart-lung machine, the sophisticated ECMO machine is saving lives of patients who are in acute respiratory distress or on a short-term wait to receive a lung transplant. New technology has created a portable version of this machine that has allowed patients to talk and even eat. The more traditional life support machine requires reclining and sedation to tolerate.
Most astonishingly, some patients are allowed to carefully walk the hospital hall-way, under the supervision of their medical team. With the team’s help, ECMO and all its components, goes along with them. In 2009 patient Ward Forsythe was dagnosed in end stage emphysema, his lungs failing rapidly. He was the first person in the United States to pioneer the use of this walkable marvel. Read more his incredible story here.
In short, ECMO supports the failing respiratory system and helps patients gain strength as they await the lungs for their transplant. Then, patients helped by ECMO tolerate their surgery better. Read the ECMO story of a young missionary who contracted malaria in Unganda, by clicking here.
Of all life support systems, this is the machine that acts the most like a pair of human lungs. Let’s look at the process: ECMO, on the cutting edge of technology, directly oxygenates and removes carbon dioxide from the blood.
1. The ECMO is made up of several components. First, A catheter is put into a central vein, normally near the heart.
2. Then, the ECMO system pump draws blood from the vein into the circuit. Yes, amazing as it seems, the patient’s blood is “removed from the body, directed through the ECMO machine, and routed back in, through a system of tubes.” (C(Check out a good reference by clicking here.)
3. There the blood passes along a membrane (referred to as an “oxygenator” or “gas exchanger.”) This process provides an “interface between the blood and freshly delivered oxygen,” which is exactly what your lungs do for you, every breath of every day.
4. With the ECMO system, blood may be warmed or cooled as needed, and is returned either to a central vein (“venovenous ECMO”) or to an artery (“venoarterial ECMO”). Note for the Deep Readers: Venovenous ECMO provides respiratory support alone, while venoarterial ECMO provides both respiratory and hemodynamic (blood pressure) support.
Because of the way this technology works, ECMO allows the patient’s lungs to get some rest. A great side benefit is that it does not cause the damage or complications inherent in other mechanical ventilation techniques and machines.
The Florida Lung Doctors explain: This artificial lung system is being used in extreme cases. ECMO is not a treatment for long-term lung failure, at least not at the present time. The best treatment for that is usually and often, a lung transplant. The ECMO system will keep the patient in this world until the lung donor provides the gift of life. ECMO turns over the hourglass of life, giving the patient more time. (Get more ECMO info at this source.)
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