ECMO | Condition & Treatments

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ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation)

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What is ECMO?

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is used when a patient has severe respiratory or heart failure. It provides support when the patient’s heart or lungs are unable to sustain life.

Initially used to treat children with organ failure, ECMO has evolved into a life-saving therapy for patients of all ages.

UR Medicine's Treatments for ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation)

ECMO restores blood flow to the body using an artificial blood pump and an artificial lung. The machine is connected to the patient by inserting two tubes into the patient’s blood vessels through the neck, chest, or groin.

The pump moves blood across the artificial lung, allowing oxygenated blood to be delivered to the person’s body and organs.

ECMO is used for a short period, typically days to weeks, until the patient recovers or receives more treatment. Some patients are able to wean off of ECMO, and those who cannot sometimes go on to receive a ventricular assist device (VAD) or a heart transplant.

What Sets Us Apart?

Through our advanced approaches at UR Medicine Cardiac Care, we’re able to give heart failure patients greater hope than ever before.

Our program in Heart Failure and Transplantation is a pioneer in the Rochester metropolitan area and surrounding region; we’re the only center in Western New York that performs heart transplants, with outcomes ranking among the top in the nation.

We’re also one of the nation's leading centers for research on ventricular assist devices—and one of the world's leading research centers on implantable defibrillators and cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Our program is the first in the Rochester metropolitan area and surrounding region to receive Advanced Certification from the Joint Commission for Heart Failure and for Ventricular Assist Devices.