Critical care medicine researchers are always pushing the boundaries of what is possible to accomplish to save lives with their newest results. Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is a significant and innovative advancement in life support techniques that assist patients suffering from severe lung or heart failure by providing both cardiac and respiratory support. Since its introduction in the 1970s, extracorporeal magnetic support (ECMO) has advanced to a highly advanced level of technical intervention, offering patients a lifeline during periods of critical illness.

Asthma Bhawan is dedicated to advancing respiratory health and providing comprehensive support to patients with respiratory conditions, including asthma. Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is a life-saving technique that allows patients with severe respiratory failure to temporarily function as though they have their own set of lungs. Patients who are resistant to traditional therapies and need enhanced support to survive might benefit most from ECMO.

At Asthma Bhawan, we aim to educate patients and their families about the ECMO process, its indications, and potential benefits, ensuring they are well informed and empowered to make decisions regarding their care. Our team of experts is dedicated to providing individualized treatment programs and continuous support to patients undergoing ECMO care, encouraging hope and healing in individuals confronting the difficulties of severe respiratory distress.

Asthma Bhawan- The Premier Choice for ECMO Care 

Asthma Bhawan is a national leader in critical care, especially when it comes to ECMO treatment in Jaipur. Asthma Bhawan has unparalleled experience in ECMO treatment with its staff of highly qualified specialists and state-of-the-art facilities. Asthma Bhawan is the top choice for the best ECMO center in Jaipur due to its cutting-edge machinery and compassionate medical personnel. To ensure that patients receive the best care possible, the hospital employs some of the most renowned doctors along with state-of-the-art equipment.

What is ECMO?

ECMO stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and it is a kind of life support used for patients with life-threatening illnesses or injuries that affect their heart or lungs. Unlike traditional methods of life support, ECMO involves temporarily bypassing the heart and lungs. ECMO maintains blood circulating through the body while also maintaining blood gas balance (oxygen and carbon dioxide). While ECMO temporarily restores lung and heart function, it does not cure these conditions; instead, it allows patients to “rest.”. It uses an extracorporeal machine, which is an external device that helps the body expel carbon dioxide, circulates blood, and provides oxygen. ECMO therapy can be very beneficial for helping your heart and lungs to heal following a respiratory disease, heart attack, or trauma.

How Does ECMO Operate?

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, temporarily substitutes the function of the heart and lungs in critically ill patients to give both cardiac and respiratory support. ECMO treatment is administered by a perfusionist, an expert in using the ECMO equipment in the critical or Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The perfusionist monitors the patient closely and modifies the parameters of the ECMO machine.

Cannulas, which are plastic tubes, are inserted into the patient’s chest, neck, and leg’s big veins and arteries once they are sedated and comfortable. These Cannulas will be attached to the ECMO machine. Subsequently, an external circuit made up of a pump and an artificial lung (oxygenator) circulates the blood. An oxygenator removes carbon dioxide from the blood and adds oxygen to replicate how the lungs exchange gases. After that, the pump bypasses the heart and lungs and returns the oxygenated blood to the patient’s body. ECMO care is frequently administered in the intensive care unit. Throughout the treatment, a team of specialist healthcare experts monitors ECMO to maintain its optimal functioning and modifies settings as needed.

What Benefits Come with Using an ECMO Machine?

The ECMO method is a valuable therapy option in critical care settings due to its numerous advantages. The following outcomes are possible with this treatment:

• Even in the most severe instances of heart or lung failure, ECMO maintains critical oxygenation and circulation by providing swift and effective assistance for both cardiac and respiratory functions.
• Maintains a patient’s life during surgery or other medical operations. 
• ECMO minimizes lung damage from the machine and allows the lungs to heal by reducing the ventilator conditions.
• Benefit infants born with heart issues or underdeveloped lungs.
• When patients recover from illnesses that can be cured or wait for an organ transplant, ECMO can be a lifesaver, providing them with the critical support they require.
• Patients with life-threatening illnesses have hope since, in some patient demographics, ECMO is associated with higher survival rates.

Risks or Problems Arising From Using an ECMO Machine 

Despite being a very helpful medical equipment, an ECMO machine comes with some very real hazards.

• Everyone on ECMO needs blood thinners because to the risk of blood clots developing. Additionally, blood flow might be disrupted by clots that become lodged in the ECMO circuit.
• You may be more prone to bleeding if you require tubes to access big veins and arteries. 
• Any cut on your skin has the potential to get infected, and the tubes of an ECMO circuit may also harbor bacteria. An infection might spread throughout your body more easily as a result of this.
• Strokes can emerge from spontaneous bleeding in the brain during ECMO assistance, or they can occur from clots in the circuit that end up moving to the brain.
• If one component in the ECMO circuit breaks down mechanically, the entire circuit may shut down.

FAQs

What is ECMO?

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is a medical technique in which the heart and lungs are temporarily replaced with artificial heart and lung tissue. It entails pumping blood from the body onto a membrane that serves as an artificial lung, adding oxygen, eliminating carbon dioxide, and then bringing the oxygenated blood back into the body.

Who needs ECMO?

Patients with serious heart or lung problems who do not respond to standard therapy are typically candidates for ECMO. This includes conditions such as severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), cardiogenic shock, or during heart surgeries. 

How long can a patient remain on ECMO?

The patient’s health and reaction to treatment will determine how long ECMO support is needed. Patients could spend a few days or several weeks on ECMO. The medical staff keeps a close eye on the patient to decide how long to provide support.

What are the risks associated with ECMO?

Bleeding, infection, blood clots, and issues with the cannulation procedure (tube insertion) are among the dangers associated with ECMO. However, When alternative treatments have failed, the advantages of ECMO frequently exceed these risks for critically ill patients.

How does ECMO support recovery?

ECMO treats the underlying medical issue while providing vital support that lets the heart and lungs recover. When all other therapies have failed, it can increase circulation and oxygenation, improving the patient’s chances of recovery.

What is the likelihood of recovery after ECMO?

The patient’s general health, the underlying ailment being treated, and their response to the ECMO assistance are among the variables that affect the probability of recovery following ECMO. Many patients do experience positive outcomes, but each case is unique.