ECMO | Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons | CTVS Texas

ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) performs the essential functions of the heart or lungs, or both, if they are in a weakened state. For the heart, it helps to circulate oxygenated blood throughout the body to all the organs when the heart cannot do so itself, and for the lungs it assists with breathing. Tubes from the machine are expertly connected by our cardiac surgeons to a patient’s arteries or veins in the legs, chest or neck. ECMO is used when there is little blood flow and oxygen going out to the organs due to something like: Heart attack Pulmonary embolism Traumatic injury to the heart or lungs Years of damaging heart or lung disease, or congestive heart failure Depending on the situation, a patient can remain on ECMO for several weeks if needed, or even months in extreme cases, until the heart or lungs have healed or been repaired. For more information on ECMO, visit ctvstexas.com.