Guest: Philip J. Spencer, M.D.
Host: Malcolm R. Bell, M.D.
Extracorporeal Membranous Oxygenation is a mechanical life support used for severe heart, lung or heart and lung failure. Over the last decade it has grown massively in use to help us support our most ill patients to destination therapy or recovery.
Topics Discussed:
Describe some of the history of ECMO to explain how we got to present day use.
Please describe some key differences in venoarterial and venovenous ECMO? What makes them different from a technical standpoint and how are they used differently for our patients?
There has been some controversy recently as to the use of ECMO and survival. Can you describe where this controversy is coming from and how we think ECMO can really make a difference in survival for patients?