Learn about the evolution of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and emerging technologies using ECMO to revolutionize heart and lung failure care, organ preservation and care for extremely premature infants.


Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) does the work of a patient’s failing heart and lungs for a period of weeks, sometimes months. That’s often long enough for the heart and lungs to rest and recover, increasing the patient’s chance of survival.

The technology has spread worldwide, and has the extraordinary legacy of diminishing mortality in conditions where patients would otherwise have no chance of survival.

Robert Bartlett, MD, is credited as one of the founding fathers of ECMO. University of Michigan’s ECMO program was established in 1980 and has grown to supporting over 100 patients a year, including adults and pediatric patients. In addition, UM’s ECMO lab has advanced a number of ECMOrelated devices and technologies including artificial implantable lung development, mechanical support for organ preservation and transplantation, and artificial placenta support for severely premature infants.

Presented at the Joint Conference on Advances in Pediatric Cardiovascular Disease Management, hosted by the Congenital Heart Center at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital is consistently ranked among the top children’s heart programs in the nation.

Learn more at http://www.mottchildren.org