Vijayawada: Despite advanced and timely care, critical health conditions can worsen quickly, and that’s precisely why we hear about cases where someone was on a ventilator but things didn’t improve. These are mostly the conditions when the lungs need rest or the heart needs time to recover. In such extreme situations, ECMO, an advanced life-support system, steps in as a powerful ally. This advanced critical care support is now available at Manipal Hospital Vijayawada, giving patients a greater chance at survival—and families a renewed reason to hope. By introducing ECMO services, the hospital has taken a significant leap in strengthening regional access to world-class critical care.
What is ECMO?
In simple terms, ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) is an artificial heart-lung machine that temporarily takes over the work of the patient’s organs. It is a form of advanced life support used for patients with severe lung and/or heart failure when standard treatments like ventilators or medications are no longer enough. ECMO removes blood from the body, oxygenates (purifies) it externally, and then returns it, while the heart and lungs rest and recover.
Highlighting the clinical indications for ECMO, Dr. Srinivas Rao T, Consultant – ICU and Critical Care at Manipal Hospital Vijayawada, explains, “ECMO has proven to be a life-saving intervention for patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), severe pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, and in critical cases following cardiac surgery. Looking ahead, ECMO is expected to play a crucial role in normothermic regional perfusion — a technique used to preserve organs prior to harvesting for organ transplantation. In this evolving field, Hybrid ECMO is emerging as a promising innovation, combining the benefits of various ECMO modalities to optimize organ preservation and support advanced critical care.”
How does ECMO work?
Elaborating on the working mechanism of ECMO, Dr. V Dinesh Kumar Gontla, Consultant – Critical Care, Manipal Hospital Vijayawada, states, “ECMO has two major parts – the oxygenator and the pump. While the oxygenator emulates the lungs’ blood-purifying functions, the pump is responsible for the pumping action of the heart. With this dual functions the ECMO acts either as ‘A bridge to recovery’ in patients recovering from acute respiratory or cardiac failure conditions, and ‘A bridge to transplant’ in patients with advanced respiratory or cardiac failure who are undergoing lung or heart transplant.”
ECMO has two different types:
· VV-ECMO (Veno-Venous ECMO) which extends support for the Lungs Only. This is used in severe respiratory conditions like severe pneumonia, ARDS – acute respiratory
distress syndrome, or COVID-19-related complications, where the lungs are failing but the heart is still strong. The machine draws blood from a large vein, oxygenates it, and sends it back into the venous system. This helps maintain the patient’s oxygen levels while the lungs continue healing.
· VA-ECMO (Veno-Arterial ECMO) which supports both heart and lungs. In critical conditions like cardiac arrest, a major heart attack, or severe heart failure, where both the heart and lungs are failing VA-ECMO helps draw blood from a vein, oxygenate it, and pump the oxygen-rich blood back into an artery, bypassing both failing organs. It restores circulation and oxygenation while giving the heart and lungs the much-needed time for rest and recovery.
While ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) may be explained simply as an artificial heart-lung machine that temporarily functions the heart and lungs, the execution is anything but simple. Dr. Srinivas Rao T, explains, “ECMO is a highly precision-driven intervention that demands extensive skills and coordinated efforts of an experienced multidisciplinary team that includes:
· Cardiac surgeons to set up the circuit system and initiate ECMO cannulation
· Intensivists to monitor and manage the patient’s critical condition
· Pulmonologists manage the respiratory system and guide respiratory recovery
· Cardiologists to ensure patient stabilization
· Perfusionists to manage the ECMO machine with technical expertise
· Specially trained ICU nurses and technicians ensure seamless bedside care”
Manipal Hospital Vijayawada has this kind of interdisciplinary coordination and state-of-the-art infrastructure to support the ECMO facility. The hospital is committed to elevating the standard of critical care in the region, giving critically ill patients not just a fighting chance but the best possible one.
