Ascension St. John Hospital in Detroit has introduced a new emergency therapy for patients in a severe health crisis. The hospital has launched an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation program through the departments of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Surgery and Critical Care.
ECMO is an advanced technology that provides life-sustaining support to persons in emergency situations whose organs are unable to provide enough oxygen, such as severe lung damage from infection or shock after a massive heart attack.
"This is good news for the community because ECMO provides an added layer of expert support for serious health emergencies," Amir Kaki, MD, Director of Mechanical Circulatory Support, told CBS Detroit. Dr. Kaki performed the first ECMO case at Ascension St. John Hospital. "The ability to escalate care to this level is a major step for our patients with advanced cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary conditions to allow for improved chance for recovery and survival," he said.
"The ECMO program adds important resources to our cardiopulmonary programs and enhances our ability to care for the most serious patients with life-threatening illnesses to give them the best chance for functional survival," said Thomas LaLonde, MD, Chief of Cardiology for Ascension St. John.
"The implementation of an ECMO program is a significant advancement for Ascension St. John Hospital and the community at large. Our ability to escalate to this therapy allows us to give the sickest patients the highest level of care available," Dr. Kaki said.
