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Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in a Mouse
Published on: October 24, 2018
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: experience in an adult medical ICU
G Hermans1, W Meersseman, A Wilmer
1Medical Intensive Care Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Greet.Hermans@uz.kuleuven.ac.be
Background:
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a technology that can provide extracorporeal gas exchange to patients with severe pulmonary or cardiac dysfunction. We report on our clinical experience with ECMO in critically ill patients.
Methods:
We performed a retrospective analysis of 23 patients treated with ECMO in a medical intensive care unit in a tertiary referral academic centre.
Results:
13 patients were considered immunocompetent and 10 were immunocompromised when extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was started. 16 patients presented with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), 2 patients had intractable cardiac failure, and 5 patients had combined respiratory and cardiac failure. In 16 patients, a veno-venous bypass was constructed; in 7 patients, the initial bypass was venoarterial. 11 patients survived. In 2 patients technical complications were fatal.
Conclusions:
Our data indicate that patients with community-acquired pneumonia and no underlying disease will benefit most from this technique. However, long-term survival is possible in immunocompromised patients. Venoarterial bypass can carry a higher risk for technical complications. Increasing experience apparently also reduces the risk of technical complications.
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