Overview
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
ECMO is a temporary life support system used for people whose lungs have stopped working properly. The ECMO machine does the work of the lungs, allowing them time to heal.
We are 1 of the 5 centres for adult acute severe cardiorespiratory failure (ASCRF) and ECMO in England.
Our services include:
- ECMO for people with short-term severe respiratory failure
- mechanical circulatory support (MCS) for people with short-term severe heart failure
- advice about caring for people with acute cardiorespiratory failure
- a mobile ECMO retrieval service
We work with other services, including:
- radiology
- rheumatology
- cardiology
- surgery
- obstetric medicine
Our team includes:
- consultants
- nurse consultants
- cardiologists
- perfusionists
- dietitians
- physiotherapists
- speech and language therapists
- pharmacists
- psychologists
- neuropsychiatrists
Health information
If your family member or friend is having ECMO, you can find more about:
- the benefits and risks
- what happens during ECMO
- how we stop ECMO
- permission (consent)
Read our ECMO information for family members.
If you had ECMO, you might want to understand more about the possible complications and side effects.
Read our information for patients who have had ECMO.
Our consultants
ECMO consultants
Nicholas Ioannou
Christopher Meadows
Richard Paul
Andrew Retter
Daniel Taylor
Lung consultants
Boris Lams
Sangita Agarwal
Heart consultants
Last updated: August 2023
