ECMO

The extracorporeal life support (ECLS) program at Arkansas Children's Hospital is one of the most advanced in the nation.   The ECLS program incorporates cutting edge technology with the highest level of teamwork to provide life-saving support for the most critically ill children.  At Arkansas Children's Hospital, ECLS includes the use of both ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) and VAD (ventricular assist device) support."  Since the inception of the program in 1989, ECLS at Arkansas Children's Hospital has contributed to life-saving care for hundreds of patients.

ECMO is life-saving support for the most severe forms of acute heart and/or lung failure.  ECMO uses a pump to pump blood out of the body and through an artificial lung to receive oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.  This supports the work of the failing lungs.  The pump provides enough blood flow to support the workload of a failing heart.  ECMO itself does not heal any diseases that cause heart or lung failure, but the goal of ECMO is to support the body's needs so that healing can occur through the use of other therapies.

Care Provided:

• Support to approximately 50 patients annually with severe cardiac and/or respiratory failure
• One of the nation's largest ECMO centers
• Provides ECMO support to patients from around the state and region
• Operates one of the nation's only three air mobile ECMO services
• Rate of survival to hospital discharge equals or exceeds the average rate reported from all centers participating in the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization registry

Medical Director:

Richard "Tad" Fiser, MD
(501)364-1008

Surgical Director:

Michiaki Imamura, MD
(501)364-5858