Regions Hospital expands lifesaving ECMO program

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Regions Hospital announced today the launch of its expanded extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program, which provides critically ill patients with lifesaving treatment when other conventional methods aren’t enough

ECMO therapy temporarily replaces some functions of the heart and/or lungs and gives them time to recover after cardiac arrest, life-threatening heart failure, lung injuries, acute poisoning and more. Originally developed for lung injuries in the 1960s and ’70s, ECMO uses a pump to move blood through an external circuit and across an artificial lung, which removes carbon dioxide and returns oxygen-filled blood to the body. This critical care intervention is deployed in life-threatening situations when conventional medical treatments are insufficient.

“Already a leader in trauma, emergency, stroke and cardiovascular care, Regions Hospital pioneered bringing extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the east metro as part of our drive to provide the highest level of lifesaving care for people with cardiac arrest,” said Dr. Charles Bruen, ECMO medical director. “As we expand our services to include ECMO therapy, we’re not just extending our capabilities; we’re reinforcing our promise to the community.”

Regions began providing ECMO in 2019 through the Minnesota Mobile Resuscitation Consortium, a partnership with the University of Minnesota and local health systems. The ECMO work to date has been supported by the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. Patients in the east metro needing ECMO were treated at Regions before being transferred to another hospital for recovery. As the only Level I trauma center in the east metro, Regions treats a wide variety of patients with extensive clinical needs. The hospital’s expanded capabilities allow patients already at Regions to stay and continue receiving care for all their medical needs.

“Since December 2019, more than 160 patients suffering cardiac arrest have been treated with ECMO at Regions with remarkable success. These patients have no other good treatment option for survival,” said Dr. Sunny Kaul, cardiology department chair. “Our experience has shown that when carefully selected and placed quickly on ECMO, patients with cardiac arrest had a 40% survival rate compared to 3.5% for those who didn’t. The expansion of ECMO services at Regions is part of a broader initiative to enhance our capacity to provide cutting-edge care to patients with advanced heart conditions.”