ECMO: A Breakthrough in Critical Care

Renown Health launches northern Nevada’s only ECMO program.

In the summer of 2024, Renown Health became the only hospital in northern Nevada to offer a comprehensive extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program.

“ECMO is a complex tool that can potentially save the lives of patients who otherwise have no options,” says Kimball Knackstedt, DO, co-medical director of the ECMO program at Renown Health.
“We can now treat patients with advanced cardiac and pulmonary disease who previously required transfer to larger centers in other states, lessening the burden of transfer logistics for those patients and their families.”

Who Can Benefit from ECMO?

Currently, the focus of the Renown Health program is ECMO support as a bridge to recovery.

“Top candidates for ECMO include patients who have serious cardiopulmonary diseases who will recover with time,” Dr. Knackstedt says.
“ECMO is not a therapeutic modality, but it buys time for the heart and lungs to recover with conventional treatment.”

Common conditions that may benefit from ECMO include:

• Adult respiratory distress syndrome
• Cardiogenic shock
• Heart attack
• Myocarditis
• Pulmonary embolism
• Respiratory failure
• Sepsis
• Smoke inhalation and burns

Note: Anticoagulants are used to prevent clotting during ECMO, so patients with severe bleeding are not good candidates.

Bridge to Transplant

In some situations, ECMO can also be used for patients with significant heart or respiratory failure who need stabilization before receiving more durable therapies, such as:

• Heart transplant
• Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation

“These patients can be aided by our services,” Dr. Knackstedt says. “But they will still need to be evaluated at transplant centers.”

A Team Effort

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) serves as an external heart and lungs for severely ill patients. Renown Health provides an extensive multidisciplinary team to care for patients on ECMO, including:

• Cardiovascular surgeons
• Critical care intensivists
• Perfusionists
• Pharmacists
• Registered nurses
• Respiratory therapists

Connect with the ECMO Program

“We want providers to know that Renown Health is here to help their patients suffering from significant cardiopulmonary diseases,” says Dr. Knackstedt.
“We encourage providers to reach out to our team with any questions regarding our services or to discuss any patients.”

📞 To learn more, contact the Renown Operations and Transfer Center at 775-982-2210.