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Heart and lung support

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ECMO treatment for pulmonary and cardiac failure

Heart and lung support describes our treatments for patients suffering from pulmonary and/or cardiac failure. Based on one single platform that combines heart and lung support, we offer various treatment options. These are all based on the principle of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

ECMO is a type of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) that provides cardiopulmonary support to critically ill patients when conventional treatments have failed.

ECMO can be performed using veno-venous cannulation for primarily respiratory support or veno-arterial cannulation for cardiocirculatory or cardiopulmonary support.

Patients who require ECMO typically suffer from cardiac and/or respiratory failure due to underlying conditions such as cardiogenic shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or congenital defects.

During extracorporeal support, the venous blood is drained, decarboxylated, oxygenated, warmed, and infused back into the circulation. The goals of ECMO include optimizing patient physiology and improving outcomes in severe respiratory or cardiac failure. ECMO supplies tissue oxygenation, removes CO2, allows the lung and heart to rest, and stabilizes the cardiovascular system.1

Therapeutic applications

ECMO is indicated as a rescue measure, for instance, in the treatment support of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with refractory hypoxemia, or refractory cardiogenic shock (CS). These are not the only critical situations in which ECMO is used, yet are the most common as described in literature.1,2

The full spectrum of ECMO support
Our product offering supports the full spectrum of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary treatments - from neonates to adults.

Different cannulation strategies define the type of ECMO treatment
Two basic ECMO cannulation types are used, depending on which organ in the body needs support: veno‑arterial (VA) and veno‑venous (VV). VA-ECMO is the treatment type, when both the heart and lungs need support, while VV cannulation is chosen when only respiratory function needs support.

Veno-venous ECMO (VV ECMO)

  • Improves systemic oxygenation
  • Drains blood from a major vein and returns it to a major vein
  • The native cardiac output provides adequate circulation

VV ECMO adult femoro-jugular

Veno-arterial ECMO (VA ECMO)

  • Supports heart and lung (circulatory and respiratory functions)
  • Drains blood from a major vein and returns it to a major artery
     

VA ECMO adult femoro-femoral

Xenios 2.0: Taking the next step in ECLS

These different ECLS treatment types can be performed with Xenios 2.0., our next-generation ECLS system. The system works with different patient kits depending on the intended treatment and thus enables versatile applications - for all patients, from neonates to adults.

A broad spectrum of treatment options in both, heart and lung support on one single platform:

  • Cardio-/ Pulmonary support: Veno-arterial (VA) and Veno-venous VV cardiopulmonary or pulmonary support with continuous blood flow.
  • Suitable patient kits:
    • XLung kit 230
    • MiniLung kit ¼‘‘
    • MiniLung petite kit


The Xenios 2.0 has been designed with innovative safety features, a simplified guided user interface, and advanced connectivity to support physicians and caregivers during ECMO treatment.

Learn more: www.xenios-ag.com

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1 Sangalli, F., Patroniti, N., & Pesenti, A. (Eds.). (2014). Ecmo-Extracorporeal Life Support in Adults. Springer Milan. doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5427-1

2 Brogan TV et al. Extracorporeal Life Support: The ELSO Red Book (5th edition) 2017