Mysuru:  A 35-year-old home-maker has become the first person in the city to be treated for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome using ECMO at Narayana Multispeciality Hospital (NH), Mysuru.

She was admitted to a city hospital initially and was on ventilator with negligible improvement. Doctors at NH were consulted after five days and the patient was suggested to be migrated to ECMO treatment with immediate effect. ECMO (Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation) is an extended life support system for patients with heart and lung failure or if the patient’s body does not respond to a regular standard treatment in the ICU. The ECMO machine provides support to lungs and heart for a few days to weeks by taking on their function and allowing the organs to recover.

The ECMO machine was transported from NH to the other hospital and the doctors of NH team led by Dr. M. N. Ravi, Senior Heart Surgeon, Dr. S. Naveen, Dr. Santosh, Dr. Sudarshan and  Dr. Prashanth (intensivists) with inputs by Dr. Riyan Shetty, Dr. Sanjay, Dr. Arjun Alva (Bengaluru), anaesthetists and perfusionists (led by senior perfusionist Prakash) visited the distant hospital for smooth transition. After transition, she was shifted to NH, Mysuru and was managed in the MICU. Initiating ECMO helped her lungs to rest and recover.

Speaking about the case, Dr. M. N. Ravi, said, “When we got to know about the case, patient’s condition was already very critical and the only possible treatment solution was ECMO. The treatment was challenging, and we were losing out on time. However, subsequent management and timely coordination between the hospitals made it possible.”

After 38 days on ECMO, the patient could breathe on her own, the lung infection was under control and the respiratory failure was also resolved and she was weaned off ECMO. She was continued on ventilator for the next two days before weaning completely off all support. She was shifted to the ward two days later (42nd day). After nearly  two months of hospitalisation and rigorous treatment the patient was sent home with a new spirit of celebrating life.

Sharing her experience the patient said, that her family was in extreme stress and was on the verge of losing hope when her body stopped responding to the initial treatment.  She further said that she can now independently perform all her daily routine tasks and it has made her even more confident and optimistic towards life.

Now, Narayana Hospital in city is not just an ECMO Centre but also provides retrieval on ECMO services.