Aster ECMO Summit 2024 discuss critical care and transplantation landscape
The conference witnessed 17 international faculties, including experts from Mayo Clinic in the US, Monash University and Health New Zealand
The Aster International ECMO Summit 2024, held at JW Marriott, Bengaluru brought together global experts and healthcare professionals to explore the latest advancements in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), critical care and thoracic transplantation.
Dr Pavan Yadav, Lead Consultant, Interventional Pulmonology and Lung Transplantation, ASTER RV Hospital mentioned, “ECMO as a life support has become an indispensable part of modern critical care. As a centre with lung transplantation facilities, ECMO is all the more important to support patients who develop severe respiratory or cardiac failure. ECMO works as a life support in these patients and helps in bridging them to transplant when required. For all these reasons, ECMO has taken centre stage in modern critical care.”
The conference witnessed 17 international faculties, including experts from Mayo Clinic in the US, Monash University and Health New Zealand, fostering a dynamic platform to delve into the intricacies of ECMO and Critical Care.
The conference shed light on the increased awareness of ECMO technology, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. As Dr Yadav explained, “Even the general population has become more aware of ECMO technology and facilities with its increasing popularity. It has become the next ventilator, serving as a life-saver for critically ill patients with acute or severe lung conditions, cardiac failure, low cardiac output, or those waiting for lung transplants.”
State-of-the-art sessions on ECMO initiation troubleshooting and weaning, organ transport systems like Ex Vivo and EVLP, and Techno-workshops on mechanical circulatory support provided hands-on experiences for attendees.
Engaging debates on cannulation techniques, Hemostasis, ECPR, and Transportation on ECMO patients sparked valuable discussions among participants.
Special consideration was given to paediatric ECMO, highlighting its importance in conditions like acute viral myocarditis, refractory ARDS, and refractory septic shocks. Experts emphasised the potential for survival reaching up to 60 per cent if ECMO is considered early.
“The ECMO Conference 2024 is a dynamic interactive platform that provides an exceptional opportunity for healthcare professionals to deepen their understanding of ECMO, learn from specialists worldwide, and stay updated on the latest developments in critical care and thoracic transplantation.”
Participants gained insights into ECMO’s principles and physiology, indications and contraindications, circuit components and setup, cannulation techniques, anticoagulation management, complications prevention and management, future trends, and advances in technology. The agenda covered ECMO in respiratory and cardiac failure, organ donation after circulatory death, rehabilitation, long-term outcomes of ECMO survivors, quality improvement, and programme development.
