Neonatal ECMO Program

What is extracorporeal membrane oxygenation?

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is life-saving technology that is offered to newborns who suffer from cardiorespiratory failure.  It’s a modified form of heart-lung bypass that allows injured hearts and lungs to rest and recover.

Only specialized children’s hospitals like Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford offer ECMO, and the technology is used only as a last resort when a baby fails to respond to other conventional medical treatment.

Precision, life-saving care for the sickest newborns

Since our Neonatal ECMO program started in 1988, we have helped hundreds of babies survive. Our program at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, directed by Janene Fuerch, MD, combines the expertise of General Surgery, Neonatology, and NICU Nursing to offer highly specialized care. Six of our attending faculty members and 40 nurses are certified to provide ECMO and are trained via multi-disciplinary simulations at our Center for Advanced Perinatal and Pediatric Education (CAPE). Our fellows in neonatal-perinatal medicine are trained at CAPE in July before the start of their fellowship. Conditions that may prompt ECMO use include (and are not limited to):

  • Cardiac failure
  • Sepsis
  • Congenital diaphragmatic hernia
  • Meconium aspiration syndrome
  • Pneumonia

A consistent standard of excellence

Our faculty have been part of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ESLO) since its formation in 1989, and our neonatal ECMO program at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford has survival rates that are consistently better than the ELSO national average. We have been awarded the ELSO Award for Excellence in Life Support from 2011 to present day. This three-year award recognizes and honors programs that reach the highest level of performance, innovation, and quality – it underscores our commitment to exceptional patient care.

Medical Director

 Janene Fuerch, MD

For referring physicians with urgent requests, please contact the transfer center at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford: (650) 723-7342.