The ECMO Regional Center, operating within the structure of the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care at the University Clinical Hospital in Opole, has become a member of the international organization ELSO (Extracorporeal Life Support Organization).

– It is a great honor for us. We joined the World Organization of Extra-Body Techniques ELSO as the third center in Poland. Membership in ELSO will allow us to exchange experiences, give us access to a global database, provide trainings and also present our center, which has a very good results in the application of ECMO – says Dr Tomasz Czarnik, head of the ECMO Regional Center.

ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) is a form of supporting the patient’s life in an extremely severe condition. It uses oxygenation of the blood and simultaneous removal of carbon dioxide using extracorporeal circulation, which is used in patients with deep hypothermia or suffering from severe lung diseases.