Michael S. Firstenberg, Jason Galloway, Erik Abel, David Mast and Ravi S. Tripathi
Extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation represents an evolving therapeutic tool for the treatment of acute severe cardiac and respiratory failure in patients failing maximal medical therapy. Advances in technology along, increasing worldwide clinical successes, and broadening applications have encouraged renewed interest in what was previously considered a salvage intervention associated with poor outcomes. Hopefully, the use of digital media and timely on-line access to scientific advances will allow clinicians and patients who depend on ECMO for survival to benefit in a field in which there is clearly room for improvement in outcomes and understanding. The goal of this Editorial is to provide a brief introduction to the clinical applications, challenges, and limitation of extra-corporeal support. The hope that vehicles such as this Journal will assist in pushing the frontiers of this technology in a manner in which even small, but rapidly disseminated, advances can have a large impact on patient survival.