Saint Francis Reaches Lifesaving Milestone with 100th ECMO Case

The Saint Francis ECMO Team is comprised of colleagues from numerous departments.

Saint Francis Hospital has reached an incredible lifesaving milestone by treating its 100th patient with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The ECMO program at Saint Francis was initiated by Robert Gallagher, M.D., Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Saint Francis, in September 2020. The highly specialized technology is used for patients with severe lung or cardiac failure.

ECMO is similar to a heart-lung bypass machine used during open-heart surgery. It requires the insertion of catheters into the large blood vessels of the neck or groin, which connects to a pump that circulates blood through a machine that removes carbon dioxide and sends oxygenated blood back into the body. This gives the patient’s heart and lungs a chance to rest while maintaining blood flow to other vital organs.

Providing ECMO takes teamwork and collaboration from numerous teams within the hospital, including cardiology, pulmonary and critical care, respiratory, perfusion, ICU, anesthesia, surgery, pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, radiology, and step-down units. It takes the dedication of an incredible group of clinical and non-clinical colleagues to support ECMO patients, and Dr. Gallagher is proud of the cooperation between all the departments.

“We have a very dedicated group who are committed to providing the best care possible to our critically ill patients,” said Gallagher. “I am extremely proud that Saint Francis has the ability to provide this level of care to those who need it.”

ECMO became a critical component during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the team at Saint Francis utilized it on several occasions for critically ill patients. The story of Robby Walker received international attention after Dr. Gallagher and Angela Sakal, Chief Perfusionist, collaborated with his family to transport Robby to Connecticut from his home in Florida, where ECMO was unavailable. Robby spent 22 days on ECMO at Saint Francis until his heart and lungs were strong enough to support him.

“We have done some great things,” said Sakal. “I want everyone to know that Saint Francis is on the map with ECMO and on par with other hospitals in Connecticut and around the region in providing this high level of care.”