Artificial heart-lung support saves lives in Vietnam

Doctors in Vietnam use artificial heart-lung support, known as ECMO, to save approximately 1,000 patients each year. Bạch Mai Hospital, a leading medical center, has successfully treated 200 of these cases. Professor Đỗ Ngọc Sơn, Director of the Bạch Mai Hospital’s Intensive Care Center, presented these figures at a recent conference on ECMO.

ECMO functions as an artificial lung and heart, circulating oxygenated blood throughout the body when a patient’s own organs fail.

This technology keeps patients alive during critical periods, allowing their bodies to recover or providing time for doctors to address the underlying cause of their illness. Bạch Mai Hospital began using ECMO nearly 20 years ago, integrating it into standard treatment protocols. Recently, the hospital implemented a new technique called “Awake ECMO” (VA-ECMO). Unlike traditional ECMO procedures that require deep sedation, pain medication, and invasive ventilation, Awake ECMO allows patients to remain conscious.

Doctors only use local anesthesia to insert the necessary tubes into blood vessels. In one case, a 21-year-old woman with severe myocarditis received VA-ECMO support for 30 minutes without anesthesia or a breathing tube, remaining alert and able to cooperate with medical staff. Doctor Sơn explained that keeping patients awake allows medical personnel to closely monitor neurological function, respiratory reflexes, and hemodynamics, enabling quick detection of any complications.

This approach also reduces the risk of hospital-acquired infections from prolonged intubation, shortens hospital stays, and lowers healthcare costs. Bạch Mai Hospital has also established a simulation lab to train medical professionals across the country in ECMO techniques, aiming to expand the availability of this life-saving treatment nationwide.