Development of ECMO in RK

Our Center has been involved with ECMO since the beginning of its activity. The number of patients, to whom ECMO has provided "the bridge to recovery", is increasing every year. In Heart Center UMC this method is available to patients of all ages – from newborns to elderly. Outside the Center and even outside Astana, thanks to the joint efforts of our colleagues, ECMO has become a "bridge" to rehabilitation and the birth of children!

The accumulated experience of the treatment of the most difficult category of patients allowed our Center to become a part of the World Register of ELSO (Extracorporeal Life Support Organization).



This Organization is an international consortium of expert physicians and scientists who have devoted themselves to the elaboration and development of the latest technologies with the aim of maintaining the life support. On the basis of the data accumulated in the register, ELSO supports clinical trials and publishes practical guidelines.

The crucial role in the successful development of ECMO program in Heart Center UMC is played by a multidisciplinary interaction, which combines the efforts of cardiac surgeons, anes-thesiologists, perfusionists, nursing care specialists, pulmonologists, obstetrician-gynaecologists, resuscitators, experts of sanitary aircraft. The team of the Center have under-gone trainings in large specialized Centers of the USA, Germany, and Great Britain, where a large volume of ECMO procedures are carried out annually. Understanding the importance of continuous education and sharing the experience, our experts were trained in a Parisian Clinic La Pitié – the leader of ECMO service in France. This course consisted of three educational modules that allowed to investigate in detail all aspects of extracorporeal life support: principles, technical nuances, patient management, ethical difficulties, etc. The daily discussion of specific clinical cases at the patients’ side and practical trainings made this training most attractive. In addition, the value of this course lies in the fact that it attracted colleagues from around the world: Brazil, Great Britain, Malaysia, Arab Emirates, Denmark, and Lithuania. Upon the completion of the training our experts received an international diploma.