b'S WS & UPDATE NEavenue of care for severe cases OVER THE FIRST YEARWe want people to be ableof COVID-19. Over the first yearOF THE PROGRAM,to pick up the phone, whetherof the program, the ECMO teamits cardiogenic shock or respiratory has saved the lives of six patients,THE ECMO TEAM HASfailure, says Dr. Bensimhon. We three of whom had severe casesSAVED THE LIVES OFwant people to say, Hey, Cones an of COVID-19.option here. Maybe they can help ECMO offers a fightingSIX PATIENTS, THREEus. Thats really the goal here. Its chance to patients experiencingOF WHOM HAD SEVEREto provide a support team to the cardiogenic shock as well asCASES OF COVID-19. patients of this region that they those recovering from invasivedidnt have before and who would cardio or thoracic surgery or arisk dying in transport waiting to serious trauma. thoracic surgeons, critical-carereceive advanced life support at a The procedure involves apulmonologists, and advancedhospital thats further away.miniature heart-lung machineheart failure cardiologists. There called Cardiohelp that pumps andare 12 ECMO specialistsRNs oxygenates the blood of patientsand RTs who received training toECMO to the Rescuewhose organs are failing duemonitor and maintain the pump inCLICK OR SCAN QR to inadequate blood flow. Thisthe cardio and cardiothoracic ICUCODE TO READ MOREallows the heart and lungs to rest as well as five perfusionists whoRead the harrowing story of and recover while the machinemonitor and maintain the pump inDAndrea Penn, a young mother performs their vital functions. the operating room and cath lab. who suffered multiple life-threatening From my perspective, theTheir goal is to make Coneinjuries in a severe car accident Left to right: real advantage of having ECMOHealth a shock resource center forand lived. Find out how the general Zane Atkins, MD, andin our building as it relates tocentral North Carolinaa localsurgery and ECMO teams ralliedDaniel Bensimhon, MD cardiovascular disorders islifeline for patients in cardiogenicto save, rehabilitate and celebrate NEW TECHNOLOGY that it augments our currentshock during which their livesPennand her remarkable resolve capabilities in treating cardiogenichang in the balance. and recovery.shock, says Zane Atkins, MD, a cardiothoracic and thoracic Advanced Life Support surgeon at Cone Health. ECMO is an additional tool to apply in Arrives at Cone Health conditions of cardiogenic shock and to allow stabilization of a really sick person such that the underlying problem can be diagnosed and fixed. Without that TEAMWORK,W ith cardiogenic shock, donations from the community,support, you just continue to go PERSEVERANCE ANDa life-threatening heartthe ECMO program came todown the spiral, and its hard to condition, every second fruition in November 2020, helpingpull them out of that tailspin.COMMUNITY SUPPORTcounts. Knowing this well, apatients suffering from a varietyDr. Bensimhon says its not just Photo courtesy of DAndrea PennBRING LIFE-SAVINGmultidisciplinary team at theof severe cardiac and pulmonarythe physicians who made ECMO EXTRACORPOREALCone Health Heart & Vascularconditions. Daniel Bensimhon,at Cone Health possible, noting Center worked together toMD, a cardiologist specializing inthe integral roles of administrators MEMBRANEbring Extracorporeal Membraneheart failure, says candidates forlike Dee Talley, RN, BSN, MHA, OXYGENATION (ECMO)Oxygenation (ECMO), an advancedthe procedure are in such severewho created the program, and form of life support, closer tocondition that nearly all of themthe willingness of surgeons to TECHNOLOGY TO home for central North Carolinians.would die without it. perform the procedure.CONE HEALTH. Thanks to the teams ingenuityToday, the advanced life-supportThe team consists of top-notchDAndrea Penn celebratesand fortitude as well as significantunit is also providing an extraexperts, including cardiac andwith her care team.HEART & VASCULAR / 09'