Launch of the Kauvery Centre for ECMO & Advanced Life Support
Kauvery Hospital, Vadapalani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, has launched a dedicated ECMO & Advanced Life Support centre designed to manage complex critical‑care situations. The centre provides a suite of specialised Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) services, including:
- VV‑ECMO for severe respiratory failure, which oxygenates blood and removes carbon dioxide;
- VA‑ECMO for cardiac failure, delivering both respiratory and circulatory support when the heart cannot pump effectively;
- V‑AV (Hybrid) ECMO for combined heart and lung failure, merging the benefits of VV‑ and VA‑ECMO;
- Awake ECMO, allowing selected patients to remain conscious while receiving life‑support;
- ECMO‑supported road and air transfers, enabling critically ill patients from hospitals without ECMO capability to be assessed, initiated on ECMO, and transported under continuous support to Kauvery Hospital.
Multidisciplinary Team Composition
The centre’s operations are supported by a continuous‑monitoring, multidisciplinary team comprising ECMO specialists, cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiothoracic anaesthetists, perfusionists, cardiologists, pulmonologists, critical‑care specialists, nephrologists, haematologists, infectious‑disease specialists, ECMO‑trained nurses, physiotherapists and other relevant clinical professionals. This team coordinates fluid management, specialised dialysis and organ‑support strategies for patients requiring simultaneous support of multiple failing organs.
Leadership and Strategic Vision
The programme is led by Dr. K. Madhan Kumar, Director‑ECMO & VAD and Senior Consultant – Cardiothoracic & Transplant Surgeon at Kauvery Hospital, Vadapalani, who also serves as President of the ECMO Society of India. Dr. Kumar stated that ECMO provides temporary life support when conventional treatments fail, allowing clinicians to treat underlying conditions and assess recovery potential, while emphasising the need for careful monitoring of complications affecting other organs.
Dr. Aravindan Selvaraj, Co‑founder and Executive Director of the Kauvery Group of Hospitals, highlighted that advanced critical care depends on the strength of the multidisciplinary team, technology, and clinical judgement, especially when patient needs evolve rapidly. He underscored the hospital’s focus on building capabilities to assess and treat serious, complex conditions through coordinated expertise.
Operational Highlights
- The centre offers continuous ECMO support during inter‑hospital transfers, with the specialised team travelling to referring hospitals to assess patients and initiate ECMO when clinically indicated.
- Once transferred, patients receive further treatment in Kauvery Hospital’s advanced facilities, benefitting from coordinated care across multiple specialties.
- The launch reinforces Kauvery Hospital’s commitment to specialised heart and lung support, multi‑organ care and complex critical‑care management, combining cutting‑edge technology with a robust multidisciplinary approach.
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