Asan Medical Center Performs Korea's Highest Number of ECMO Treatments for Adult Patients with Severe Cardiopulmonary Failure, Surpassing 3,000 Cases

Since Performing Its First ECMO Treatment in 2005, Asan Medical Center Has Strengthened Its Expertise by Establishing a Dedicated ECMO Team in 2019

Active Use of ECMO in Organ Transplantation Candidates Achieves an 82 Percent Post Transplantation Discharge Rate

▲ Director Pil-Je Kang of the ECMO Team at Asan Medical Center examines the condition of a patient receiving ECMO support.

In patients whose heart or lung function has completely failed, life becomes critically threatened to the point that they must rely on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), commonly known as a heart lung machine, to breathe and maintain circulation. Among adult patients treated with ECMO at Asan Medical Center, two out of three demonstrated successful recovery of spontaneous breathing and circulatory function.

Asan Medical Center has made a significant contribution to improving survival outcomes for patients with severe cardiopulmonary failure by performing more than 3,000 ECMO cases in adult patients, the highest number in Korea, using the life sustaining support system for critically ill patients.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) temporarily takes over the functions of the heart and lungs by removing blood from the body, oxygenating it, removing carbon dioxide, and then returning it to the patient's circulation. During this process, the patient's heart and lungs are allowed to rest, preventing further organ damage while clinicians focus on treating the underlying causes of heart or respiratory failure.

Since introducing ECMO in 2005, Asan Medical Center has steadily expanded its expertise and clinical experience, reaching 500 cumulative cases in 2012, 1,000 cases in 2015, and 2,000 cases in 2021. Last year, the hospital surpassed 3,000 ECMO cases, achieving a cumulative total of 3,123 cases, the highest number recorded by any medical institution in Korea.

In 2019, Asan Medical Center officially established a dedicated ECMO team, further strengthening the systematic management of patients with severe cardiopulmonary failure. As a result, Asan Medical Center achieved an ECMO weaning success rate of 65 percent in 2025. In other words, 65 out of every 100 patients supported with ECMO, or approximately two out of three patients, successfully regained sufficient heart and lung function to breathe and maintain circulation independently, allowing the device to be safely removed.

While patients remain on ECMO support, multidisciplinary specialists focus on treating the underlying causes of cardiopulmonary failure. As cardiac and pulmonary function gradually recovers, clinicians carefully reduce the amount of blood flow and oxygenation provided by the ECMO system to assess whether the patient's heart and lungs can function on their own. Only when the organs are deemed capable of sustaining adequate function independently is ECMO safely discontinued.

Patients who are successfully weaned from ECMO can ultimately be discharged in good health after completing their recovery process. As of 2025, Asan Medical Center reported an in hospital survival discharge rate of 51 percent, demonstrating excellent clinical outcomes. Patients requiring ECMO are generally among the most critically ill, facing life threatening conditions. The fact that more than half of these patients were successfully liberated from ECMO support and returned home underscores the high level of ECMO care provided at Asan Medical Center.

When organ function remains irreversibly impaired despite ongoing treatment, ECMO serves as a "bridge to transplantation," sustaining patients' lives while they await organs from deceased donors. Asan Medical Center has also achieved outstanding outcomes in this area, providing a vital lifeline for critically ill patients awaiting organ transplantation.

From 2015 to 2025, a total of 452 ECMO cases, accounting for approximately 20 percent of all ECMO treatments performed at Asan Medical Center, were provided for patients awaiting organ transplantation. The actual transplantation rate among patients receiving ECMO as bridge therapy reached 72 percent, while the post-transplantation survival to discharge rate was an outstanding 82 percent.

More specifically, a total of 186 bridge therapy cases for heart transplantation and left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation were performed, including 164 heart transplant cases and 22 LVAD cases. These patients achieved a post- transplantation survival discharge rate of 82 percent. In addition, ECMO was used as bridge therapy in 140 lung transplantation cases, with a post-transplantation survival discharge rate reaching 81 percent.

Vice President & Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Je-Hwan Lee of Asan Medical Center said, "Behind the achievement of becoming the first hospital in Korea to surpass 3,000 adult ECMO cases lies the noble dedication of our medical staff, who have remained committed to saving every possible life. I believe these outcomes were made possible by the unwavering efforts of the ECMO team and all intensive care unit staff, who have devoted themselves every moment in ICUs that never sleep, 24 hours a day."

Director Pil-Je Kang of the ECMO Team (Professor of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Asan Medical Center) said, "We will continue striving to ensure that patients with severe cardiopulmonary failure can recover spontaneous breathing and circulatory function through treatment of the underlying disease, ultimately leading to successful ECMO weaning and discharge from the hospital."

Meanwhile, Asan Medical Center held a symposium on Friday, July 3, at Asan Medical Center's Auditorium to commemorate becoming the first institution in Korea to surpass 3,000 adult ECMO cases.

The symposium featured a range of academic presentations and discussions on the latest developments in ECMO care, including left ventricular unloading strategies during veno arterial ECMO support, the outcomes and future perspectives of veno venous ECMO, the application of ECMO following open heart surgery at Asan Medical Center, and the role of perfusionists within the ECMO team. Participants also shared clinical experiences and recent advances in the management of critically ill patients requiring ECMO support.