How I Teach It: Building an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation and Mechanical Circulatory Support Fellowship for General Surgery Residents

Since the early 2000s, improvements in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) design and management have led to an increase in ECMO use, with duration extended from days to weeks and expansion of indications, including bridge to heart or lung transplant and periprocedural support for cardiopulmonary interventions.1-4 Despite this expanded use of ECMO, training or credentialing for ECMO remains inconsistent. Most ECMO cannulations are performed by cardiothoracic surgeons, but they are increasingly being performed by other specialists, including intensivists, cardiologists, and anesthesiologists.