VECMOS - Victorian Extra-corporal Membrane Oxygenation Service

The Victorian ECMO Service (VECMOS) is a state-wide collaboration of hospitals and ambulance service that provides ECMO for critically ill people.

ECMO (or extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation) is a machine that gives temporary life support to patients who have the most severe (life-threatening) forms of lung and heart failure. It is a high-risk procedure that requires specific training and skilled care delivery. Patients that require ECMO are among the most complex and challenging in the health care system and require attention and expert care anywhere, at any time in Victoria.

In recognition of the complexities of delivering ECMO to the most critically ill members of our population, VECMOS has been established to deliver timely, accessible and expert ECMO patient care by creating a network of hospitals in the state that provide accredited ECMO initiation, transport and subsequent care in a coordinated and governed system. It works with Ambulance Victoria and can be accessed by any hospital in the state.

What is ECMO?

ECMO is a high-risk procedure that requires highly skilled and experienced clinicians, by putting a patient on ECMO, it gives extra time for the heart and lungs, or both to recover and repair themselves or allow time for other options to be considered.

Patients and families

Families and loved ones play incredibly important roles helping patients during and after ECMO treatment. Read more about visiting ICU and what to expect before and after ECMO.

For Clinicians

For detailed clinical information on how our service works, how and when to refer to our service, case selection considerations and additional resources.

Health services involved

The Victorian ECMO Service is a collaboration between all Victorian hospitals, who work closely with Adult Retrieval Victoria and currently being delivered by seven health services.

Partners and sponsors

The Victorian ECMO Service would like to thank our partnerships & sponsors