Robert H. Bartlett, the pioneering surgeon widely known as the “father of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation” (ECMO), died on October 20th at his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the age of 86. His death, following a prolonged illness, marks the end of an era for medical innovation and highlights the profound impact ECMO has had on saving countless lives worldwide.
Bartlett dedicated his career to developing ECMO, a life-support system that temporarily takes over the functions of failing hearts and lungs. Imagine this: when a patient suffers acute respiratory distress, cardiac arrest, or severe trauma, ECMO steps in like an external lifeline.
An ECMO machine acts as both a mechanical heart and artificial lung. It meticulously removes blood from the body, adds oxygen, expels carbon dioxide, warms the blood back to normal temperature, and then returns it to circulation. This continuous process can last for days, weeks, or even longer, giving critically injured patients precious time for their own organs to heal.
Think of it as a bridge—ECMO allows a patient’s body to rest and recover while doctors address the underlying issue. It’s used in a variety of emergency situations:
- Life-Saving Aid During Illness: ECMO has been crucial in treating severe cases of pneumonia, particularly during outbreaks like H1N1 flu (2009) and COVID-19 (2020).
- Bridge to Transplant: For patients awaiting heart or lung transplants, ECMO buys them valuable time until a donor organ becomes available.
- Treating Critical Injuries: After traumatic incidents like car crashes, ECMO can stabilize patients with severe chest injuries or blood clots that compromise blood flow.
ECMO’s impact is staggering: according to the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO), founded by Dr. Bartlett himself, over 260,000 critically ill newborns, children, and adults have received this treatment globally. Over 54% of patients survive ECMO intervention and leave the hospital. More than 100,000 lives have been saved thanks to this remarkable technology.
“At its core,” explains Dr. Helen Ouyang, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Columbia University who has extensively studied ECMO, “it’s about keeping the brain alive until the body can be fixed.” Dr. Bartlett’s unwavering belief in ECMO fueled decades of tireless research and clinical trials.
His journey began in 1965 while working with renowned pediatric heart surgeon Dr. Robert Gross at Boston Children’s Hospital. Witnessing the limitations of existing heart-lung machines for long-term use during surgery sparked Dr. Bartlett’s vision: a device capable of continuously oxygenating blood outside the body for days, potentially revolutionizing the treatment of heart and lung failure. This led him to dedicate his life to developing ECMO.
Early hurdles proved daunting. A pivotal clinical trial in the 1970s yielded disappointing results due to inconsistent protocols and lack of widespread expertise. ECMO was largely abandoned for adult patients for the next three decades. However, Dr. Bartlett’s perseverance paid off in treating newborns with underdeveloped or damaged hearts and lungs.
In 1975, he achieved a landmark success at the University of California, Irvine. A newborn left abandoned by her undocumented mother, battling severe lung failure, received ECMO treatment and recovered after six days. The infant, named Esperanza (“Hope”) by the nurses, went on to lead a full life and remained in contact with Dr. Bartlett until his passing.
This breakthrough marked a turning point for ECMO. What was once a near-certain death sentence for newborns struggling to breathe transformed into an 80% survival rate thanks to this innovative technology. Esperanza Pineda, now 50 years old, credits Dr. Bartlett directly with saving her life: “If Dr. Bartlett wasn’t there that day I was born, I wouldn’t be here today.”
More recently, ECMO has witnessed renewed recognition during global health crises like the H1N1 flu pandemic and COVID-19. It provided crucial support for critically ill patients struggling with severe respiratory distress, saving countless lives on the front lines of these pandemics.
Beyond his surgical expertise and scientific contributions, Dr. Bartlett led a vibrant life filled with music and literature. He was an accomplished euphonium and double bass player, performing in various orchestras and bands throughout his career. Dr. Bartlett also penned two novels, exploring themes of medicine, law, and philosophy.
Robert H. Bartlett’s legacy extends far beyond the operating room and into the realm of innovation and human resilience. His unwavering commitment to developing ECMO transformed medical care for critically ill patients around the world, offering hope where once there was none. His tireless pursuit of knowledge left an enduring impact that will continue to save lives for generations to come.
