ECMO can be life saving in pulmonary emergencies unresponsive to conventional ICU support. ECMO technology and expertise has increased immensely over the last decade. Our experience, and others, has demonstrated that the earlier the referral to an ECMO center, the better chance of survival these patients will have. Our survival results exceed the national average and we have used this therapy in a wide variety of disease processes. Long-term sequelae in survivors are infrequent, as most patients return to normal pulmonary function.