At Sharp Memorial Hospital, skill, technology and compassion combine to create health care choices never thought possible. The hospital’s Heart and Vascular Program is led by a team of board-certified physicians who make sure all patients receive the highest-quality care.
Sharp Memorial has pioneered many cardiac treatments and technologies, including San Diego’s first open-heart surgery, first heart transplant and first cardiac catheterization.
Sharp Memorial was also the first hospital in the nation to use extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the Emergency Department to treat patients having a cardiac arrest.
For people who have had a cardiac arrest, this temporary, advanced life-support system takes over the functions of the heart and lungs so those organs can recover.
During a cardiac arrest, traditional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may not restore adequate blood and oxygen flow to the brain and vital organs.
Doctors may need to use extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) and the ECMO system to provide prolonged cardiac and respiratory support, giving medical professionals time to determine and treat the cause of the cardiac arrest.
Thanks to Sharp Memorial’s pioneering work and a partnership with the County of San Diego, cardiac arrest patients who meet certain criteria are taken to the nearest ECPR-capable facility — no matter where they are in the county — ensuring more people benefit from this lifesaving technology.
There are three hospitals in San Diego where ECPR is available around the clock. At Sharp Memorial, specialist nurses, emergency medicine doctors and cardiothoracic surgeons are ready to provide this lifesaving treatment, 24/7.
With its community partners, Sharp Memorial is leading the way in redefining the survival of people having cardiac arrests while not near a hospital. ECPR can double the chance of survival, allowing Sharp to save more lives.
Sharp HealthCare offers acute care and specialty hospitals, affiliated medical groups, urgent care centers and other outpatient facilities, and a health plan.
To learn more, visit sharp.com/heart or call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277), Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
