MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — WVU Medicine staff underwent a special training session on Monday as nurses and physician assistants participated in an immersive training simulation to practice working with the life-saving treatment—Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO).

WVU Medicine has been using the technology since 2018, which supports hearts and lungs after they fail or when patients need to be supported during surgery. Dr. Jeremiah Hayanga, Medical Director of the WVU ECMO Program, explained the process to 12 News.

“What [ECMO] really means is you take blood out of the body, drain it. You pass it through an oxygenator that pumps oxygen into it, and then you use a pump to drive it back into the body,” Dr. Hayanga said.

Monday's training is a part of Healthcare Simulation Week, whic

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