50 ECMO Treatments at Agaplesion Diakonieklinikum Rotenburg

July 16, 2026

Since August 2023, the Agaplesion Diakonieklinikum Rotenburg has been relying on extracorporeal procedures to care for critically ill patients. Now, the multidisciplinary team at the Center for Intensive Care Medicine, led by Chief Physician Prof. Dr. W. Alexander Osthaus, has reached a special milestone: the 50th ECMO treatment.

CARL Technology is used for extracorporeal support at the Rotenburg location. With this, the hospital has expanded its range of intensive care treatments to include a highly specialized technology capable of temporarily supporting the heart and lungs.

Highly specialized intensive care for critical situations

At the Agaplesion Diakonieklinikum Rotenburg, extracorporeal procedures are used to treat both severe lung failure and severe circulatory failure, for example, in cases of cardiogenic shock or during resuscitation. In addition, the hospital uses extracorporeal technology during select procedures on the abdominal aorta to support blood flow to the lower half of the body and the extremities.

50 treatments as a result of consistent teamwork

With its 50th ECMO treatment, the Center for Intensive Care Medicine has reached an important milestone less than three years after introducing the procedure.

“The 50th ECMO treatment is a special milestone for us. ECMO is a highly complex form of critical care medicine and requires a great amount of knowledge, attention, and confidence in decision-making,” explains Nils Weseloh, nursing director of the ECMO team. “The fact that we are able to offer this procedure here in Rotenburg is only possible thanks to strong multidisciplinary collaboration between nursing, physicians, physical therapy, and all other involved departments.”

Extracorporeal therapies demonstrate just how crucial the interplay of technology, clinical expertise, and well-established processes is. Successfully establishing such a service requires not only the appropriate technical infrastructure but, above all, an experienced and continuously trained team.

Highly specialized care available in the region

The growing number of treatments also highlights the need for care close to home for critically ill patients.

Prof. Dr. W. Alexander Osthaus, Medical Director and Chief Physician of the Institute for Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, emphasizes: “The fact that we are expected to meet the case volume requirements for ECMO centers as early as this year impressively demonstrates that this service is needed in our region. For the patients involved, this means faster access to highly specialized critical care medicine right here in our community.”

CARL as part of extracorporeal care in Rotenburg

The fact that CARL is now being used for extracorporeal care at the Agaplesion Diakonieklinikum Rotenburg is, for us at Resuscitec, an important example of how innovative medical technology can be integrated into high-performing clinical structures.

The milestone of 50 ECMO treatments is, above all, a testament to the work of the entire team in Rotenburg: to their medical and nursing expertise, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the consistent development of a highly specialized care program.

We congratulate the entire ECMO team at the Agaplesion Diakonieklinikum Rotenburg on this milestone and are pleased to be part of this development with our CARL technology.

Learn more about the CARL Therapy