A 49-year-old female police officer from Jharsuguda district in Odisha has achieved a remarkable recovery after undergoing 36 days of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. This treatment was necessary for her severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) that resulted from life-threatening pneumonia.
This case stands as a significant achievement in the realm of advanced critical care at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, underscoring the institution’s expertise in handling intricate respiratory crises through extracorporeal life support methods.
The patient was first admitted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar on April 18, 2026, due to severe pneumonia. Despite receiving aggressive care, including mechanical ventilation in a prone position, her health continued to decline, with oxygen saturation levels dropping to dangerously low points.
On May 7, she was transferred to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for acute respiratory failure. Upon her midnight arrival at the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), a multidisciplinary team led by Dr. Srikant Behera, an expert in Intensive Care Medicine and ECMO, commenced the VV-ECMO procedure. This advanced life-support system is utilized for patients experiencing severe lung failure when traditional ventilation methods are inadequate.
During her 36 days on ECMO, from May 7 to June 12, she received continuous intensive care, which allowed her lungs to heal gradually.
Thanks to her steady recovery, she was successfully weaned off ECMO on June 12 and taken off mechanical ventilation on June 27. The tracheostomy tube was removed on June 29, and she was moved from the MICU to the General Medicine ward on July 6. By July 18, she no longer required supplemental oxygen.
Having regained full independence and sufficiently recovered to resume her daily routines, she was discharged from the hospital on July 24.
Dr. Ashutosh Biswas, the Executive Director of AIIMS Bhubaneswar, praised the medical team for this landmark achievement in intensive care medicine. He emphasized that the institute is continually enhancing its capabilities in extracorporeal life support and critical care, further establishing itself as a top referral center for advanced intensive care in eastern India.
