ECMO: THE BURDEN OF CHOICE | Emily Xiao

“Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a type of artificial life support that takes over the function of the heart and lungs while patients await medical recovery or organ transplant. However, when patients are not eligible for transplant or fail to recover, the impossible decision of when to withdraw ECMO is often displaced onto the patient’s loved ones. I was in disbelief that such a medically and ethically complex decision is forced into the hands of already emotionally exhausted families. I felt deeply intimidated by the role of the physician in advising families on balancing hope with solemn realism. This piece explores the weight of this choice for patients and their families, as well as the moral distress experienced by medical practitioners.”

 Emily Xiao is a second-year internal medicine resident at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. She was taught by her late grandfather how to paint as a young child, and throughout her career has developed a passion for using art to illustrate the ethical and emotional challenges experienced by patients and providers in medicine. Her work has been featured in BCM Omentum and was the recipient of the award for best visual arts piece. She blends magical realism and Impressionism to explore the intersections between medicine and the human experience.

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