ECMO in New Zealand Symposium to bring international medical professionals together for the third year
EINZ (ECMO in New Zealand) is excited to announce its third international Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Symposium, set to take place in Queenstown from 19–21 November 2024. The event brings the global ECMO community back to Aotearoa to collaborate, learn, and advance access to life-saving critical care.
This year’s symposium continues to advance EINZ’s mission of providing world-class training opportunities and increasing equitable access to top-tier cardiac and respiratory ICU care through ECMO and Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS).
For the third consecutive year, Queenstown will host an international gathering of leading ECMO experts from Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. What began in 2020 as a regional initiative has grown into a flagship event thanks to the collaborative spirit of participants and partners committed to expanding access to this life-saving therapy across New Zealand.
“The EINZ faculty is unmatched by any precedent ECMO meetings that took place in Aotearoa. I am honoured to work with our brilliant line-up of speakers, including Intensivists, Cardiac Surgeons, Emergency Physicians, and Cardiologists from home and more than 10 different ECMO centres around the world. Together we are transforming critical care, improving access to treatment for New Zealanders, and ultimately saving lives. To use Sir Isaac Newton’s analogy, it is incredibly humbling to walk among such giants,” said Dr. Stefan Wiebe, Symposium Director and ICU consultant.
Participants will benefit from a three-day programme led by globally recognised ECMO experts, including Prof. Vincent Pellegrino (ECMO Consultant at Alfred Hospital Melbourne and ECMO Lead for Victoria, Australia) and Dr. Nicholas Barrett (President of EuroELSO). “I am delighted to be attending the ECMO Symposium 2024. Global collaborations in extracorporeal support education are making a huge difference for our sickest patients around the world,” Dr. Barrett shared.
Featured Faculty
- Prof. Roberto Lorusso — Cardiac Surgeon and ECLS Programme Director, Maastricht University (Netherlands); former President, EuroELSO
- Philip J. Spencer, MD — Heart and Lung Transplant Surgeon, Mayo Clinic (USA)
- Dr. Sharon McCartney — Director, Duke Center for Blood Conservation (USA)
- Prof. Heinrich V. Groesdonk — Chief Medical Officer, Helios Clinic Erfurt (Germany)
Their continued participation underscores the symposium’s impact and collaborative spirit. Past programmes have also featured world-renowned transplant surgeon Mauricio Villavicencio from the Mayo Clinic, whose involvement helped accelerate New Zealand’s Ventricular Assist Devices (VAS) programme, strengthening ongoing collaboration between Auckland and US teams.
Registrations are now open internationally, with sponsorship opportunities available upon enquiry.
Editors’ Notes
Launched in 2022, EINZ tackles the challenges posed by Aotearoa New Zealand’s geography and demographics to deliver accessible, equitable ECMO treatment. The symposium combines theoretical knowledge with high-fidelity simulation and hands-on training, utilising cutting-edge VR and AR technologies.
Highlights
- Waikato, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin Hospitals are establishing or have established ECMO programmes following EINZ initiatives.
- A regional ECMO Network now links these hospitals to enhance collaboration, share expertise, and provide ongoing training.