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Pioneering ECMO Surgeon Dr. Robert Bartlett Dies at 86

11/9/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Dr. Robert H. Bartlett, a pioneering surgeon and the father of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), died October 20 at age 86 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
He developed ECMO, a life-support system that temporarily takes over heart and lung functions, saving over 100,000 lives worldwide.
His work began in 1965 and gained traction during the H1N1 outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic.
He was also a musician and author.

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Story summary

Dr. Robert H. Bartlett, a pioneering surgeon and the father of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), died October 20 at age 86 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
He developed ECMO, a life-support system that temporarily takes over heart and lung functions, saving over 100,000 lives worldwide.
His work began in 1965 and gained traction during the H1N1 outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic.
He was also a musician and author.