Part 1. Scientific, technical and clinical background of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy -- 1. History of Extracorporeal Life Support: From cardio-pulmonary bypass towards ECMO -- 2. Variety and classification of ECMO systems and cannulation strategies -- 3. Is it time to move on? Discrepancies between official Guidelines and real life clinical scenarios -- 4. Left Ventricular (LV) Decompressing and Venting Strategies - The Game Changers in ECMO Support -- 5. ECMOlogy as the new medical discipline - the way towards interdisciplinary approach of ECMO therapy -- Part 2. From zero to hero: matters and challenges of launching an ECMO retrieval program -- 6. Teamwork makes the dream work: creating interdisciplinary synergies among cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, pulmonology and anaesthesiology -- 7. Financial aspects and negotiations with manufacturers -- 8. Add-on Modules, Quality Assessment Issues and Specific Arrangements inIntensive Care Units (ICU) Sector: Demand of Infrastructure and Staff -- 9. Brainstorming: personnel education and planning stage of the service -- 10. Assign the Parts: Aspects of ECMO Team Building -- 11. Check Lists, Retrieval Protocols and Internal Guidelines -- 12. As little as possible and as much as necessary: supplementary equipment and "ECMO suitcase" for retrieval service -- 13. Do you really need an ECMO coordinator? Strategies to optimize communication -- 14. Round-the-clock operation: trips and tricks to help achieve flexibility and realizability -- Part 3. Specifics of the propaganda machine: how to get referrals and what is the best way to draw attention to the program -- 15. Professional web presence as an indispensible module of the current information dissemination -- 16. Are printed media still holding their own against the electronic competition? -- 17. Show your face: personal introduction and direct communication with referringcolleagues -- 18. Meet the experts: scientific exchange and academic performance through symposiums and peer reviewed publications -- 19. Make you global debut: benefits of joining Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) -- Part 4. From start to finish: chronological order and safety aspects of ECMO retrievals from local hospitals -- 20. Time is life: optimization of packing up the equipment and organizing outward journey -- 21. On the road: fast and safe transport of the team and equipment -- 22. On-the-spot check: clinical assessment and decision making -- 23. Pearls and pitfalls in ECMO cannulation: practical tips to minimize complications -- 24. Save the leg: game plans for ensuring distal limb perfusion -- 25. Initial management of transported patients after arrival on ICU -- 26. Ins and outs of extracorporeal cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (eCPR) service -- Part 5. Pushing the boundaries: managing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest -- 27. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest - Achilles' heel in cardiovascular medicine -- 28. In- or out-of-hospital ECMO implantation? Impact of infrastructure, logistic conditions and legal circumstances -- Part 6. Miscellaneous -- 29. Ethical considerations -- 30. From the view of a patient and next of kin -- 31. Future perspectives. .