Legacy of an ICON, Incorporates ECMO Globally

It is with profound sorrow and deep respect that we pay tribute to the passing of Dr. Robert H. Bartlett, the Father of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) -a visionary whose pioneering work transformed the landscape of critical care and gave countless patients a second chance at life.Dr. Bartlett was not only a brilliant surgeon and scientist but also a compassionate healer, a true teacher, and an inspiration to generations of clinicians around the world.His groundbreaking development of ECMO revolutionized the management of patients with severe cardiac and respiratory failure, bridging the gap between hope and despair.His humility and generosity of spirit matched his scientific brilliance, making him a role model for all who had the privilege to know or learn from him.We were deeply honored to have shared a memorable moment with him during the ELSO 2023 Conference at Seattle [Figure 1] and the 5 th International SWAACELSO conference held at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, in 2018, where Dr. Bartlett graciously released 2 nd issue of Manual of ECMO in the ICU and the Special Issue of the Journal of Cardiac Critical Care dedicated to ECMO and ELSO [Figures 2 and 3].Prof. Bartlett traveled to India three times in the last 16 years -In 2010 at Bangalore, where, we first met him to formulate the ECMO Society of India.Then, in 2013, when SWAACELSO was formed and then in 2018 at New Delhi, for the 5 th Annual SWAACELSO Conference, where many new arenas of ECMO were learned by all delegates with his masterly discourse on ECMO physiology and ELSO.These were lifelong cherished moments with the legendary ICON.[1][2][3]