In recent days, Areus performed the first extra-regional helicopter transfer of a patient connected to an extracorporeal medical assistance system (arteriovenous ECMO).
The woman, suffering from a congenital disease , was hospitalized at the Santissima Annunziata hospital in Sassari when her condition worsened due to complications that put her life at risk.
The doctors at the AOU of Sassari, together with the management led by Dr. Michele Portoghese, requested the immediate intervention of the 118 operations center.
Thus began the complex organizational process that allowed the transfer to a third-level referral hospital on the peninsula , one of the few in Italy specialized in the treatment of adult congenital pathologies.
An AW139 helicopter from the Olbia Air Rescue Service was used for the transport, carrying a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, and perfusion technicians. The flight, which lasted approximately three hours, was completed successfully, ensuring the patient's cardiopulmonary and hemodynamic support throughout the flight.
"Areus is committed to consolidating secondary transport routes in close collaboration with healthcare providers," commented Special Commissioner Angelo Maria Serusi , "aware of the role regional laws have assigned to it in managing emergencies."
Mario Carmine Palermo, Special Commissioner of the AOU of Sassari, also expressed satisfaction, speaking about the organizational model that needs to be made structural: "In the operating room and on the ward, we worked as one team. The goal is to reduce time, break down barriers, and ensure every patient receives the best care."
