Services Offered

A pediatric intensivist in PICU collaborates with the cardiac intensive care unit at Willis Knighton North to provide extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to adolescents who need life support. ECMO uses a machine to pump and oxygenate a patient’s blood outside the body. This therapy can provide lifesaving oxygen to promote long term quality of life.

Learn More About ECMO

Tracheostomy tubes and mechanical ventilation help children with certain conditions breathe and get enough oxygen. The pediatric home tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation program at Willis Knighton South is the only one in Louisiana outside of New Orleans and Baton Rouge. We provide advanced respiratory support for many children every year.

As the region’s first and only dedicated tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation program for children, Willis Knighton offers the expertise that comes from years of providing lifesaving breathing support for even the smallest patients. We’ve successfully helped infants, children and teens who need full- or part-time mechanical-assisted ventilation at home. We also initiate and care for children who need home positive airway pressure (PAP).

What is mechanical ventilation?

Mechanical ventilation supports your child’s lungs and breathing. A ventilator system (also called a respirator or breathing machine) sends air directly into your child’s airways and lungs. Air travels from the ventilator to a tube that goes into a surgically created hole (tracheostomy) in your child’s windpipe. Some children get air through a face mask or nasal cannula (flexible tube in the nose) and don’t need a tracheostomy.

What are the benefits of mechanical ventilation?

• Provides the right amount of oxygen for your child, as determined and adjusted by your child’s pediatric intensivist and pulmonologist
• Removes carbon dioxide from the lungs
• Delivers pressurized air that prevents tiny air sacs in the lungs (alveoli) from collapsing

Your child may need mechanical ventilation support all day or only at night when sleeping. Our team will discuss your child’s options with you.

Why choose us for your child’s home mechanical ventilation care?

Some children need tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation services at home. This specialized comprehensive medical and respiratory care can be provided if your child has a complex medical condition that requires a tracheostomy tube with or without a ventilator to breathe. We work with you, your child’s pediatrician and various specialists to care for your child’s complex medical needs. We make sure you have all the training, equipment and support you need to care for your child at home. 

Collaborative care for all conditions

Many conditions can affect your child’s ability to breathe. Our program works with specialists from different medical fields to manage all your child’s healthcare needs.

Dedicated experts

Our team of experts provides you with in-depth training and support, ensuring you feel confident caring for your child at home. A team member is available 24/7 to answer questions during emergencies. Our specially trained team also transitions home children who have prolonged stays at other acute care hospitals, both in and out of state.

Supporting your family

You have us as a partner to ensure your child thrives at home, at school and in life. We also help you manage the stress of caring for a child with potentially life-threatening needs. Your family benefits from durable medical equipment vendor coordination, social services, dedicated nurses and therapists to meet your needs.

Evidence-based care

You can count on us to be constantly adopting leading edge, state-of-the-art treatments, procedures and technology to help improve your child’s prognosis and care. We’re here to help children who need mechanical ventilation and breathing support thrive at home.