ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation)

ECMO, or Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, is a medical technology that temporarily takes over the work of the lungs and heart. Blood is removed from the body, cooled and oxygenated outside the body via a machine called a membrane oxygenator, then returned. This helps patients with severe lung or heart failure breathe and circulate blood when their organs are too weak to do so effectively. ECMO is typically used in critically ill patients as a last resort to support recovery until their own organ function improves or additional treatments become effective.