EasyHealsAbout ECMO
ECMO, or Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, is a life support system that takes over the work of the lungs and sometimes the heart. It circulates blood outside the body through an artificial lung to add oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.
Causes / Typical Use Case
Severe lung failuresevere heart failureacute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)cardiac arrestbridge to transplant
Next Steps
After ECMO, patients are gradually weaned off the machine as their heart and lungs recover. Rehabilitation and physical therapy are often needed to regain strength and function.