A life support technique that uses an artificial lung machine to add oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from blood outside the body, then returns the oxygenated blood to the patient. It provides cardiac and respiratory support for patients whose heart and lungs cannot adequately function on their own.
From Latin 'extra' meaning outside, 'corpus' meaning body, combined with 'membrane' and 'oxygenation.' The term describes the process of oxygenating blood outside the body using a membrane-based artificial lung system.
ECMO essentially acts as an external heart and lungs, taking over these vital functions completely while the patient's own organs rest and heal. It's so sophisticated that it can keep patients alive for weeks or even months, sometimes serving as a bridge to organ transplantation!
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