How far can a machine go to save lives? Can it save a patient whose heart is severely affected? Can it act as an artificial heart and lungs when both the organs are close to collapsing? Well, the answer is yes! It can be done through ECMO or Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation machine, which is like a heart-lung bypass system. With the help of ECMO, a patient’s blood is collected into the external machine through tubes placed inside large veins (close to the heart). It is then purified, oxygenated and pumped back into the body. ECMO acts as the artificial heart and lung when both or either of the organs is not functioning well or in circumstances, where the hearts and lungs need to be stopped functioning for a limited period of time.
How does ECMO work?
