There are two types of extracorporeal circulation: one to compensate for lung failure alone, and the other to compensate for heart-lung failure. n the first case, extracorporeal circulation is used in patients for whom artificial ventilation via intubation or placement on a ventilator is not sufficient to oxygenate the blood properly. Two very large catheters (called cannulas) are inserted into the patient’s large venous trunks (often in the groin area), and the blood is pumped through an oxygenation and decarboxylation membrane (where carbon dioxide is purified).
The second case is used in the event of major heart failure, or even heart-lung failure. In this case, cardiac function is supplemented by the machine’s pump, which completely replaces the heart and, if necessary, the lungs too. Cannulas are then positioned, one arterial, the other venous.
The use of extracorporeal circulation is an extremely invasive procedure involving numerous risks, and cannot be considered lightly.
