ECMO works by diverting blood from the patient’s body to an oxygenator (or artificial lung) in the ECMO machine, which adds oxygen and removes carbon dioxide. The oxygenated blood is then returned to the patient's body. There are two main types of ECMO: VA-ECMO (veno-arterial) and VV-ECMO (veno-venous). VA-ECMO supports both heart and lung function, while VV-ECMO supports only lung function.
