Is Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation a Deceiver or Savior?

George Wing Yiu Ng

Abstract

Extracorporeal life support, or commonly referred to as Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is considered as a rescue therapy for patients who fail to respond to conventional treatment. ECMO is basically classified into veno-venous (VV) and veno-arterial (VA) mode. VV ECMO provides solely lung support with oxygenator, whereas VA ECMO uses pump and oxygenator to provide both heart and lung support.