How does ECLS work?
ECLS / ECMO supports the function of the heart and/or lungs by continuously pumping some of the patient’s blood out of the body to an oxygenator (artificial lung) where oxygen is added to the blood, carbon dioxide is removed, and the blood is warmed before it is returned to the patient.
A large catheter drains venous blood to a pump. This blood is dark because it contains very little oxygen; the blood being returned to the patient is bright red because it contains oxygen. A constant flow of blood (gallons or inches per minute) is gently pumped through an oxygenator similar to the one that is part of the CARDIOHELP System. This is called the flow rate, and as the patient improves, the flow rate is usually reduced over a period of time thus letting the heart and lungs do more of the work.
