Northside 101 is a series of interviews with Northside Hospital's experts, breaking down complex medical terms and procedures.
In this episode, interventional cardiologist Dr. Allison Dupont of Northside Hospital Cardiovascular Institute discusses Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, also known as ECMO.
The ECMO machine pumps and oxygenates a patient's blood outside the body, allowing the heart and lungs to rest. When connected to an ECMO, blood flows through tubing to an artificial lung in the machine that adds oxygen and takes out carbon dioxide; then the blood is warmed to body temperature and pumped back into the body. Dr. Dupont explains the importance of ECMO and what patients are recommended for the procedure.
Read more about ECMO at Northside.
Learn more about Northside Hospital Heart Institute.
