When the heart or lungs fail to provide adequate oxygen and blood flow despite the best available treatments, doctors may need a temporary form of advanced life support known as Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO). ECMO acts as an artificial heart and/or lung, taking over their function and allowing these vital organs time to rest and recover.

Over the past decade, ECMO has emerged as a powerful tool in the management of critically ill patients with severe cardiac or respiratory failure. Once reserved for a few specialised centres, ECMO is now increasingly used worldwide as a bridge to recovery, definitive treatment, transplantation, or long-term mechanical support.