Extracorporeal circulation technique

EXTRACORPOREAL CIRCULATION

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This refers to pumping of blood in a circuit outside the body. This is commonly used as a part of a cardiopulmonary bypass circuit for cardiac surgery. Basically blue (deoxygenated blood )blood is oxygenated (Hemoglobin of the blood is oxygenated) and thus made red and pumped back into a major artery (usually the aorta)enabling the function of the heart and lungs to be temporarily overtaken for a varying period of time. Basically the circuit involves tubings, a pump and an oxygenator (adevie that adds oxygen to the hemoglobin in blood). The basic problems in designing this circuit historically involved keeping blood fluid outside the body ,reliable oxygenation and pumping without damaging blood and handling the voilent "burn like" inflammatory response that is evoked when blood comes in contact with foreign surfaces.

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