ekstrakoronaalisista

Extracorporeal refers to a process or device that operates outside of the body. In medicine, extracorporeal treatments involve circulating blood or other bodily fluids through an artificial apparatus before returning them to the patient. This technique is employed for various life-sustaining and therapeutic purposes.

One of the most common applications is extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). ECMO functions similarly to a heart-lung bypass machine, providing external support for patients whose lungs or heart are unable to perform their vital functions. Blood is drawn from the body, oxygenated and carbon dioxide is removed by the ECMO machine, and then pumped back into the body. This can be a temporary measure to allow the patient's organs to recover.

Another significant extracorporeal procedure is hemodialysis, often referred to as "dialysis." In hemodialysis, blood is passed through a dialyzer, an artificial kidney, which filters waste products and excess fluid from the blood. This is crucial for individuals with kidney failure who cannot adequately perform these functions naturally.

Other extracorporeal techniques include apheresis, which is used to remove specific components from the blood, such as LDL cholesterol or antibodies, and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), which uses shock waves to break up kidney stones or gallstones without surgery. The underlying principle of all extracorporeal methods is the temporary removal of bodily fluids for external treatment before reinfusion.