Shunting of blood outside the body to a device that performs a body function; blood is then returned to the patient’s circulatory system; examples include the use of a heart-lung machine or kidney dialysis.
Circulation of blood outside the body. This may be through an artificial kidney or a heart-lung device.
Extracorporeal circulation refers to the process where blood circulates outside the body via a machine that temporarily takes over the functions of an organ. Instances of this include using a heart-lung machine during open-heart surgery to maintain blood flow throughout the body and facilitate the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen, as well as in extracorporeal dialysis.