Extracorporeal Circulations refers to the use of a mechanical device to temporarily take over the function of a patient's heart and lungs during surgery. The spelling of this technical term can be broken down using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as: /ɪkstrəkɔːˈpɔːrɪəl sɜːrkjʊˈleɪʃənz/. The initial syllable /ɪkstrə/ is pronounced with a short "i" sound followed by "kstr" and the emphasized syllable is the third, pronounced /sɜːrkjʊˈleɪʃənz/.
Extracorporeal circulation refers to a medical procedure that involves temporarily diverting a person's blood circulation outside of their body. This is achieved by using a machine that acts as an artificial substitute for the natural functions of the heart and lungs. It is commonly used during cardiac surgery and situations where the heart's function needs to be temporarily stopped, allowing surgeons to operate on the heart itself.
During extracorporeal circulation, blood is rerouted through a device called a cardiopulmonary bypass machine. This machine takes over the role of the heart's pumping action by oxygenating and circulating blood throughout the body. The process involves removing blood from the body, passing it through the machine where it is oxygenated and purified, and then returning it back into the patient's body.
The goals of extracorporeal circulation are to maintain blood flow, oxygenate the blood, remove waste products, and cool or warm the blood as needed during surgery. This technique allows the surgeon a blood-free and motionless environment to work on the heart, enhancing the safety and success of the procedure.
Although extracorporeal circulation is essential for certain cardiac surgeries, it carries some risks such as bleeding, blood clot formation, and potential damage to blood cells. However, advancements in technology and medical practices have significantly decreased the risks associated with this procedure. Overall, extracorporeal circulation plays a crucial role in modern medicine by supporting the heart and lungs during complex surgical interventions.
The word "extracorporeal" is derived from two Latin roots: "extra", which means "outside" or "beyond", and "corpus", which means "body". The term "circulation" comes from the Latin word "circulatio", meaning "a circular motion" or "to move in a circle".
When combined, "extracorporeal circulation" refers to a medical procedure where blood is rerouted outside the body to be oxygenated and filtered, typically using a heart-lung machine. This method temporarily replaces the normal functions of the heart and lungs during surgery or heart-lung therapy.