Extracorporeal procedure

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An extracorporeal procedure is a medical treatment done outside the body. Extracorporeal devices act as artificial organs and stay outside the body while treating the patient. They are useful in hemodialysis and some heart surgeries. In these procedures, blood is taken from the patient, treated outside the body, and then returned to the bloodstream. All the parts carrying blood outside the body are called the extracorporeal circuit.

Some examples:
- Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL): the machine stays outside the body, while the kidney stone is broken up inside.
- Extracorporeal radiotherapy: a large bone with a tumor is removed and given a dose far exceeding what would be safe to give to a patient.
- Extracorporeal pulsatile circulatory control (EPCC): a research concept where brain function in animal models is kept intact outside the body for several hours.