ECMO, which stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, is an advanced technology that functions as a replacement for a critically ill child's heart and lungs. It’s used to support a child who is awaiting surgery, or to give a child's vital organs time to recover from heart surgery or disease. At Boston Children’s, a multi-disciplinary team of cardiac intensive care unit physicians, nurses, and specially trained respiratory therapists provide customized ECMO care for each child they treat.