Abstract
Prolonged extracorporeal lung assist, ECLA, with an artificial lung, requires special expertise. A membrane lung suitable for open heart surgery is not necessarily appropriate for prolonged ECLA. The present status of ECLA and other extracorporeal life support systems with an artificial lung in Japan and abroad is reviewed. For prolonged ECLA, a lung made of non-porous dense membrane hollow-fibers with an external perfusion system is preferable. The lung must be durable for a long period of time with better affinity to the blood, and should not have stagnation in the circuit. An intravenous lung also deserves study for the future. A unique idea to facilitate the intravenous insertion of this lung is introduced.
