1. Veno-venous (V-V) ECMO used for patients with respiratory (lung) failure. Blood is taken from the veins near the heart and oxygenated blood returned to the first chamber of the heart (right atrium). Because blood leaves and returns at the same rate, it does not affect the overall circulation of blood.
2. Veno-arterial (V-A) ECMO used for patients with heart failure where the heart is still beating. Blood is taken from where it enters the first chamber of the heart (right atrium) and is returned into the arteries of the body that distribute blood to where it is needed.
3. Extra-corporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (E-CPR) is a similar mode to V-A ECMO (see above) but is used for patients where the heart has stopped an cannot be restarted by standard means. It is applied in a coordinated and rapid fashion by trained teams in a variety of settings in and out of hospitals.

Each type of ECMO support described here is associated with different expected time on ECMO and treatment pathways. Patients who have V-V ECMO are typically treated for longer. V-A ECMO and E-CPR patients require shorter ECMO time but have also have lower survival rates on average.

While ECMO can be started in a variety of locations, all maintenance ECMO care is delivered in the Intensive Care Units (ICU) and is delivered by ICU staff.

ECMO support can also be combined with other forms of organ support such as dialysis (for kidney failure) and artificial feeding. There is usually a lot of equipment around ECMO patients that is all managed by the ICU doctors and nurses. ECMO patients usually need transport to operating rooms or radiology while on ECMO. This is very safe and normal.