ECMO was developed from the heart lung bypass machines used in theatre for heart surgery in the early 1950. Doctors subsequently developed the technique and materials which were used for 1 - 2 hours during heart surgery, into a circuit that could be used for much longer periods of time. The first reported successful use of prolonged extracorporeal support was by Hill et al in 1972. The patient was the victim of a motorcycle accident, and was managed on veno-arterial ECMO for 3 days. Following this in 1976 Dr Robert Barlett at the Children's Hospital of Orange County, USA reported the first successful use of ECMO in the management of a baby. The patient was an abandoned baby named 'Esperanza' (Hope ) by the nursing staff. Centres in the USA grew following this success and it was introduced into the UK in 1989 by Mr Richard Firmin, a Consultant Cardiac Surgeon at the Groby Road Hospital in Leicestershire.

There was much controversy about the use of this technique as it was seen to be very invasive and expensive. In 1993 the Department of Health funded a study comparing conventional treatment versus ECMO support for babies with severe lung disease to evaluate the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of ECMO treatment in sick babies. This trial was completed in 1996 and showed that for babies with severe lung disease, who had failed conventional treatment that ECMO was appropriate. Since then the technique has been developed for use in older children and adults. Centres in London, Newcastle and Glasgow have been established during this time and provide ECMO support for patients in the UK.

Approximately 100 to 150 children and 50 adults are treated per year in the UK in these centres today.

Currently Leicester is the largest ECMO centre in the world and since 1989 has treated over 800 babies, children and adults with ECMO.