What does extracorporeal mean?
Extracorporeal is a formal medical and scientific adjective meaning “outside the body.” It describes processes, treatments, or technologies in which blood, tissue, or another bodily substance is temporarily handled outside the patient. Well-known examples include extracorporeal circulation, in which a machine temporarily supports the heart’s pumping action, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, which oxygenates blood outside the body and returns it to the patient. The word can also describe shock-wave treatment that breaks up stones without requiring an operation. Its use is precise and technical rather than conversational, and it carries associations of advanced medical technology and temporary life support. Outside medical contexts, “extracorporeal” may occasionally describe anything situated beyond the physical body, but such broader use is uncommon. The word is especially useful because it distinguishes technologies that support bodily functions from procedures performed wholly within the body.
adjectiveExisting, occurring, or performed outside the body, especially in medical and scientific contexts.
- Existing, occurring, or performed outside the body.
"The patient was connected to an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation system to support her breathing."
"The device provides extracorporeal support for the patient's heart and lungs."
"The study examined the effects of extracorporeal treatment on blood clotting."
Extracorporeal literally means “outside the body,” and it names technologies that temporarily perform a body’s work from beyond its skin.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does extracorporeal come from?
Extracorporeal was formed in modern English by combining the Latin prefix extra-, meaning “outside” or “beyond,” with corporeal, meaning “bodily” or “of the body.” Corporeal comes from Latin corpus, meaning “body,” the same root found in words such as corporal, corporate, and corpus. The compound developed as specialist medical vocabulary for processes that take place outside the body.
How extracorporeal is actually used
This is a formal term used chiefly in medicine, biology, and technology. It is often used with procedures or support systems that temporarily operate outside a patient’s body.
Easily confused with extracorporeal
Extracorporeal means outside the body, whereas intracorporeal means within or inside the body.