Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a critical life support technique for patients with severe cardiopulmonary failure. Establishing a stable ECMO animal model is essential to further investigate the effects of ECMO on the body and provide assistance for optimizing ECMO management strategies and preventing complications in clinical practice. In recent years, rats have been widely used to establish ECMO models due to their low cost and good reproducibility. Therefore, this article provided a comprehensive review of literature on the ECMO rat model, including equipment and experimental management strategies. It offers a theoretical foundation for the development of a stable and mature ECMO rat model in the future.
