However, there are cases in which the body never regains the ability to function without life support. To make an informed decision about life support, one must consider the benefits as well as the burdens of the treatment being offered. A treatment may be considered beneficial if it relieves suffering or restores body functioning, whereas the same treatment might be considered burdensome if it causes pain or prolongs the dying process. In your advance directive, you can state that you want certain life support measures used for a specific length of time, with their continuance based on improvement in your condition. When making decisions about certain treatments, make sure you understand why the treatment is being offered and what benefits might result from it.
Mechanical ventilation is used to support or replace the function of the lungs.
A machine called a ventilator or respirator forces air into the lungs through a tube inserted in the nose or mouth and down into the windpipe. Mechanical ventilation can be used to assist patients with short-term problems as well as those with irreversible respiratory failure. Some patients on long-term mechanical ventilation are able to enjoy a quality of life important to them. For others, however, mechanical ventilation simply supplies oxygen, while doing little to improve the patient's underlying condition. When deciding upon treatment instructions, specify whether you would want mechanical ventilation if you would never regain the ability to breathe on your own.