Clinical perfusionists are core members of cardiac surgical teams. They operate highly innovative and sophisticated technologies, including artificial hearts, lungs, and kidneys, to circulate blood outside of the body. This procedure is known as a cardiopulmonary bypass and is typically performed during open-heart surgery.

What Does a Clinical Perfusionist Do?

Working in conjunction with cardiac surgeons, perfusionists:

• Manage oxygen levels, body temperatures, electrolyte levels, and blood flow to meet each patient’s metabolic needs.
• Administer medications, blood products and fluids.
• Monitor the coagulation status of a patient’s blood to prevent clotting.
• Process the patient’s blood to minimize the amount of blood lost during surgery.

The work of a clinical perfusionist is a matter of life or death. People who succeed in this field thrive on excitement and stressful situations. If you enjoy cardio-pulmonary physiology and sophisticated technology, clinical perfusion may be the career for you.

The clinical perfusionist’s expert knowledge of blood pumps, used as artificial hearts, and oxygenators, used as artificial lungs, is applied to temporarily replace the patient’s own heart and lungs during delicate cardiac surgery.

Perfusionists are on call for emergency procedures with the cardiac surgical team on a rotating basis and are frequently involved with departmental administration, teaching, and research.

Individuals who choose this profession must be self-motivated and must thrive on the excitement and stress involved with cutting-edge medical technology.