Clinical perfusionists are highly trained professionals who operate heart-lung bypass machines and other machines that help circulate blood and oxygen from outside the body. This could indicate that the perfusionist works in or out of surgeries. Many of the surgeries that necessitate the use of a clinical perfusionist require the heart to be stopped during the procedure so that repairs can be made. Other reasons for perfusion, or the need to circulate and oxygenate blood outside the body, exist, such as the need for ECMO, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, which is a combination of profusion techniques that supports the heart and lungs.
Although each country may have its own certification requirements for clinical perfusionists, most clinical perfusionist programs in the United States require at least a bachelor’s degree. Undergraduate programs must include a significant amount of science coursework. Certain degrees, such as those in registered nursing, were accepted with ease by some programs. Each program is unique, but many have significant prerequisites and may require respiratory therapy training.
Certification is usually required after people have completed the two to four year clinical perfusionist training program. The American Board of Cardiovascular Profusion certifies perfusionists in the United States. To obtain certification, students must pass a number of tests.
There aren’t many programs in the United States that provide this training, and getting into one may be difficult. There’s a good reason why programs are so selective. The operation of heart/lung bypass and ECMO machines necessitates extreme precision and delicacy. Taking the work of circulation out of its natural environment and controlling it with a machine is unusual in medicine, though it is becoming more common. To do this correctly and safely, you’ll need a lot of practice.
A clinical perfusionist must also be capable of working in a variety of situations and with a variety of patient populations. Extremely young patients who may require a heart-lung bypass while undergoing heart surgery are frequently among them. However, these clinicians must also be capable of working with teenagers, as well as younger and older adults, as the need for a clinical perfusionist may arise in any of these groups.
A strong aptitude in assembly is also required of the clinical perfusionist. A different arrangement or various tubing, artificial “organs,” and pumps may be required for each patient who requires extra corporeal (outside of the body) circulation (ECC). As a result, these experts not only operate the machines that perform ECC, but they also build parts of them for each individual patient.
Various perspectives on the potential for job growth in this field exist. Some predict that demand will rise over time in places like the United States. There have been some developments that may indicate that certain clinical perfusionist jobs will be eliminated in the future. Surgical repairs for some heart defects have improved to the point where heart lung bypass is no longer necessary. However, there are still many situations in which ECC is required, and the perfusionist is critical to the healing process.