The heart-lung machine is an apparatus which permits the heart to be operated on safely by maintaining the circulation of oxygenated blood throughout the cardiovascular system. This machine is made up of an oxygenator and a pump. The oxygenator repeatedly draws off blood from the veins, reoxygenates it, and pumps it into the arterial system. This permits the surgeon to operate on a bloodless, unbeating heart. This machine permits many types of heart surgery to be performed that were previously impossible or extremely dangerous. Some of the procedures that are dependent upon the heart-lung machine are heart transplants, coronary by-passes, removal and replacement of damaged valves, and repair of other structural defects.
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| Figure 9-54 from Carr displays how a heart-lung machine works. |
