The benefits of mechanical improvements in cardiopulmonary bypass Thesis Proposal

The benefits of mechanical improvements in cardiopulmonary bypass - Thesis Proposal Example This allows the cardiac operation to take be performed in a less chaotic and stationary environment thus reducing chances of error. During the procedure, the blood is gravity drained to a reservoir, it is then oxygenated and returned to the arterial system via a pump. One of the main concerns for physicians is the damage that is sustained by the blood and blood cells during friction as it is being propelled from the pump. The commonly used rolled pumps utilize a basic mechanism with tubing lined along a raceway with rollers massaging the tubing to propel the blood forward. This style of pump requires the clinician to keep the occlusion balanced at a level that ensures adequate forward blood flow with minimal damage the fragile blood cells inside the tubing. Roller pumps have been found to cause shear stress in blood that can lead to haemolysis, realease of vasoactive substances and spallation which is a breakdown in the tubing wall. Hemolysis and the corresponding increase in plasma free hemoglobin are severely detrimental to the patient outcome and prolong the patients’ recovery following cardiac surgery utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass. However, there has been some decrease in the occurrence of these risks by the utilization of centrifugal pumps that were specifically developed to eliminate intermittent tubing occlusion. Research has been done to provide evidence that the damage to red blood cells, platelets, and plasma proteins is minimized with the use of centrifugal pumps as compared to the common roller pumps.