Science

Some surgical procedures cannot be performed while the heart is beating, in such cases heart's functions have to be taken over by external machinery. Here comes the role of a Percussionist to operate the heart lung machine. A heart-lung machine is used to keep the patients blood flowing until the heart can be restarted. During open heart surgery, patients heart is stopped and blood is diverted away from the heart and lungs into the heart-lung machine which oxygenates the blood and returns it to the patient. The heart-lung machine ensures that the breathing and circulation of the patient is adequately maintained during the process of surgery, and performs the functions of the heart by circulating oxygenated blood throughout the patient's body. In India, Cardiovascular perfusion is done by people with varying qualification and experience. Earlier the percussionists job was done by assistant surgeons, then later by theatre assistants but with the advancement of Oxygenators in the heart lung machine, trained hands became a necessity for the continuous monitoring and maintenance of desired Oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. It is only since the last two decades that there has been specialised training in the field as well as a demand for trained or qualified percussionists. Perfusion technology is an essential part of this process, and percussionists are hired to monitor the processes.