Experimental Approach to Visual Intracardiac Surgery, Using an Extracorporeal Circulation

Abstract

The possibility of temporary by-pass of the heart to facilitate visual intracardiac surgery has stimulated world-wide interest and investigation during the past twenty years. To achieve this objective it is necessary to continue the functions of the lungs as well as the heart by mechanical means-removing blood as it returns to the right atrium and returning it to the aorta after passage through an oxygenator. Pioneers in this work (Bjork, Gibbon, Jongbloed, Dennis, Melrose, Dodrill, Dogliotti, and Mustard) devised ingenious but complicated machines, designed to imitate basal cardio- pulmonary function. Despite the use of heparin and