CARDIOPULMONARY BYPASS - A HISTORICAL-PERSPECTIVE

Cardiopulmonary bypass in the clinical setting is barely 40 years old. Yet worldwide, it is used in the operating room in more than 500,000 cases a year. This broad acceptance is a tribute to the vision of gift ed investigators who could see beyond the mere technical problems of p erfused isolated organs. They integrated mechanical concepts, knowledg e of materials, and sheer inventiveness with an appreciation of physio logical issues to address the clinical needs of open-heart surgery.