HISTORICAL ASPECTS OF CARDIOPULMONARY BYPASS - FROM ANTIQUITY TO ACCEPTANCE

Cardiopulmonary bypass has evolved from an extremely risky procedure i nto a safe systematic process, and is practiced daily in thousands of centers throughout the world. Numerous individuals, from diverse speci alities, have contributed to the knowledge of the processes of extraco rporeal flow. The developmental sequence of advances in cardiopulmonar y bypass has been divided into three nonexclusive periods based on the major changes observed during the time: (1) a conceptual and developm ental period, consisting of events that occurred before 1950; (2) an a pplied technological period, 1950 to 1970; and (3) a refinement period , 1970 to present. Within each time frame, the major findings regardin g biological and technical challenges, extracorporeal device developme nt, and applied clinical practice will be explored. Technological adva nces in cardiopulmonary bypass have permitted surgeons to treat patien ts with both congenital and acquired heart disease, and anesthesiologi sts to identify appropriate mixtures of treatment regimens, whereby th e risks associated with managing this challenging patient population c ould be minimized. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company.