perfusionist perfusionist a cardiovascular perfusionist, clinical perfusionist or perfusiologist, and occasionally a cardiopulmonary bypass doctor or clinical perfusion scientist, is a healthcare professional who operates the cardiopulmonary bypass machine (heart–lung machine) during cardiac surgery and other surgeries that require cardiopulmonary bypass to manage the patient's physiological status. as a member of the cardiovascular surgical team, the perfusionist also known as the clinical perfusionist helps maintain blood flow to the body's tissues as well as regulate levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, using a heart–lung machine. a perfusionist in front of a heart–lung machine (upper right) early in a coronary artery bypass surgery duties perfusionists form part of the wider cardiovascular surgical team which includes cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists, and residents. their role is to conduct extracorporeal circulation as well as ensure the management of physiologic functions by monitoring the necessary variables. the perfusionist provides consultation to the physician in selecting appropriate equipment and techniques to be used. other responsibilities include administering blood products, administering anesthetic agents or drugs, measuring selected laboratory values (such as blood cell count), monitoring circulation, monitoring blood gases, surveil anticoagulation, induction of hypothermia, and hemodilution. sometimes, perfusionists are granted administrative tasks such as purchasing supplies or equipment, as well as personnel and departmental management. involved procedures perfusionists can be involved in a number of cardiac surgical procedures, select vascular procedures and a few other surgical procedures in an ancillary role. perfusionists may participate in curative or staged palliative procedures to treat the following pediatric pathologies: atrial septal defects, ventricular septal defects, tetralogy/pentalogy of fallot, truncus arteriosus, transposition of the great vessels, cardiac transplants, lung transplants, coarctation of the aorta, interrupted aortic arch, hypoplastic left/right heart, subaortic membrane, mitral valve repair/replacement, aortic valve disorders, anomalous/single coronary artery, vascular ring, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ecmo) adult surgical procedures may include: coronary artery bypass, aortic valve replacements, mitral valve repair/mitral valve replacement tricuspid valve repair aortic root replacements atrial myxomas dissections/aneurysms/trauma of the aorta (ascending, arch & descending) renal cell carcinoma/obstructive vena cava veno-venous bypass (e.g. during liver transplants) cardiac/lung transplants implants of ventricular assist device and ecmo. select ancillary procedures in which perfusion techniques and/or perfusionists may be involved include isolated limb perfusion, intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemoperfusion and tracheal resection/repair. training and certification united states