Is the field of Cardiac Perfusion dying?

[powerade]

Hey guys, I just read this tread talking about the future of cardiac perfusion. Here's the original post, what do you guys think?


"I have seen hundreds of heart surgeries, and when I talk with our perfusionists they assure me that there will be work-and although scared sometimes (because of the lack of caseloads) there is always work-and they always get busy again. They try and assure me that even with all the advances, it's a secure profession and they don't see it going anywhere....

With that said, everyone else who I speak with (nurses, PA's, physician's, ect..ect...) they all think that its a "dying field" and that it will be dissolved someday...."

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[filter07]

There is an article in the recent NEJM that said CPB is safer than off-pump bypass in a RCT.

 

[Pilot Doc]

Hey guys, I just read this tread talking about the future of cardiac perfusion. Here's the original post, what do you guys think?

The issue is not will perfusionists be needed - they always will be. The question is how many will they need and how many will the schoold turn out. I don't know if anyone answer that question, but if such a person exists, they don't hang around here.

 

[ESU_MD]

i dont want to spawn a "relevance of CABG" discussion-

but many people dont realize perfusionists do more than just run CABG pump cases-

they have to run the ecmo machine, they do chemo limb infusion cases ( melanoma for instance) and they also run some lvad's. ecmo and lvads require them to be bedside 24/7, at least at first. so i dont think their field is going anywhere.

oh, i forgot they also run the cellsaver machines too in alot of places. that alone is job security

 

[JackADeli]

Hey guys, I just read this tread talking about the future of cardiac perfusion. Here's the original post, what do you guys think?


"I have seen hundreds of heart surgeries, and when I talk with our perfusionists they assure me that there will be work-and although scared sometimes (because of the lack of caseloads) there is always work-and they always get busy again. They try and assure me that even with all the advances, it's a secure profession and they don't see it going anywhere....

With that said, everyone else who I speak with (nurses, PA's, physician's, ect..ect...) they all think that its a "dying field" and that it will be dissolved someday...."

For starters, IMHO, this is the incorrect forum. This is the Physician/resident MD/DO forum. You are asking about a ancillary support/allied health/other medical non-physician career.... and you are listed as a "pre-dental". Your question should really be geared into a forum more for the other disciplines. Maybe your question is better suited to the "interdisciplinary forums".

In GSurge, we already argue about if cardiac surgery has a future. There is no agreement. How can we discuss if the support staff have a future??? I honestly don't even know the exact path to being a perfusionist.... is it a bachelors program? or masters? or technical school? You might as well be asking if cardiac scrub nurses have a future or cardiac PAs or cardiac nurse first assists... I suspect the perfusionist have some sort of society and probably even have a website....

Whatever the case maybe, I have read a projected marked shortage of cardiothoracic surgeons to arise in the next 5-10 years. I do not anticipate any cardiac programs being run without perfusionists. But, you should probably do a google search and check with the perfusionists.

JAD

PS: If this comes accross as discouraging or abrassive, that is not the intent. The point is to encourage you to ask where you may expect to obtain the best information if you are honestly seeking such. If you want info on nursing future...ask the nurses, if xray techs... ask the techs, etc.....