Thousands of heart surgeries are performed every day in the United States. Although there is a shortage of donor organs, more than 3,400 people receive a heart transplant each year. Two major advances in medicine have made heart surgery possible.

A heart-lung machine that does the work of the heart.
Cooling techniques allow more time for surgery without damaging the brain. 

What is a cardiopulmonary system?
Cardiopulmonary bypass machines are also known as heart-lung bypass machines. It replaces the heart's pumping action and adds oxygen to the blood in the heart to do so. That is, when the heart needs to be opened (open heart surgery), the heart is immobilized for the necessary surgery. When connected to a cardiopulmonary machine, the heart and lungs do the work. The cardiopulmonary system transports blood from the right atrium (right atrium) of the heart to a special reservoir called an oxygenator.

 In the oxygenator, oxygen bubbles through the blood and enters the red blood cells. This changes the blood from dark (rich in oxygen) to bright red (rich in oxygen). The filter then removes air bubbles from the oxygenated blood, and the blood enters the body's main blood vessel (the aorta) through a plastic tube. Blood flows throughout the body from the aorta. Cardiopulmonary machines can take over the activity of the heart and lungs for hours. Trained technicians called infusion technicians (blood flow specialists, also called 'pump teams') operate the heart-lung machine.

 How to cool down?
Cooling techniques allow surgeons to stop the heart for long periods without damaging heart tissue. Cold temperatures reduce the oxygen demand of the heart, preventing damage to heart tissue.

The heart can be cooled in two ways.

Blood cools as it passes through the cardiopulmonary system. This cooled blood in turn reaches all parts of the body, lowering the body temperature.
Cold brine (salt) is poured into the heart. After cooling, the heart slows down and stops. By injecting a special potassium solution into the heart, this process can be accelerated and the heart can be stopped completely. The heart is then protected from tissue damage for 2-4 hours.

Who is in the operating room during the operation?

 A highly trained team works as a team during heart surgery.

Cardiovascular surgeons lead the surgical team and perform the major parts of the operation. The assistant surgeon follows the instructions of the cardiovascular surgeon.
Cardiovascular anesthesiologists provide drugs to put the patient to sleep during surgery (called anesthesia) and monitor the ventilator to keep the patient breathing during surgery. An infusion technician operates a cardiopulmonary machine.
Cardiovascular nurses are specially trained to assist with heart surgery.