DOHA: Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)’s Cardiothoracic Surgery Department organised and hosted its first Perfusion Day recently.
The event was aimed at educating clinical staff on the specialised role of perfusionists in all open heart surgeries, as well as helping to educate cardiac patients and their caregivers.
Perfusion is concerned with the maintenance of blood circulation to tissues during cardiopulmonary bypass.
The event led by the Heart Hospital’s Chairman of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Dr Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi and attended by cardiology physicians and surgeons, anesthesiologists, intensive care physicians, nursing staff and technicians.
Samira Al Maraghi, Chief Clinical Perfusionist and the event’s coordinator, said, “The event aimed to educate HMC clinical staff on the importance of using a perfusionist in open heart surgeries and discussing the latest advances in the field of perfusion science in cardiac and other surgeries.”
The event hosted Tony Fisher, Head of MSC perfusion course at University of Surrey, UK, who delivered a lecture on “The role of hemodilution and how to reduce it,” in order to prevent its potential negative impact during open heart surgeries. He also highlighted the latest techniques used in open heart surgery.
Khalid El Shoura, an application expert from equipment manufacturers Maquet spoke about the inter-aortic balloon pump. In his presentation, he highlighted the theoretical and practical aspects of the aortic pump normally used to support a heart with a weak muscle during heart surgery and catheter diagnosis. Christian Shelella, from SciTech Arabia, delivered two lectures, one on Cell Saver and Plasma Sequestration and the other on Innovation & New Developments in Cardiopulmonary Bypass (CPB).
Shelella observed that myocardial perfusion differs with the physical effort exerted by a person, as the blood flow to the heart’s muscle may be insufficient during physical exertion, whereas it may be normal during rest and relaxation.
The Peninsula
