As a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist, I have been trained extensively in cases which require cardiopulmonary bypass (“the heart-lung machine”). CPB is similar to VA-ECMO in many ways, but for the purposes of surgery, it allows the surgeons to have a motionless and bloodless field when combined with cardioplegic arrest.

Listen to this week’s episode to learn about CPB and some basic considerations when I wean patients off of this modality.

Drop me comments with questions!