Do You Know What Cardiopulmonary Bypass Is
To fix most cardiac defects, the heart surgeon requires a bloodless, motionless field in which to work. To achieve this, the motion of the heart and lungs must be stopped.
For this to happen, there needs to be a means for blood to circulate through the body, delivering the necessary nutrients and oxygen to maintain life, while the heart and lungs are stopped. This is made possible through a process known as cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).