Perfusion

About Perfusion

Perfusion is the use of artificial pumps to replace the function of the heart and maintain patients’ blood circulation during cardiac surgery.

The skills of perfusionists are also required when a patient suffers from the failure of other organs. Continuously removing and returning the blood through plastic tubing provides a substitute for the failing organs. The list of artificial organs presently available includes hearts (blood pump), artificial lungs (oxygenator), artificial kidneys (hemodialysis), and artificial livers.

Perfusionists combine sterile tubing and artificial organs to help treat patients with specific operable diseases.

ECC's are currently employed to help patients suffering from coronary artery disease, heart attacks, heart failure, heart valve disease, respiratory failure (smoker's lung), kidney failure and surgery to transplant hearts, lungs and kidneys. ECC's are also used to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs to cancer patients' organs and/or limbs.

Perfusion at Nescot College

Nescot College is one of only two centres for Perfusion studies in Europe and the only such centre in Britain.

The department began when Perfusionist Tony Fisher realised that the generic Clinical Physiology courses on offer to perfusionists were hopelessly outdated and created the first Msc in Perfusion for these vital clinical professionals. As the demand and uses of the technology continue to grow, the Nescot Perfusion Department, headed by Tony Fisher, remains at the cutting edge of this highly specialised training.

As the only perfusion department in the country, the team enjoy unparalleled relationships with the top surgical centres in Britain, working closely with specialists in all disciplines including Great Ormond Street Childrens’ Hospital, and St George’s Hospital Cardiac Department.

You will have access to experts in all fields and enjoy trips to specialised labs and departments. The course also offers trips to Germany to factories specialising in creating the very latest technology in perfusion.

The units on the Msc are constantly updated to reflect the demands of the sector and of our students and successful completion of the course will qualify you as a perfusionist, with at least a Grade 7 on the NHS pay scales.

Previous students are working all over the globe in hospitals and theatres at the highest levels of medical innovation.