Question

Which one of the following is important during open heart surgery?

• A. Blood bag
• B. Oxygenator
• C. Both (A) and (B)
• D. None of the above

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

Both (A) and (B)

Traditional heart surgery, called open-heart surgery, is done by opening the chest wall to operate on the heart. The surgeon cuts through the patient's breastbone to open the chest. Once the heart is exposed, the patient is connected to a heart-lung bypass machine. One component of the heart-lung machine is the oxygenator. The oxygenator component serves as the lung, and is designed to expose the blood to oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. It is disposable and contains about 24 m of a membrane permeable to gas but impermeable to blood, in the form of hollow fibres. Blood flows on the outside of the hollow fibres, while oxygen flows in the opposite direction on the inside of the fibres. As the blood passes through the oxygenator, the blood comes into intimate contact with the fine surfaces of the device itself. Gas containing oxygen and medical air is delivered to the interface between the blood and the device, permitting the blood cells to absorb oxygen molecules directly. Blood bag may be needed during blood transfusion after surgery.