1. Introductory

Thus have I heard. Cardiopulmonary bypass is considered to be the most non-physiological condition in the health sectors.

It may be regarded as spurious, but there is purported evidence of the human body’s tolerance to cardiopulmonary bypass. This evidence is fetal circulation. A bypass which lasts for a period of nine months, which is 6,480 hours or 388,800 minutes.

Every born man has tolerated cardiopulmonary bypass once in his life. The problem lies in the method and technique that we use to mimic nature.

First, instead of an umbilical cord, we have a piece of rigid polyvinylchloride tubing. Second, we do not have a proper feedback mechanism for providing adequate oxygen delivery.

Oxygen delivery is the most important thing in any type of blood circulation. Everyone who embarked on a righteous path of perfusion knows that the first thing he or she should do is deliver oxygen to the human tissues. “Lie, die, but deliver oxygen to the patient!” In the Soviet Union it was even recommended to have an air pump similar to what you might use for a bicycle on hand to use in the case of gas supply failure.

How could we provide oxygen delivery on bypass without developing systemic inflammatory response?

Got no idea!

More than 50 years ago Clarence Walton Lillehei tried to use what he labeled cross-circulation that entailed using a child’s parent as a pump-oxygenator, resembling fetal circulation to some degree. Due to the possible 200 percent mortality rate this idea was dismissed. Currently under development in the Middle East are artificial human gills, but assuming that water contains 40 times less oxygen than air, it may not be the right solution.

Truth lies ahead from where you are searching it.