On Being a Perfusionist: The Perfect Recovery from an Adverse Situation

ON BEING A PERFUSIONIST

I think we are reminded of our human fallibility (the potential to err is in all of us) every day we pump a case. With so many steps and moving parts in the equation, the goal is to choreograph out a perfect “10” every single time.

Of course that doesn’t always happen, as unforeseen circumstances may come up, equipment may fail, and the totally unexpected “never thought that was going to happen” moment rears it’s head.

So the “10” ends up being- not the perfect pump run, as much as it represents, the perfect recovery from an adverse situation.

That’s truly when we are “perfusionists”. The ability to adapt to rapid change, think through a previously unencountered problem, and still keep your heart in your chest- is what makes us all so special. Anybody that’s been in the field for a period of time has been in the zone. That’s a cool place to be. But ALL of us, have hovered outside of it as well.

Eventually it boils down to consistency and “showing up” every day. You have to love this profession or you might as well leave it. I am proud of the field, and very proud of the friends and colleagues I have met doing the same job.