Cardiac Perfusion Technology(CPT)

Cardiac Perfusion technology is an Undergraduate program in which the technologist is a healthcare professional who operates the cardiopulmonary bypass machine (heart-lung machine) during cardiac surgery and other surgeries that require cardiopulmonary bypass to manage the patient’s physiological status during the surgery.
The Perfusionists are also experts of other life support equipment such as ventricular assist devices and intra-aortic balloon pumps. The primary aim of the B.Sc Cardiac Perfusion Technology course is to academically and clinically prepare the cardiovascular perfusion student for professional practice. The curriculum focuses on developing a strong knowledge base in cardiothoracic anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology, as well as pharmacology, fetal and neonatal cardiac development and perfusion science.
Those who aspire to become a Perfusionist are required to complete a perfusion program, which takes a minimum of four years. Many students choose to pursue a perfusion certificate program, which requires them first to complete a four-year bachelor’s degree and then they can pursue the certificate program.
The eligibility or the entry requirements and degree training for Perfusionists are varied, Health care practitioners like medical assistants, nurses or paramedics with a bachelor’s degree can enroll in either a certificate or master’s degree program in perfusion science or they can directly opt for the BSc in CPT.
Candidates must have completed their 10+2 in science, preferably with Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Zoology or Botany as their main subjects and then pursue a Bachelor’s degree in perfusion (CPT) and then do MSc in Perfusion if they want to go for higher studies.
Some of the institutes that offer the CPT course in India are listed here:

• Manipal University, Manipal
• AmritaVishwa Vidyapeetham
• Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research
• Sharda University, Greater Noida.
• Yenepoya University
• NITTE University
• Father Muller College Allied Health Sciences

These are some of the top Recruiting Areas :

• Education and Public Relations
• Health Care Field
• Govt./Pvt. Hospitals
• Pvt. Clinics, Research & Development Centre’s
• Social Welfare Organizations

Such graduates are hired in capacities such as:

• Cardiac Perfusionist, Pediatric Cardiologist.
• Medical Case Review Physician, Teacher & Lecturer, Perfusionist.
• Cardiology Technologist, Cardiology Surgeon.
• ECG (electro-cardio graphic) Technologist, Interventional Cardiologist.
• Cardiovascular Technologist, Assistant Cardiology Supervisor.
• Cardiac Catheterization Technologist, Electrocardiography Technician, Nuclear Cardiologist, etc.

However CPT is a BSC course but still, the Perfusionist holds a strong position in the medical field and has a very important role to play during the surgery. They earn an average salary of 3 Lakhs per annum to 20 Lakhs per annum. So those who belong to medical background can pursue their studies in CPT course and no doubt they’ll have a bright future in the same field.