This “ghost” profession without which open heart operations would not be possible. When the heart stops, an extracorporeal circulation system takes over, under the supervision of specialized professionals: perfusionists.
This morning, they are preparing to perform a triple bypass on a 56-year-old man. The patient's rib cage is open. The rest of the body, coated with betadine, disappears under the blue sheet of the operating field. " We are going to leave... "