Advantages to Miniaturized Cardiopulmonary Bypass for Adult Cardiac Surgery

The development of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and open heart surgery in the 1950s has benefited millions of people around the world over the last half century. However, it has been recognized since the beginning that there are detrimental effects to CPB. In an effort to minimize the effects of CPB, a miniaturized CPB (M-CPB) closed circuit system also known as closed circuit extracorporeal circulation (CCECC) has been developed as a strategy. In this review, we will look at the rationale behind the development of the miniaturized cardiopulmonary bypass circuits, the published results in comparison to both conventional CPB (C-CPB), and off pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (OPCAB), and the surgical and perfusion strategies to incorporate this technique into everyday adult cardiac surgical practice.