The job of an organ perfusionist is extremely important in the world of organ transplants. Organ perfusionists have to be capable of combining sterile tubing, the organ(s), and the right cocktail of solutions to build an ECC to meet the needs of the transplant surgeon and physicians.
The perfusionist employs his/her education and knowledge of anatomy, physiology, chemistry, physics, and electronics to support the organ’s life functions during various surgical and life-support procedures. As far as organ transplant perfusionist jobs there is a huge opportunity available to enter into this field of organ transplant. According to a 2017 annual report from abcp.org, less than 400 people took the perfusion certification exam. To put things into perspective, there are 245 million adults in the U.S., and around 90,000 of them take the MCAT every year. So to us at least, 400 entries to take the exam seems there aren’t enough people to fill those positions.
Here is a video Penn Medicine did while they were trying to fill vacant perfusionist positions
(SCS) or static cold storage has remained largely unchanged but is still vital between donor and recipient. Unfortunately, SCS remains to have well-understood limitations. SCS reduces but does not prevent, ischemic injury, which in turn increases the risk of graft non-function, ischemia-reperfusion injury, primary graft dysfunction, and other post-transplant complications in the recipient. In addition, only a limited assessment of the organ is possible during cold storage, making it difficult to accurately predict how well an organ may function post-transplant.
Luckily, the rapidly advancing technology of “ex vivo” normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) shows serious potential for improved preservation, better assessment and even reconditioning of organs before transplant. Companies like Transmedics are leading the forefront of the technology, and have cemented themselves as one of America’s most respected perfusion device manufacturers for organ transplant. As far as experienced transplant coordinators go, Transmedics is looking to fill many open positions within their company.
This position is similar to that of an organ preservationist but obviously centers around using a specific device or devices to preserve the organ for viability. Perfusion is a profession with increasing demand. There are approximately 4,000 cardiovascular perfusionists in the nation according to Keystone Perfusion Services: “The demand for cardiovascular perfusionists is expected to increase, as more people seek medical treatment with the passage of the Affordable Care Act”. Often times the job requires 24-hour shifts a few times a month and be on call with awkward inconsistent schedules.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
Usually, this person would have to have at least 3 years as a transplant coordinator, recovery coordinator, or preservationist. Ideally, an RN would be most desirable, but a BSN may also be acceptable with transplant experience. There are also training programs that can be done in as little as 2 years to become a certified perfusionist.
SALARY EXPECTATIONS
The pay for a career as a transplant perfusionist varies from $80,000 – $110,000+ per year depending on experience and location.