Head of Perfusion Department Prof. Ali Kocailik emphasized that perfusion is the essential life-sustaining practice used during open-heart surgery. He highlighted that with ECMO and ECLS technologies, the scope of perfusion has expanded beyond the operating room into intensive care units and emergency departments.
Drawing attention to the world-class simulation laboratory and strong educational infrastructure at the Üsküdar University Perfusion Department, Prof. Kocailik stated: “Thanks to the simulator, our students will graduate as experienced perfusionists at the end of their four-year education.”
Prof. Ali Kocailik from the Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences provided detailed information about perfusion education and the evolving role of perfusionists.
Perfusion: A life-support practice ensuring the continuation of vital functions
Explaining that perfusion essentially means supplying all tissues of the body with necessary nutrients, Prof. Kocailik said: “In open-heart surgery, the heart and lungs must be stopped. For this reason, the patient’s blood is diverted outside the body, oxygenated, and returned to the body from the exit of the heart to maintain circulation and life functions. This practice has been performed in operating rooms since 1953.
Another application, ECMO and ECLS, which emerged about 50 years ago and has become more widely used over the last 20 years, particularly during the H1N1 and Covid pandemics, has brought a new dimension to perfusion. The field now extends into intensive care units, emergency departments, and even pre-hospital settings.”
Perfusion education gains academic structure in Türkiye
Noting that perfusion is a profession requiring critical expertise and extensive experience, Prof. Kocailik stated that, until recently, perfusion training worldwide relied largely on a master-apprentice model.
“In Western countries, academic instruction transitioned to the graduate level. In Türkiye, a law enacted in 2011 mandated that perfusion education be offered at the undergraduate level. Since academic perfusion education is new, there were initially few academic staff and few institutions offering the program. This has contributed to low public awareness of the field. However, without perfusionists, cardiac surgery and ECMO or ECLS cannot be performed. Perfusionists are indispensable members of the team and the hidden heroes of success.”
Üsküdar University leads the way in perfusion education
Emphasizing the department’s pioneering role, Prof. Kocailik said: “With our simulation laboratory, strong academic staff, and regular scientific meetings, we are not simply a training program; we are a holistic perfusion science center. Our mission is to pave the way from knowledge to service and innovation.”
He underlined that Üsküdar University possesses a perfusion simulator built to global standards: “Our students receive theoretical education, observe real practice during internships, and through the simulator can repeatedly experience difficult and emergency situations that may arise during open-heart surgery or ECMO and ECLS procedures. As a result, when they graduate, they will be competent and experienced perfusionists.”
Forty percent of perfusionists in Türkiye are graduates of Üsküdar University
Prof. Kocailik noted that approximately forty percent of actively working perfusionists in Türkiye are graduates of Üsküdar University, a responsibility the institution takes seriously.
“Our graduates work in both public and private hospitals, representing Üsküdar University. We are aware of the need to continually improve our educational quality and update our content with current scientific knowledge. Information is rapidly expanding, and updates must follow just as quickly. Therefore, we maintain warm communication with our graduates and organize monthly scientific meetings to bring together alumni and students and share new knowledge.”
European Accreditation on the horizon
Prof. Kocailik stated that the department’s goal of obtaining accreditation from the European Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion (EBCP) will create new opportunities for students.
He explained that the curriculum has already been updated to EBCP standards and that the goal is to complete accreditation during the 2025 to 2026 academic year. This will allow Turkish students to practice as perfusionists in Europe and increase international student mobility.
New horizons through ECMO collaborations
Prof. Kocailik shared that ECMO courses conducted in collaboration with the Turkish Society for Emergency Medicine over the last two years have received significant attention. A similar collaboration has now been established with the Turkish Society of Intensive Care.
He emphasized that simulation technology plays a critical role in these trainings: “These collaborations will allow ECMO and ECLS therapies to be applied more effectively, save more lives, and create new professional opportunities.”
Addressing young people interested in perfusion, Prof. Kocailik concluded: “Perfusion is a unique world with many areas yet to be explored. Especially in ECMO and ECLS, we are only at the beginning of the journey. It is a fantastic field for young people who are curious and eager to learn and research.”
One of only eleven teams in the world
The Üsküdar University Perfusion Department stands out not only through its education and scientific work but also through its life-saving applications on a global scale.
Under the leadership of Prof. Ali Kocailik, a team consisting of Intensive Care Specialist Dr. Kadir Doğruer and perfusionist Tarık Demir from Üsküdar University is one of only eleven teams in the world participating in intercontinental critical patient transfers. Üsküdar University is the only institution in Türkiye involved in such missions.