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Definition of Cardiopulmonary bypass
Medically reviewed by Min Clinic Staff | Updated: January 2026
Cardiopulmonary bypass: Bypass of the heart and lungs (for example, during open-heart surgery). Blood returning to the heart is diverted through a heart-lung machine (a pump-oxygenator) before it is returned to the arterial circulation. The machine does the work of both the heart and the lungs, by pumping blood as well as supplying oxygen to red blood cells.