New life-saving heart and lung bypass machines a ‘game-changer’ for patients

The final four of a new, state-of-the-art fleet of eight heart and lung bypass machines have been commissioned at Auckland City Hospital.

These machines are a ‘game-changer’, ensuring the provision of the highest standard of care for patients undergoing highly complex procedures, and ensuring procedures are not cancelled due to aging equipment faults and maintenance.

The paediatric and adult machines deliver individualised goal-directed therapy using comprehensive monitoring, optimising the delivery of oxygen during cardiopulmonary bypass procedures. They allow our perfusionists to tailor care to the specific clinical needs of patients and deliver clinical outcomes of the highest standard.

Last year, the Government approved the phased replacement of the total fleet of machines with all eight now fully operational following a total $3.2M investment in cardiac care.

These life-saving machines have also been gifted Te Reo Māori names by Mana Whenua, says Jackson Cutting, GM, Cardiovascular Directorate.

“By naming each machine after these manu rangatira (noble birds), we embed tikanga, whakapapa, wairua and mauri into the healing environment. These names carry mana, reminding clinicians, patients, and whānau that the work of sustaining life is not just clinical, but spiritual, cultural, and deeply human,” adds Willy Bhana, Cardiovascular Directorate Māori Health lead and Director Partner.

The gifted names:

Kāhu – The Guardian:  Represents vigilance and protective care, resonating with the machine’s role as a life-sustaining sentinel.

Huia – The Lost Treasure:  A name of immense cultural significance; evokes reverence, memory, and sacredness – ideal for a machine honouring the sanctity of life.

Toroa – The Long Navigator:  Symbolises endurance and grace across long journeys, mirroring the critical role these machines play during complex surgeries and recoveries.

Kuaka – The Migrant Messenger:  Known for resilience and transition; ideal for machines that support people through intense physiological journeys.

Tītī – The Provider: Embodies the rhythm and sustenance the machines offer – critical for recovery and long-term support.

Tāiko – The Silent Warrior:  Highlights rarity, strength, and ancestral presence; honours the deep and quiet work these machines do in restoring life.

Alongside the bypass machine, and with a further investment from Government, next generation Blood Parameter Monitors, essential for closely monitoring patients during surgery, are now fully supporting our team to provide the highest standards of clinical care.

The Clinical Perfusion service, as part of the Cardiothoracic Surgical Team, provides vital support during cardiac surgery, heart and lung transplants and other complex surgeries for patients from the wider Northern Region and across the motu.

Clinical Perfusion is a highly specialised workforce in global demand and our team from all over the world play a key part each year in over 1000 cardiac cases and 50 heart or lung transplants for patients from across the motu.