About NeSECC

Objectives NeSECC Regulations History Committees / Members Registration

Objectives NeSECC NESECC'S MISSION The purpose of the NeSECC (Nederlandse Sociëteit voor Extra Corporale Circulatie) is to engage in activities that wil encourage, promote, and expand the profession of perfusion and the related technologies utilized, in the interest of providing better patient care. The Dutch Society of Extra-Corporeal Technology was founded on Februari 4th 1976 in the belief that members of the then scattered perfusion field could best serve there profession by sharing their thoughts and experience. Steady growth is a keynote of NeSECC. Together with the growing demand for open-heart surgery the ranks of perfusionists expanded. Today, there are more then 120 perfusionists working in the 13 Heart Centres in the Netherlands. Another keynote of NeSECC is its responsability for education and post graduation training courses. Today, NeSECC also stimulates their members to be active as a blood technology specialist in the non open-heart field as well. The Society works together with the government to ensure a high standard of perfusion skills and knowledge. The Society works in a professional way to ensure the exchange of information through the NeSECC Journal, the NeSECC internet-site and regional and national conferences.

Regulations The NeSECC regulations are currently not available on-line. A dutch version of the regulations can be obtained by contacting the NeSECC secretary.

History Cardiac surgery with the use of cardio-pulmonary bypass, is clinically introduced in the Netherlands in 1958. The University Hospital in Groningen and the St. Antonius Hospital, then still seated in Utrecht, are both claiming the first open-heart operation. Shortly thereafter a few other surgical teams in different hospitals also started with cardiac surgery, with the use of cardio-pulmonary bypass. Famous names from this period are Homan van der Heide in Groningen, Boerema in Amsterdam (associated with the first use of a hyperbaric pressure chamber for cardiac surgery and the introduction of hypothermia ), Schaepkens van Riempst in Utrecht and Brom in Leiden. But who was responsible for the cardio-pulmonary bypass? In some hospitals it was a surgeon, sometimes an anaesthesiologist and in other hospitals it was a physiologist. However, after a certain time these specialists where returning to their original profession or looking for other challenges . Who had to take over? Some veterans in perfusion are still remembering those days and the search for an answer to this question. Some responsible surgical chiefs, who saw the amount of cleaning and washing of all the spare parts of the limited disposable circuits and the non disposable oxygenators and the amount of work to prepare the new extra-corporeal circuits, had a quick answer. The work should be done by a nurse, who should follow the orders of the surgeon during the cardio-pulmonary bypass. In other centres one saw the cardio-pulmonary bypass system as a machine, of mostly home made equipment, so they chose a technologist. In a few hospitals, the previously mentioned specialists where continuing the management of the cardio-pulmonary bypass, assisted by technicians or nurses, until the first years of the seventies. Schaepkens van Riempst was one of the surgeons who strongly encouraged to see the extra-corporeal circulation technologist as a person with a new and important peri-medical profession. He also strongly encouraged not to be lonely in the desert, but to establish a society to have a platform for the exchange of information and to develop a formal training program. But who would be willing to start such an organisation next to the time consuming task in the hospital. The first attempt was made during a commercial meeting, where a group of technologists met each other. One of them took the lead, but quit his position already after one year, frustrated by the amount of work, without any financial or other compensation. So this first attempt would have collapsed, if no one else was willing to take his position in establishing a professional society. Undersigned, at that time working in the University Hospital Rotterdam, volunteered in 1973 to chair the organisation. This was only possible with the help of his first students and dedicated friends Mrs. Marianne Wijers-Hille and Mr. John Steenbrink. Undersigned and Marianne J. Wijers- Hille, where writing the first by-laws and founded the society officially, as Nederlandse Sociëteit voor Extra Corporale Circulatie (NeSECC), in 1976. About 95 % of all persons involved with extra-corporeal circulation, joined in membership. One year later the founders initiated the educational committee, a committee of senior colleagues, in which every cardiac surgical centre was represented. Their main task was to work on a training program what could be accepted by all departments in the different hospitals in the Netherlands. An editorial committee to produce a society journal, was installed a few years later, with Mrs.Renee Tillemans, also from the University Hospital Rotterdam, as the first chief editor. The development of the society was of course closely related to the growth of cardiac surgery in the Netherlands. In 1975 about 1800 patients where operated, with the use of cardio-pulmonary bypass. In 1985 this number was already extended till about 9000 and in 1990 approximately 12.000 patients where operated upon for cardiac disorders in 12 different heart centres. Under supervision of the educational committee the first official educational meeting was organised in 1978. At that time there where mostly invited speakers presenting different subjects in relation to cardiac surgery and cardio-pulmonary bypass technology. Later on active members of the society where encouraged to present the results of their studies. The meetings provided a platform for an informal try-out of their presentation, before presenting on larger conferences. Beside the possibility for an exchange of knowledge, the meetings also proved to be valuable to get the responsibilities of the profession recognised by other health organisations. The reports presented on the educational meetings, where later on published in our "NeSECC journaal". The official journal of the society was produced by the editorial committeee and was published 2 or 3 times a year. In 1986, the editorial committee published a special issue of the journal, as a tribute to the 10 years anniversary of the society. This issue contained a glance back at the history, together with a survey of the 22 educational meetings, organised by the society in their first decennium. The 10 years anniversary was celebrated in Maastricht, with the first International Symposium of the society. Since the educational committee was formed, they came out with many useful recommendations about the subjects they studied in relation to national and international developments. But one of their main tasks was to prepare guidelines for a formal, national acceptable educational program for the training of student perfusionists. In 1981 the first National Educational Program was officially presented to the members of the NeSECC, hospital administrators, related departments from the government of Health and the Dutch Society for Thoracic surgery. Two years later the Board of the NeSECC presented the criteria in consideration to clinical and educational experience for the formal registration and certification of perfusionists. Meeting this criteria a perfusionist could be registered and certified as a professionally skilled clinical perfusionist, by the Dutch Society for Extra-Corporeal Circulation. In the Dutch language they are called "Erkend Klinisch Perfusionist", shortened as E.K.P. At the time we had mostly on-the-job trained clinical perfusionists, so of course we had to use a so called "Grandpersons clause", requiring at least three years of clinical experience and a finished primary education at a college level, followed by an education related to our area of health care . The first national registration procedure was completed in 1984. For some years there was still no strict uniformity in the primary training of perfusionists. Depending on the previous history of the organisations some hospitals still selected nurses and in other hospitals technical skilled co-operators where educated. However, our requirements to the Ministry of Health, to improve educational facilities, forced us to obtain a general agreement about the basic level necessary to enter our educational program . This resulted in a period of strong discussions, after which it was agreed to accept only students having minimal a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, Biology or Physics. After being accepted as a student perfusionist, the students have to deal with an educational program which takes about three years to complete. The students can be trained in several centres under the responsibility of the heads of the department of extra-corporeal circulation. The criteria for the theoretical and practical experience was described in the Educational Guidelines produced by the Educational Committee. In their last period of the education, the students have to produce a report on a study carried out independently, concerning a subject related to extra-corporeal circulation or an associated area. After having completed the program successfully the student could apply for an approval of the Educational Committee and the Board of the society, in order to achieve registration as a certified clinical perfusionist. Since 1988 the educational committee also adopted the rules for keeping the registration, with the agreement that a clinical perfusionist at least had to perform 40 clinical cardio-pulmonary bypass procedures each year . This regulation was established to have a limitation on possible compromised patient care due to a lack of clinical experience. Early in 1988 a committee was originated to advise the Ministry of Health in order to achieve governmental approval on the educational criteria. Members of these committee are representatives of the NeSECC, the Dutch Society for Thoracic Surgery, the Dutch Society for Anaesthesiology and the National Hospital Council. With the invitation to start this committee the minister of National Health Care stressed the vital role of the NeSECC in this committee, mentioning lots of appreciation for the previous work of the NeSECC in regard to education. In the mean time the committee produced a detailed description of the expertise of a qualified perfusionist. They agreed to have a central institution in which the theoretical program is teached and accepted the present criteria for scientific reports. The committee established a new formal registration, within the organisation of the National Hospital Council. The educational program still needs continuous adaptation, due to a still growing interest for the professional knowledge of the perfusionist in other areas of intensive medical treatment, besides cardiac surgery. The work of the society in the past, can be considered as an example of the supportive value of an organisation, in order to achieve professional recognition, by recognising good education as the basic condition to improve patient care. One of the main objectives fixed in the first by-laws of the society. Dick S. de Jong C.C.P. NeSECC president 1976-1986.

Registration The NeSECC registration is currently not available on-line. Information about registration can be obtained by contacting the NeSECC secretary.

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