Vanderbilt Anesthesiololgy
Perioperative Medicine · Pain Managment
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Overview
We train two CT Anesthesiology fellows annually. Our emphasis is on providing a comprehensive clinical experience. Excellent case diversity is one of our greatest assets for this purpose. We especially pride ourselves in quality echocardiography training. All adult cardiac cases have intraoperative TEE performed by the CT Anesthesiologist. We have three Acuson Sequoia machines with multiplane probes for this purpose. A weekly TEE case conference is run by Dr. Deegan for ongoing education and quality assurance. Our fellows rotate to the cardiology Echo Lab for a minimum of eight weeks. All fellows easily exceed the key training recommendations for Advanced Perioperative Echocardiography Training as described in the ASE/SCA guidelines (Anesth Analg 2002; 94:1384-8). Many of the pediatric cases also have TEE performed, but we leave that to the pediatric cardiologists, with whom we have a close relationship.
Most of our fellows have not had a significant research component in their training because our applicant pool has been interested primarily in a clinical experience. Our group does include faculty with extensive research interests. For example: Dr. Donahue (genetic risk factors for perioperative hemorrhage) and Dr. Pretorius (ACE-inhibitors and bradykinin metabolism perioperatively) so there are plenty of opportunities to develop an excellent research program for qualified candidates. Dr. Pretorius is a graduate of our fellowship program and of the Masters of Clinical Investigation program at Vanderbilt.
Cardiac Anesthesia Faculty Research Interest and/or Clinical Expertise
Dr. Robert J. Deegan, Assistant Professor; Director, Division of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, Director of Intraoperative Echocardiography.
Interests: Adult and Pediatric Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, Intraoperative TEE, TEE/effect of CPB on cardiac ion channels/mechanisms of post-CPB atrial fibrillation.
Dr. Brian S. Donahue, Assistant Professor. Interests: Adult and Pediatric Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, Intraoperative TEE, Perioperative Coagulopathies and Blood Conservation/Genetic Risk Factors for Hemostatic Complications/Novel Approaches to Hemostatic/Inflammatory Derangements of Cardiac Surgery/Adult TEE/Congenital Heart Operations in Developing Countries/Adult and Pediatric Cardiothoracic Anesthesia.
Dr. Alexander Hughes, Assistant Professor. Interests: Adult and Pediatric Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, Intraoperative TEE, Airway Management Education.
Dr. Mias Pretorius, Assistant Professor. Interests: Adult and Pediatric Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, Intraoperative TEE.
Educational Goals and Objectives
Links of interest
Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA)
American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)