Cardiac Care Anesthesia Rotation
The Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Virginia provides an exciting and challenging rotation in cardiothoracic anesthesia. Cardiovascular medicine and cardiovascular sciences are a particular center of strength at the University of Virginia and this reflects in the cardiac anesthesia rotation. Residents rotate on the cardiothoracic anesthesia service for one month, beginning at the end of the CA1 year. Additional experience is available during the CA3 year. Approximately 850 adult and pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass cases are performed in 3 new cardiovascular operating rooms. There is an excellent case mix including coronary bypass grafting, all types of valvular lesions, complex congenital heart disease, off-pump coronary surgery, and heart and lung transplantation. The cardiac group also provides anesthesia for most of the major thoracic and vascular procedures done at the University of Virginia. We have a very wide and growing patient referral base. Cardiac operating rooms and monitoring equipment are truly state of the art. The resident are exposed to transesophageal echocardiography prior to beginning the cardiac anesthesia rotation, with additional opportunity for specialty rotation in this area. Absence of a cardiac fellowship program means that residents are involved with all cases, no matter how difficult or complex. We enjoy an extremely close relationship with both the pediatric and adult cardiology echo services. Many CA3 residents elect to spend an intensive month studying transesophageal echocardiography in a rotation run jointly with the echocardiography service of the Division of Cardiology of the Department of Medicine.
The cardiac anesthesia faculty is a diverse group with exceptional clinical and academic strengths in the areas of cardiac, pulmonary and vascular physiology and anesthesia. Carl Lynch III, M.D., Ph.D., has specific expertise as a cardiac physiologist and biophysicist, combining his expertise in cardiovascular research with his clinical acumen to provide an outstanding educational forum for the resident. He is an associate editor of Anesthesia and Analgesia, (one of six members in the Department to hold editorial positions with A&A) and in the past has been on the editorial board of Anesthesiology. George Rich, M.D., Ph.D., Department Chair, is a biomedical engineer with a background in the physiology of the artificial heart and cardiac assist devices. Victor Baum, M.D., the Director of Cardiac Anesthesia, is a pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist who is board certified in pediatrics, pediatric cardiology, pediatric critical care and anesthesiology. He is an outstanding resource for anesthesia related to congenital heart disease. He has been an associate editor of Survey of Anesthesiology and is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia and Seminars in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, as well as being a Guest Editor (2009) and a transesophageal liaison editor of Anesthesia and Analgesia. Stuart Lowson, MBBS is a cardiac anesthesiologist and intensivist, and is the co-Director of the Surgical-Trauma Intensive Care Unit. He has clinical research interest in lung physiology and pathophysiology and directs numerous clinical investigations relevant to cardiac anesthesia and critical care. James M. Jaeger, M.D., Ph.D. is a member of the division with specific interest and expertise in anesthesia for thoracic and vascular anesthesia. He is also an intensivist and attends in the cardiothoracic ICU. Keith Littlewood, M.D. is Vice-Chair for Education in the Department and is a member of the liver transplant anesthesia group. He is involved in graduate medical education at the medical center level and is co-director of the Medical Center's simulator. He has won the Medical Center's Master Educator Award for graduate medical education. Danja Groves, M.D., Ph.D., is a German by birth and training. She is an active member of the cardiac service with additional expertise in anesthesia for major vascular surgery. Duncan de Souza, M.D. trained in both (adult) cardiac anesthesia(at Texas Heart Institute) and Pediatric Anesthesia (at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia). He also attends on both pediatric and adult cardiac cases. Jacob Raphael, M.D., is an Israeli who is also a member of both the adult and pediatric services. Dr. Raphael has an active laboratory program looking at a variety of cardiovascular risk factors and protective strategies. Julie Huffmyer, M.D. recently joined the cardiac faculty after having done a fellowship in cardiac and liver transplant anesthesia. She is also a member of the liver transplant group. David Sanders, M.D. also recently joined the Department after finishing his cardiac fellowship. Dave has a particular interest in transesophageal echocardiography. Thomas J. Gal, M.D., emeritus professor, has particular clinical and investigative expertise in respiratory physiology. He is author of numerous original articles as well as a textbook in this area and is an editor of Anesthesia and Analgesia.
Thus, the cardiac anesthesia faculty is a diverse group of outstanding clinicians with diverse backgrounds, each of whom also has specific expertise related to the cardiovascular system.