UCH-CT OR – The Cardiothoracic OR rotation is the core rotation of our fellowship. Fellows will spend a majority of their clinical time in this rotation serving as the primary anesthesia provider and as the supervising anesthesia
provider all under the supervision of a faculty member who are all Advanced PTE Board-certified. Fellows will be exposed to a variety of cases including but not limited to:
- Cardiac Procedures:
- Coronary artery revascularizations, on and off cardiopulmonary bypass
- Valve replacement
- Complex variety of thoracic aortic surgeries including:
- Acute type A aortic dissection repair
- Hybrid thoracoabdominal aneurysm procedures
- Ascending aortic replacement
- Aortic root reconstruction
- Hemiarch and total arch replacement
- Heart and lung transplantation
- Mechanical support:
- Central and peripheral veno-arterial ECMO
- Veno-venous ECMO
- Temporary and durable ventricular assist devices (VAD)
- Thoracic procedures:
- Lung resections
- Pneumonectomies
- VATS and robotic procedures
- Esophagectomies and other esophageal procedures
CTICU – Fellows will spend 4 weeks in our busy cardiothoracic ICU. Our anesthesiology critical care expert faculty provide a majority of the clinical care and education in the CTICU. Fellows will be intricately involved in
the pre and postoperative care of the cardiac and thoracic surgical patients and participate in multidisciplinary rounds and contribute with education to housestaff and medical students. Fellows will gain an appreciation of the clinical course of
these complex patients during their entire hospital stay and learn how clinical decisions in the operating room affects the critical care management and vice versa.
CARDIOLOGY – Fellows will spend 2 weeks with our cardiology colleagues in the structural heart operating rooms and in the echocardiography lab. Fellows will gain appreciation and will practice techniques of performing transesophageal
echocardiography under sedation as well as using echo guidance for structural heart procedures.
CHILDREN’S – Fellows will spend 2 weeks at the Children’s Hospital of Colorado and take part in the care of many adult patients with congenital cardiac diseases. Children’s Hospital of Colorado is home to
the Colorado’s Adult & Teen Congenital Heart Program (CATCH) program and serves many congenital cardiac patients who have reached adulthood.
PERFUSION – Fellows will spend 4 weeks with Perfusion Services. The rotation is divided into two 2-week blocks. The first block will occur at the start of the year and will introduce fellows to the cardiopulmonary bypass machine,
principles of cardiopulmonary bypass and other forms of mechanical support. Fellows will take part in simulations of the bypass machine as well as be closely involved with the perfusionists in the operating room and ICU.
ELECTIVE – Fellows will have 4 weeks of elective time. During this time, fellows have an opportunity to study in depth and spend further time in a field of interest. Previous fellows have spent their elective time in areas
such as: cardiology, cardiothoracic ICU, liver transplant anesthesiology, research, perfusion and mechanical support, transplant team, heart failure service and pediatric cardiac anesthesiology.
