Ambulatory Anesthesia Fellowship Program A description of this fellowship program will be provided in the coming weeks. Our cardiothoracic anesthesia fellows are trained by a dedicated staff of cardiothoracic anesthesiologists, and also receive the benefit of the vast and varied experience of our cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiologists and pulmonologists. Our clinical caseload is outstanding in diversity, number and acuity of care. Loyola University is a very active transplant center, and the fellow will gain expertise in the management of patients with end-stage heart failure and lung disease, performing anesthesia for heart transplants, lung transplants and implantation of ventricular assist devices. Our department provides anesthesia for well over 1200 cardiac and thoracic cases per year.
Fellows obtain extensive training in transesophageal echocardiography.
While this training occurs primarily in the operating room, the fellow also spends time working directly with our cardiologists in a one to two month rotation outside the operating room, improving diagnostic and interpretive skills. Experience in the postoperative critical care of cardiac patients is obtained during rotation in the post-cardiac surgical intensive care unit which is directed by our own anesthesia faculty. This allows the individual to gain a greater appreciation of the entire perioperative course as an extension of our anesthesia care. Close contacts with consultants from other specialties strengthen the educational benefit of this rotation. In addition to intraoperative teaching, we have a didactic program consisting of journal clubs and weekly lectures on advanced cardiac and thoracic topics.