General Surgical Anesthesia

The Division of General Surgical Anesthesia is the largest and most diverse division within the Department of Anesthesiology. It covers a varied and complex case mix, which will continually engage and challenge all residents no matter their level of training. Residents on this rotation are mentored by an outstanding faculty with interests that include critical care medicine, resident education and simulation, liver transplantation, diagnostic ultrasound, renal protection, regional anesthesia, quality assurance, advanced airway management, and transesophageal echocardiography. Indeed, the division can proudly claim multiple faculty who have won the anesthesiology department’s “Teacher of the Year” award.

Residents on this rotation will provide anesthesia care for patients undergoing general surgical, vascular, ENT, oral/maxillofacial, gynecologic, major cancer, and urologic procedures. Solid-organ transplants (liver, kidney, pancreas, and small bowel) are also a major component of this rotation. As in all rotations, residents will be assigned to cases in a graded fashion, based on their year of training. Cases range from the seemingly simple (Columbia University Medical Center is a major referral center for patients with complex medical problems and some of the most “simple” surgical cases may be the most challenging medically!) to the obviously complex.

For most residents, the general surgical anesthesia rotation will be the first time they are exposed to advanced airway techniques (e.g., fiberoptic intubation), invasive monitoring (e.g., arterial line, central line), regional anesthesia (e.g., spinal, epidural), and fluid/pressor management. Over the course of their training, the resident will continue to hone these skills and will additionally acquire the requisite knowledge and experience to safely care for all patients, whether it be an elderly man with pulmonary hypertension for a cholecystectomy or a young woman liver transplant recipient with hepatocellular carcinoma.

The faculty of the general surgical anesthesia division eagerly looks forward to partnering with our residents toward our goal of providing outstanding care to all our patients. Additionally, we seek to share with our residents our enthusiasm for our specialty, as well as the knowledge and experience we have acquired over the years.