The Division of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology provides care to some of the most complex surgical and medical patients at the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital, University Hospital and Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, all part of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Our mission
Mission: To improve perioperative care at a local, regional and national level through innovations in patient care, education, research and advocacy.
Vision: Through advocating a team- and evidence-based approach to the care of cardiac, thoracic and vascular patients, we strive to provide extraordinary perioperative care with improved patient safety and outcomes.
Values: We value patient safety achieved through teamwork, ownership, determination and sincerity. We provide perioperative care using a team-based model, the Anesthesia Care Team, as this has proven to be the safest staffing model, placing an emphasis on patient safety by tailoring every anesthetic to the individual patient.
Ambition: To be a regionally and nationally renowned Division of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology within the Department of Anesthesiology through our team- and evidenced-based approach to perioperative care for cardiac, thoracic and vascular patients.
Research
The clinical expertise of our division is complimented by a strong research mission and our faculty are actively training and educating the next generation of leaders in anesthesiology through our nationally recognized fellowship and residency programs.
Our team’s expertise
Our highly skilled anesthesiologists are all fellowship-trained in the specialty of cardiothoracic anesthesiology and board certified in transesophageal echocardiography. Our specialists have gained extra experience in patient care with special emphasis in coagulation, adult congenital heart disease (ACHD), aortic disease, enhanced recovery after cardiac/thoracic/vascular surgery, and pregnant patients with complex cardiac disease.
Procedures for which our experts provide anesthesia services include:
- Heart, lung and liver transplantation
- Major aorta procedures
- Procedures to treat ACHD, or those with ACHD needing other surgical/interventional procedures including delivery in pregnancy
- Coronary and limb revascularization
- Valve repair and replacement
- Transcatheter valve replacement (ex., TAVR)
- Ventricular assist device placement and subsequent surgical care of this patient population
- Temporary mechanical support (ex., extracorporeal membranous oxygenation (ECMO))
- Those patients needing vascular surgery for limb preservation
- Carotid endarterectomy
- Pulmonary endarterectomy
- Those patients needing lung surgery, including lobectomy, pneumonectomy and esophageal surgery
- Patients on IV therapy for pulmonary hypertension
Our division also provides anesthesia for electrophysiology studies and procedures, including atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia ablation, along with placement of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) and pacemakers, and lead extractions. We provide anesthetic support in the cardiac catheterization suite for structural heart disease, including transcatheter aortic valve replacements, complex coronary stenting and management of mitral regurgitation with the MitraClip device. Support for transesophageal echocardiography is also provided, including in left atrial appendage occlusion devices and in all operating rooms as needed.
Giving
Donating to the Department of Anesthesiology helps further advance our mission to improve perioperative care and drive innovations in patient care and research. Learn more about and donate to our featured fund, the Ischemic Spinal Cord Injury and Cardiovascular Research Fund in Anesthesiology.
Research
Our division is closely involved in many clinical and basic science research studies with the Department of Anesthesiology. The research covers several key areas of focus, including brain activation caused by pain, the gastrointestinal nervous system, ischemic spinal cord injury and more. To learn about specific anesthesiology research being conducted, visit our Department of Anesthesiology research page.
Collaboration and research areas
The Department of Anesthesiology has an association or partnership with many departments, divisions and institutions that are involved in biomedical research. This research spans across several areas of interest.
A multidisciplinary research initiative at The Ohio State University dedicated to advancing perioperative care through rigorous investigation, innovation, and academic collaboration.
About the collaborative
The Perioperative Outcomes Research Collaborative in Anesthesia (PORCA) brings together faculty, clinicians, data scientists, and trainees committed to improving perioperative outcomes across the surgical continuum.
Our work spans preoperative risk assessment, intraoperative management, postoperative recovery, and long‑term patient‑centered outcomes. We emphasize methodological rigor, interdisciplinary collaboration, and translation of evidence into clinical practice.
Our mission
To advance perioperative medicine through high‑quality research, innovation, and dissemination of evidence that improves patient safety, clinical outcomes, and healthcare value.
Our vision
To serve as a leading academic hub for perioperative outcomes research, fostering collaboration across disciplines and institutions while training the next generation of investigators.
Core principles
- Scientific integrity and methodological excellence
- Patient‑centered inquiry
- Interdisciplinary collaboration
- Equity in perioperative care
- Commitment to academic dissemination
Research programs
Perioperative risk and prediction
- Development and validation of risk prediction models
- Integration of EHR and perioperative datasets
- Decision support and risk communication
Quality and process improvement
- Enhanced recovery pathways
- Optimization of intraoperative practices
- Value‑based perioperative care
Long‑term and patient‑centered outcomes
- Functional and cognitive recovery
- Longitudinal postoperative health trajectories
- Health equity and disparities research
Membership
Membership is open to faculty, clinicians, trainees, and collaborators across The Ohio State University and partner institutions who are engaged in perioperative research.
Eligibility
- Faculty and clinicians in perioperative care
- Residents, fellows, and graduate students
- Data scientists and implementation specialists
- Institutional collaborators
Benefits
Access to collaborative research initiatives
Methodological and analytic support
Opportunities for authorship and academic output
Mentorship and professional development
[Learn more]
Selected publications
Example: Smith J. et al. “Intraoperative hemodynamic optimization and postoperative outcomes.”
Example: Lee A. et al. “Implementation of enhanced recovery pathways in high‑risk surgical populations.”
Example: Patel R. et al. “Predicting postoperative pulmonary complications using EHR‑derived models.”
Contact
For inquiries regarding collaboration, membership, or ongoing research initiatives:
Email: porca@osu.edu
Department: Department of Anesthesiology
Institution: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Location: Columbus, Ohio
- Cardiovascular research
- GI and CNS research
- Optical imaging techniques
- Myocardial monitoring
- Molecular biology
- Second messenger systems
- Animal models of disease for vascular
- Peripheral vascular
- Atherosclerosis
- Heart failure/bio-impedance and inflammatory bowel disease to preconditioning in humans with supportive animal studies ongoing
- System response during disease states by purine receptors and c-reactive proteins
- Effects of down-regulation of b-receptors in heart failure and their influence on clinical management
- Critical care medicine
- Extracorporeal life support (ECLS and ECMO)