Physicians in the Division of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, part of NYU Langone Health’s Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care, and Pain Medicine, employ their advanced training in cardiac and thoracic anesthesia to make the perioperative period both safe and comfortable for patients.

Overseen by Michael Schlame, MD, division director, and Jennie Y. Ngai, MD, associate division director, our clinical services are built on a strong foundation of education and research.

We provide anesthesia for major adult cardiac surgery, pediatric cardiac surgery, and thoracic procedures at NYU Langone’s Kimmel Pavilion and Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone. Our faculty and staff also cover adult cardiac surgery at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue.

Our Role in Education

An integral part of our division is educating medical students, residents, and fellows in the care of patients who need cardiac and thoracic procedures.

Medical students can receive a week of specialty training in the Division of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology during an elective anesthesiology rotation. Physicians in the Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care, and Pain Medicine Residency also rotate with us, and we offer a comprehensive, one-year Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship.

Our trainees experience a wide variety of cases, including adult cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass, robotic-assisted lung resection, transcatheter valve repair, and pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass, among many others. Physicians in training also learn innovative technologies such as two- and three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography, cerebral oximetry, and advanced hemodynamic monitoring and the selected use of epidural and paravertebral anesthesia.

Our Role in Patient Care

Our division faculty deliver anesthesia for robotic-assisted mitral valve repair, robotic-assisted coronary artery bypass, transcatheter aortic valve replacement, and transcatheter mitral valve replacement. We also provide anesthesia for complex aortic surgery, heart failure requiring implantation of a ventricular assist device, heart and lung transplants, and lung resection.

Our faculty provide their expertise for the full spectrum of pediatric and adult congenital heart surgery, including single ventricle palliation, switch operations, repair of septal defects, and valve procedures.

We also care for patients in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and the electrophysiology suites. Patients may include children with congenital disease requiring diagnostic and interventional catheterization procedures, correction of cardiac conduction abnormalities, percutaneous valvuloplasty, and device closures.

Our Role in Research

Our faculty and fellows regularly publish their research on anesthesiology care for cardiothoracic patients in peer-reviewed journals.