Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia

At UVA, residents have the unique opportunity to participate in a three-week rotation through pediatric cardiac anesthesia. UVA is the most comprehensive congenital heart center in the Commonwealth of Virginia as well as the largest fetal heart program. It is also the only hospital in the Commonwealth that performs pediatric heart transplants.

During this CA3 only rotation, residents spend three days a week in the operating room taking care of patients with a wide variety of congenital diseases having open heart repairs on cardiopulmonary bypass. Unlike many institutions, residents’ experience in pediatric cardiac surgery is hands-on and one-on-one with an attending without fellow involvement. Residents routinely manage the airway, obtain arterial and central venous access, give medications, and help make clinical decisions regarding the care of the patient.

One day a week, residents on the rotation are in the cath lab working with pediatric interventional cardiologists to provide anesthetics to patients either receiving definitive care or being prepared for future surgery. On Wednesdays, residents attend the case conference where the next week’s cases are discussed and then participate in academic activities in the afternoon. These activities include spending the day “pumping a case” managing the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit, going to the clinic with a pediatric cardiologist, or learning about ECMO from the intensivists and perfusionists in the ICU.