The Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Fellowship at the University of Iowa is a one-year ACGME-accredited program. Nine months of the fellowship year is dedicated to clinical anesthesia for cardiac and thoracic surgery, and one month is focused on post-operative intensive care of adult cardiac and thoracic patients in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit. Our mission is to develop leaders in the adult cardiothoracic anesthesia community, and we are excited to be at the forefront of training these essential specialists.
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics is a Level 1 Trauma Center, a Comprehensive Stroke Center of Excellence, a Certified Destination Ventricular Assist Device Center, and an ECMO Center of Excellence.
Every year, the Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Division handles an average of 450 thoracic cases, 350 adult cardiac cases, 100 pediatric complex congenital heart disease cases, and about three dozen heart/lung transplant cases, as well as 600 cases through the Interventional Cardiovascular Program.
Mission Statement
The mission of our fellowship program is to prepare graduate anesthesiologists for a lifelong career in cardiothoracic anesthesia through innovation, collaboration, education, research and clinical services.
Program Aims
1. To train anesthesiologists who are experts in all aspects of cardiothoracic anesthesia with skills to diagnose, monitor, and manage patients with all types of cardiopulmonary disease. Additionally, fellows will develop teaching and supervisory skills, as well as scholarship skills necessary for lifelong learning. Graduates will be prepared to enter the private or academic practice of their choice with special skills and knowledge in cardiothoracic anesthesia.
2. The second aim is to anticipate and prepare fellows for future changes in clinical practice: a) the trend toward less invasive, catheter-based therapy (i.e. angioplasty and coronary stents, TAVR and MitraClip procedures, endovascular stenting); b) the trend toward mechanical cardiopulmonary support devices (i.e. LVAD, RVAD and ECMO; c) the potential change in the fellowship itself (requirement for board certification and/or expansion to a 2-year program, combining one year of operating room cardiothoracic anesthesia and one year of cardiothoracic intensive care).
Accreditation
The one-year Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesia fellowship has been accredited by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) since 2012. We are proud to note that our graduates have a 100% pass rate for the Advanced Perioperative Transesophageal Echo exam.
Fellowship Details
Rotation Schedule:
- 8 months in cardiac ORs
- 1 month CVICU
- 1 month Echo
- 2 weeks pediatric cardiac
- 2 weeks perfusion
- 1 month Transition to Independent Practice
Day to Day:
- Typical cardiothoracic day:
- 3 cardiothoracic ORs
- 1 Cath Lab (TAVR, Mitra-Clip, Watchman)
- 1 non-clinical day
- Q3 home call (on average)
- “Golden weekend” every 3rd week
- Generally can choose your cases for the following day
- Opportunity to perform TEE in other cases on any given day
- Time off to attend SCA and SCA Echo Week
Research Opportunities
Clinical research opportunities are available in cardiac and thoracic anesthesia.
Contact Dr. Javier Campos for more information: javier-campos@uiowa.edu