The Department of Anesthesiology, headed up by Alex Evers, MD, provides the finest quality of patient care, driven by research aimed at a continually advancing field.
Our physicians are conveniently located in over eighty locations which includes two Pain Management Centers, three Critical Care Units and the Center for Preoperative Assessment and Planning.
The anesthesia care team at Washington University is made up of specialist anesthesiologists, anesthesiology residents, talented fellows, and certified registered nurse anesthetists. They participate in the care of patients ranging from premature babies to older adults.
he anesthesia team is present for the entire period around your time of surgery for each of the more than 80,000 surgical procedures conducted annually at Washington University affiliated hospitals.
This is one of the leading research anesthesiology departments in the country., consistently ranked in the top 10 for research funding by the National Institutes of Health. Internationally recognized areas of research include basic mechanisms of anesthesia and pain, ion channel physiology, vascular biology, hypoxic cell death, sepsis, and organ dysfunction. Recognized areas of clinical research include neurologic complications of cardiac surgery, cardiac arrhythmia management, blood sugar control, and sleep apnea.
The clinical divisions of the department include:
Cardiothoracic (heart and lung)
Critical Care
General Anesthesia
Pain Management and the Pain Management Center
Pediatric
Regional and Ambulatory
Operating Room (OR) Care
If you are undergoing surgery at one of the hospitals affiliated with Washington University, the success of your surgery, your comfort, and your safe postoperative outcome are our top priorities.
In the 21st century, the anesthesia team’s primary responsibility in the OR is to ensure your comfort and safety when you are exposed to surgical procedures; this includes protecting you from pain, undesired awareness and organ system injury, and fostering full recovery from the surgical and anesthetic interventions.
While anesthesiologists have succeeded in substantially decreasing complications during surgery, it has become increasingly clear that how we provide anesthesia has a profound effect on safety and comfort after surgery. Through our innovative research and leading clinical care, the anesthesiology department is leading in ways to improve both short-term and long-term outcomes following surgery.
Preoperative Assessment And Planning (CPAP)
The aim of the preoperative assessment and planning center is to inform you about your operation, to assess your risks, to optimize preoperative care, and to develop the safest and most fitting care plan for you. As a patient, your attendance at the CPAP center will improve your experience before and after your surgery, will alleviate your concerns, and will prepare you well for surgery which can be a stressful time.
Pain Management
Physical pain is among the most unpleasant of human experiences. Anesthesiologists have been at the forefront of building pain management as a vibrant and crucial medical specialty. The Department of Anesthesiology has made major scientific contributions to the understanding of pain mechanisms and to developing novel methods of treatment.
Clinicians in the department are involved in the management of chronic pain and of acute pain associated with surgery. If you are undergoing a surgical procedure, we will endeavor to ensure that the pain associated with your surgery is decreased as much as possible. Learn more about Pain Management.
Critical Care Medicine
Many patients undergoing major surgery require admission to intensive care units following their surgery. Intensive care units at affiliated hospitals of Washington University are staffed by multidisciplinary teams of experts; many of these are anesthesiologists who provide continuity of care from the operating room to the intensive care unit.
We appreciate that the prospect of admission to an intensive care unit may be intimidating. We make every effort to accommodate families, to promote patient comfort and to provide the highest level of comprehensive care to our patients.
If you are admitted to an intensive care unit after your surgery, we will work tirelessly to ensure that you make a full and uncomplicated recovery from your surgery, and that your experience of the intensive care unit is as reassuring and comforting as possible.