Department of Anesthesiology

Mias Pretorius, MBChB, MSCI, chief of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), models one of the face shields he and his family assembled to provide back-up personal protective equipment (PPE).

April 2, 2020

Physicians, engineering students, families and friends construct DIY face shields

As the number of COVID-19 infections continues to grow, Nashville resident Kobie Pretorius was searching for some way to provide meaningful help to others. And she realized her apprehension was spiking each morning as her husband went out the door for work.

By Jill Clendening

March 24, 2020

Vanderbilt mourns loss of former Anesthesiology chair Bradley E. Smith, MD

Bradley E. Smith, MD, former professor and chair of the Vanderbilt’s Department of Anesthesiology, died March 20 in Nashville after a long battle with cancer. He was 86.

By Nancy Humphrey

Jonathan Wanderer, MD, MPhil, is the director of the eStar Physician Builders Program at VUMC.

March 19, 2020

eStar Physician Builders develop creative workflows

Through its eStar Physician Builders Program, Vanderbilt University Medical Center supports physicians and other health care team members in devising new content and tools for VUMC’s health information technology system.

By Paul Govern

February 20, 2020

Transporter mutation alters cell energy

A disease-associated mutation in a transporter protein causes cells to increase energy production, as if they are starving, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.

By Leigh MacMillan

An initiative at VUMC is helping patients recover more quickly from major surgery, leave the hospital earlier and have fewer side effects from their pain management.

February 13, 2020

VUAH applies new approach for patient recovery after surgery

An initiative at VUMC is helping patients recover more quickly from major surgery, leave the hospital earlier and have fewer side effects from their pain management.

By Paul Govern

December 19, 2019

Children far more likely to die after surgery in poor countries

Children in low-resourced countries are 100-200 times more likely to die after surgery than children in wealthy countries, according to a first-of-its-kind study published in Anesthesiology.