Obstetric Anesthesia Fellowship

About the program

Our ACGME-accredited subspecialty program in Obstetric Anesthesiology is structured to ensure optimal patient care while providing fellows the opportunity to develop skills in clinical care and judgment, teaching and research.

The fellow will have the opportunity to provide anesthesia care for patients in our Obstetric Special Care Unit (OBSCU) undergoing labor and both operative and non-operative delivery. In addition, they are part of the multidisciplinary care team involved in complex deliveries in our Main Operating Room including those for women with abnormal placentation, life-threatening cardiac conditions, the pregnant trauma patient and other high risk care episodes. The fellow will develop skills in the conduct of preoperative patient evaluation and interpretation of cardiovascular diagnostic test data, hemodynamic and respiratory monitoring, perioperative critical care including ventilatory support and perioperative pain management.

A unique opportunity for our fellow is the ability to work closely with top Neonatologists and Pediatric Anesthesiologists through the UCMC Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center. The collaborative structure within the Perinatal Institute at CCHMC provides an unprecedented opportunity to link obstetrical, fetal and pediatric specialists; prenatal, perinatal and postnatal care; education and prevention programs; and basic, clinical and quality-improvement research. Educational opportunities for fellows and graduate students abound, as the Perinatal Institute brings together multiple groups in an unparalleled way to provide a rich, unique learning environment.

Facilities

University of Cincinnati Medical Center

The University of Cincinnati Medical Center is a tertiary care center in Cincinnati, Ohio serving southwest Ohio, northern Kentucky, and eastern Indiana. This active teaching hospital is home to the only level 1 trauma center and one of two level 3 NICUs in this large area. Located directly across the street, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is closely affiliated with UCMC and directly connected through the Fetal Care Center and the patients that receive care jointly. Given these resources, and a well-established fetal surgery program, we provide care to a wide variety of patients and their babies, often referred from great distances.

Our labor and delivery unit has 13 labor rooms, 6 triage rooms, 3 operating rooms and a 4 bed OB PACU. Approximately 2500 patients deliver at our hospital each year. Anesthesia care is provided for labor analgesia, cesarean section anesthesia, post-partum tubal ligations, D&C, cerclage placement/ removal and for minor fetal surgical procedures such as thoracentesis, shunt placements and fetal blood transfusions. We utilize a variety of anesthesia types in patient care including epidural, spinal, combined spinal-epidural (CSE), continuous spinal and general endotracheal anesthesia. We also provide post procedure anesthesia care for patients who have undergone major fetal surgical procedures such as open menigomyelocele repair at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. We have a medical consultation service and center for perioperative care to aid in assessment and care coordination prior to delivery for obstetric patients with underlying medical issues. This is a high risk unit with a Level 3 NICU which means that a large number of our patients have comorbidities complicating their pregnancy and many of our babies are born with medical issues or extreme prematurity.

West Chester Hospital

In addition to UCMC, we provide obstetric anesthesia care at the newly opened (April 15, 2015) Maternity Unit at West Chester Hospital which is a lower risk population and a Level 2B NICU. This unit has 8 labor rooms and 2 ORs.

Faculty

• Andrea Girnius, MD - Fellowship Director
• Hyndhavi Chowdary,MD
• Renee Davis, MD
• Lesley Gilbertson, MD
• Thomas James, MD
• Marcus Lehman, MD
• Shital Patel, MD