Cardiovascular Anesthesia and Critical Care (TGH) Toronto General Hospital (8-10 positions per year).
The 12-month fellowship consist of 9 months spent in the OR`s and 3 months in the CVICU. About 6 weeks are dedication TEE training which is considered a core clinical skill. Up to 8 weeks of academic time can be allocated.
It is the expectation that fellows will be able to complete about 120 cases per year involving CPB of which a minimum of 50% will be valve repair or replacement, complex adult congenital repairs, root repair or replacement, LVAD insertion, heart transplants, TEVAR`s and TAAA`s. OPCAB and minimally invasive CABG and valve surgeries are also done on a regular basis.
An elective cardioversion list is scheduled weekly. Arrhythmia ablation as well as pacemaker insertion, including biventricular and epicardial systems, insertion of aortic stents (coarctation), device closure of ASDA`s, VSDA`s, LAA`s and perivalvular leaks, percutaneous valve repair (including MitraClips) and replacement (including TAVI`s) have become an integral part of the cardiovascular anesthesiologist duties.
The anesthesia fellow weekday coverage is from Monday to Saturdays and the evening and overnight call alternates with the CV surgical fellows. During the time in the CVICU, the fellow will become proficient in the management of post-operative cardiac surgical patients, including heart transplants and ventricular assist devises.
Konstantinos Alexopoulos