Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine

Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center is made up of a talented group of physicians, certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and others dedicated to providing the very best anesthesia and pain medicine care for our cancer patients. Our department team focuses on excellence in all areas of our practice, clinical care, research and education.

We provide over 25,000 anesthetics per year. Our research mission continues to grow, and we rank in the top 15 of all anesthesia departments for NIH support. We look forward to the generation of new knowledge that flows from our talented team and are especially pleased with advances being made in pain, neuroscience and proteomics research. We offer clinical and research fellowships in cancer anesthesia for interested physicians-in-training and add a second year of research training for selected pain medicine fellows. In association with affiliated institutions, we currently provide unique training opportunities for resident physicians and SRNAs rotating with our anesthesiology team.

Educational programs

Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine offers three specialized fellowship programs designed to advance the skills and expertise of anesthesiologists.

The purpose of the Advanced Airway Management Fellowship is to provide supervised training to board-certified or board eligible anesthesiologists in the practice of Advance Airway Management. Fellows will have the opportunity to enhance their knowledge base and master the most advanced techniques of airway management. After completion of this one-year fellowship training, the individual should be able to manage the most complex and challenging airways. This one-year fellowship program consisting of clinical training, teaching, and research components will prepare future experts to not only serve as valuable resources for enhancing airway safety in clinical practice, but also in the development of airway-related teaching and research for the future. Learn more about the fellowship here.

The Cancer Anesthesiology Fellowship is an advanced fifth-year level program that takes place over the duration of one year, with an additional year available for research. Successful completion of fellowship training results in an institutional certification by MD Anderson. To be qualified for certification, the fellow must complete 12 months of training within the department. Fellows will have to customize clinical rotations in surgical oncology, head and neck oncology, brain tumors, acute and chronic pain, pulmonary lab and research (two to three months). Clinical or laboratory research is encouraged during the fellowship. Learn more about the fellowship here.

The Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine (RAAPM) Fellowship provides supervised training to board-certified or board-eligible anesthesiologists in the practice of regional anesthesia and acute pain management, in addition to medical consultation for the full spectrum of surgical and invasive procedures in the hospital setting. The goal of this program is to develop expertise in managing acute postoperative pain and utilizing regional anesthesia techniques to optimize perioperative analgesia. This 12-month fellowship will provide significant exposure and training in the management of acute perioperative pain using innovative regional anesthesia techniques, neuraxial anesthesia, implementation of enhanced recovery strategies, including opioid-sparing analgesia, and coordination of perioperative care. Learn more about the fellowship here.