North America Fellowship Programs

Program Director: Corey Zetterman, MD
Contact: corey.zetterman@unmc.edu

Clinical Summary

#OLT/year (avg): 100+ including pediatric, multivisceral, isolated small bowel, and living donor

#Fellows/year: 1

Use of TEE: most cases

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Required

ROTEM/TEG: TEG

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 60

Days spent in OR as attending: 8 months as a fellow, 4 months as OR attending. Possible internal moonlighting

Elective Rotations: Echocardiography, Transplant surgery

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: Yes

Publications: Encouraged

Dedicated research time: Varies according to projects

Program Director: Dr. Adrian Hendrickse BM, MMEd, MAcadMEd, FRCA
Contact: ADRIAN.HENDRICKSE@CUANSCHUTZ.EDU

Clinical Summary

#OLT/year (avg): 100

#Fellows/year: 1-2

Use of TEE: most cases

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Required

ROTEM/TEG: ROTEM

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 50

Days spent in OR as attending: 2.5

Elective Rotations: Echocardiography, Hemodialysis, ICU, Pain Management, Blood Bank, Inpatient Management

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: Yes

Dedicated research time: Research time is when no fellow appropriate cases in OR.

Publications: Encouraged, but not required

Program Director: Coimbatore Srinivas
Contact: Coimbatore.srinivas@uhn.ca

Clinical Summary

#Fellows/year: 4

#OLT/year (avg): 180 + 60 LDLT

Use of TEE: For rescue

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Encouraged

ROTEM/TEG: ROTEM

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 45

Days spent in OR as attending: 2.5

Elective Rotations: Surgical Oncology

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: Yes

Dedicated research time: 1 day/week

Publications: Encouraged, but not required.

Program Director: Fouad Souki MD
Contact: FSouki@med.miami.edu

Clinical Summary

#Fellows/year: 4

#OLT/year (avg): 95, 30 Pedi, 20 Multivisceral

Use of TEE: most cases

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Encouraged, not required

ROTEM/TEG: TEG

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 25

Days spent in OR as attending: 1-2days/week

Elective Rotations: ICU, Donor Procurement, Perioperative Transplantation Fellowship

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: Yes, Weekly

Dedicated research time: 1-2 days/week

Publications: Require 1/year

Program Director: Michael Hannaman MD
Contact: hannaman@wisc.edu

Clinical Summary

#Fellows/year: 1

#OLT/year (avg): 80-100

Use of TEE: Case by case

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Encouraged, but not required.

ROTEM/TEG: TEG

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 50

Days spent in OR as attending: 1-2 days/week

Elective Rotations: ICU, Hepatology, Transplant Surgery, Blood Bank

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: Weekly

Dedicated research time: 2-3 days/week

Publications: 1 Required or PBLD

Program Director: Joseph Koveleskie MD
Contact: jkoveleskie@ochsner.org

Clinical Summary

Fellowship Summary

Program Director: Raymond Planinsic MD
Contact: Planinsicrm@anes.upmc.edu

Clinical Summary

#Fellows/year: 1

#OLT/year (avg): 100

Use of TEE: Every Case

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Encouraged but not required

ROTEM/TEG: TEG

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 50

Days spent in OR as attending: n/a

Elective Rotations: n/a

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: Yes

Dedicated research time: 1-2 days/week

Publications: Encouraged, but not required

Program Director: Sonali Joshi MD
Contact: joshis@anesthesia.ucsf.edu

Clinical Summary

#Fellows/year: 2

#OLT/year (avg): 150, 30 LDLT, 9 Peds

Use of TEE: Case by case

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Encouraged, but not required

ROTEM/TEG: n/a

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 50

Days spent in OR as attending: 2 days/week

Elective Rotations: Blood Bank

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: n/a

Dedicated research time: n/a

Publications: Encouraged but not required

Program Director: Jeron Zerillo MD
Contact: jeron.zerillo@mountsinai.org

Clinical Summary

#Fellows/year: 1

#OLT/year (avg): 110-135 (10-15 LDLT)

Use of TEE: >85% of cases

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Required

ROTEM/TEG: ROTEM

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 50

Days spent in OR as attending: 1 day/week

Elective Rotations: Blood Bank

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: Case by case

Dedicated research time: 3 days/week

Publications: At least 1/year required

Program Director: Christine Nguyen-Buckley MD
Contact: cnguyenbuckley@mednet.ucla.edu

Clinical Summary

#Fellows/year: 1-2/year

#OLT/year (avg): 160-170

Use of TEE: All cases

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification:Required

ROTEM/TEG: ROTEM

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 60

Days spent in OR as attending: 2 days/week

Elective Rotations: Liver ICU, Blood Bank, TEE

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: Yes (with focus on Peds and Combined Heart-Liver transplants)

Dedicated research time: 1 day/week

Publications: None required

Program Director: Richard Benzinger
Contact: benzingerg@wustl.edu

Clinical Summary

#Fellows/year: 1

#OLT/year (avg): 100

Use of TEE: 50% cases

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Required

ROTEM/TEG: ROTEM

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 50

Days spent in OR as attending: n/a

Elective Rotations: Transplant Surgery, ICU, Blood Bank

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: Inpatient consults

Dedicated research time: 1 day/week

Publications: Required

Program Director: Jacek Cywinski MD
Contact: cywinsj@ccf.org

Clinical Summary

#Fellows/year: 1

#OLT/year (avg): 130-140

Use of TEE: All cases

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Required

ROTEM/TEG: TEG

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 60

Days spent in OR as attending: 1-2 days/week if Ohio Medical License

Elective Rotations: ICU, Blood Bank, TEE, Interventional Radiology

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: Yes

Dedicated research time: 1 day/week

Publications: Required

Program Director: Cinnamon Sullivan MD
Contact: cinnamon.sullivan@emoryhealthcare.org

Clinical Summary

#Fellows/year: 1

#OLT/year (avg): 180

Use of TEE: Select Cases

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Expected

ROTEM/TEG: n/a

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 50

Days spent in OR as attending: 2 days/week

Elective Rotations: ICU, Hepatology, Blood Bank

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: Yes

Dedicated research time: n/a

Publications: Required

Program Director: Tricia Brentjens MD
Contact: tb164@cumc.columbia.edu

Clinical Summary

#Fellows/year: 1

#OLT/year (avg): 100

Use of TEE: Rescue cases

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: No

ROTEM/TEG: ROTEM

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 50

Days spent in OR as attending: n/a

Elective Rotations: ICU, Hepatology

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: High risk inpatients

Dedicated research time: 2 days/week

Publications: Encouraged, but not required

Program Director: Elia Elia MD
Contact: elia.elia@jefferson.edu

Clinical Summary

#Fellows/year: 1

#OLT/year (avg): 85

Use of TEE: 1st month elective with cardiac anesthesia w/ 40-50 additional cases

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Required

ROTEM/TEG: ROTEM

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 50

Days spent in OR as attending: None

Elective Rotations: Echo, Blood Bank, Nephrology (2 weeks, with emphasis on ICU
patients), Transplant Surgery and Clinic

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: Yes

Dedicated research time: 1ST month of fellowship, then as needed

Publications: Required

Program Director: Robert Kariger
Contact: robert.kariger@cshs.org

Clinical Summary

#Fellows/year: 1

#OLT/year (avg): 60-80

Use of TEE: Select cases

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Encouraged, but not required

ROTEM/TEG: ROTEM

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 40

Days spent in OR as attending: 1-2 days/week

Elective Rotations: TEE, ICU, Research

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: Yes

Dedicated research time: 1 block

Publications: Required

Program Director: Aliaskei Pustavoitau MD
Contact: apustav1@jhmi.edu

Clinical Summary

#Fellows/year: 2

#OLT/year (avg): 100

Use of TEE: 40+ case (with additional cardiac cases)

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Required

ROTEM/TEG: ROTEM

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 50

Days spent in OR as attending: 1.25 days/week

Elective Rotations: Transplant hepatology, Nephrology, Blood Bank, TEE

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: n/a

Dedicated research time: No specific time, but can be requested.

Publications: Encouraged, but not required

Program Director: Sean Ewing MD
Contact: seanses@med.umich.edu
Clinical Summary
#Fellows/year: 2
#OLT/year (avg): 80-100
Use of TEE: Used in all liver transplants and high risk major vascular cases.
Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Required.
ROTEM/TEG: ROTEM
Fellowship Summary
Recommended OLT/fellow: 40+ (with additional high risk major vascular cases).
Days spent in OR as attending: 2 days/week
Elective Rotations: N/A
Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes
Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: N/A
Dedicated research time: Variable based clinical demand (1-3 days / wk)
Publications: 1 publication or other scholarly project required.

Program Director: Florian Hackl
Contact: florian.hackl@lahey.org

Lahey Medical Center Liver Transplant Anesthesia Program Website 

Clinical Summary

#Fellows/year: 1

#OLT/year (avg): 100 + 35 (BIDMC)

Use of TEE: All cases

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Required

ROTEM/TEG: ROTEM

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 80-100

Days spent in OR as attending: Daily (if no transplants)

Elective Rotations: ICU, Hepatology, Nephrology, Blood bank, Organ Bank, Pediatrics, TEE, Transplant surgery

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: Yes

Dedicated research time: 1 day/week

Publications: Required

Program Director: Kyota Fukazawa, MD, PhD
Contact: fukazawa@uw.edu

Clinical Summary
#Fellows/year: 1
#OLT/year (avg): 110 + live donor liver transplant cases
Use of TEE: ~25%
Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Expected
ROTEM/TEG: TEG

Fellowship Summary
Recommended OLT/fellow: 35
Days spent in OR as attending: 2.00 days/week
Elective Rotations: Transfusion Medicine, ICU, Hepatology, TEE
Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes
Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: Yes
Dedicated research time: No specific time, but can be requested.
Publications: Encouraged, but not required

More details: http://depts.washington.edu/anesth/education/fellows/liver-transplant.shtml

Program Director: Uoo Kim MD
Contact: urkim@llu.edu

Clinical Summary 

#Fellows/year: 1
#OLT/year (avg): 100-120
Use of TEE: Every case
Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Encouraged, but not required
ROTEM/TEG: ROTEM

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 50
Days spent in OR as attending: 3 days/week if no transplants
Elective Rotations: N/A
Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes
Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: N/A
Dedicated research time: 2 days/week
Publications: Encouraged, not required

More details: https://www.lluanesthesia.com/liver-transplant-anesthesia-fellows

Program Director: Spencer Liebman, MD

Contact: spencer.liebman@vcuhealth.org

Clinical Summary

#OLT/year (avg): 100+

#Fellows/year: 2

Use of TEE: Most Cases

Pathway for BASIC TEE Certification: Encouraged, but not required

ROTEM/TEG: TEG

Fellowship Summary

Recommended OLT/fellow: 50

Days Spent in OR as attending: Average 2 days/week

Rotations: Transplant Hepatology, ICU

Involvement in Selection Committee: Yes

Involvement in Preoperative Patient Assessment Clinic: Yes

Publications: Encouraged

Dedicated research time: 2-4 days/ month

Number of positions: 2 per year

Duration: 1 year

Description:

Our liver transplant anesthesia fellows work with an outstanding team of liver transplant anesthesiologists and surgeons at one of the busiest transplant centers in the country. Our anesthesia team consists of 14 faculty trained in liver transplant anesthesia and critical care. We perform close to 200 liver transplants per year, including 20-30 living donor transplants and 8-10 pediatric transplants. Patients are often acutely ill, with high MELD scores at the time of transplant.

In this unique non-ACGME fellowship, trainees split their time between working as the liver transplant anesthesia fellow and serving on faculty as an attending clinical instructor in the general OR (average 2 – 3 days/week in the main OR) and can work overtime hours in the general OR for additional pay. Our fellows participate in adult and pediatric deceased donor and living donor liver transplants, and adult live donor operations. Educational meetings include transplant selection committee meetings, transplant morbidity and mortality conference, and liver anesthesia journal club.

Our fellows are strongly encouraged to participate in at least one scholarly project during their year. Our group engages in several ongoing research, education, and quality improvement projects to which fellows may wish to contribute. Several fellows have published their fellow projects as first authors in peer-reviewed journals. Our fellowship prepares candidates for leadership positions in transplant centers and fulfills criteria required to become Director of Liver Transplant Anesthesia as put forward by the ASA.

Clinical responsibilities:

On designated fellow days, the fellow will be on call for liver transplants occurring day or night. Fellows will only take call until 7pm on evenings preceding an attending clinical instructor day. Fellows will take an average of two weekends per month of home call. Fellows will participate in 60-80 liver transplants during their fellowship year. Designated attending days will be spent providing anesthesia services for a wide range of cases in the general OR, either working alone or supervising residents and/or CRNAs.

Research opportunities:

During the fellowship year there is ample opportunity to participate in transplant research. Our group is currently conducting several large database projects and multiple randomized controlled trials. Our fellows are encouraged to attend and present at a liver transplant conference, such as the annual meetings of ILTS or SATA.

How to Apply:

We accept applications on a rolling basis starting January for the following year. (January 2022 for the academic year 2023/2024). Our fellowship positions for 2022/2023 have been filled already. Our fellows usually start their fellowship in July/August, but there is some flexibility regarding the individual start date. Please submit your CV, statement of interest (limit 500 words), and 3 letters of recommendation. Please submit your application via email to Dr. Dieter Adelmann (dieter.adelmann@ucsf.edu) and Dr. Kate Kronish (kate.kronish@ucsf.edu). Letter writers should email their recommendations directly to Dr. Adelmann.
We are looking forward to sharing more about our fellowship. Please reach out to us if you have any other questions regarding our program.

Dieter Adelmann, Liver Transplant Anesthesia Fellowship Director
Kate Kronish, Chief, Division of Liver Transplant Anesthesia