Anesthesiology
All Departments
Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology
HomeDepartmentsAnesthesiologyDivisionsCardiothoracic Anesthesiology

The faculty members of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology are skilled clinicians who provide anesthesia services for over 1,400 cases a year in state-of-the-art operating rooms (ORs) and in the electrophysiology and cardiac catheterization laboratories. The University of Maryland Medical Center offers advanced cardiopulmonary life support, including ventricular assist devices, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to critically ill patients.

Our division members work closely with the cardiac surgeons and cardiac surgical team in a wide variety of cases, including coronary revascularization open and robotic, open and robotic valve repair/replacements, major aortic surgery, endovascular aortic procedures for the ascending aorta, arch as well as descending aorta,  ventricular assist device placement, pulmonary thromboendoarterectomies (PTE), heart and lung transplantation and structural heart interventions such as TAVRs, Mitraclips, Watchman and TriClip procedures. During these procedures, our division provides a perioperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) service, with sonographers using TEE machines with 3D imaging capabilities.

The members of our team constantly strive to improve the quality of care for cardiovascular patients based on our performance in blood conservation, thromboprophylaxis, and infection control. The collaborative atmosphere among different specialties typifies one of the many strengths of our medical center.

Faculty

Fellows

Sonographers

    • Bobby Ezzati, RCS - EMAIL
    • Kristen Jordan, RDCS - EMAIL
    • Sarah Krejak, RDCS - EMAIL
    • Inna Shats, MA, RDCS, FASE, Supervisor, Echo Sonographer - EMAIL
    • Glenda March - EMAIL

 

Education and Research

Our faculty members actively teach residents, fellows, and medical students in and out of ORs. Anesthesiology residents are exposedBrittany Williams Presents Poster to a wide variety of anesthetic techniques along with TEE, and blood conservation techniques.  Our Cardiothoracic Fellowship provides further specialization in cardiothoracic anesthesiology by providing extensive TEE training, care of complex cardiac patients, patient blood management, and research opportunities. Dr. Odonkor serves as an ABA Oral Board Examiner, ABA MOCA minute question author and member of the Standardized Oral Examination Committee at the ABA. Dr Deshpande serves as a Question author for the ABA ‎‎‎Adult Cardiac Anesthesiology (ACA) Exam‎‎‎ Committee and Dr Hollander as a Question author for the ‎‎‎ABA Advanced Exam Committee.

Cardiothoracic Division members actively conduct their own research, participate in multi-center clinical trials, and support cardiac surgeons in evaluating new surgical techniques and cardiopulmonary devices. One of the primary research focuses is on coagulation monitoring in complex cardiac surgery. Dr. Williams spends a significant proportion of her time in the laboratory, and her research interests include cardiopulmonary bypass-associated coagulopathy and sepsis-induced coagulopathy. Drs. Williams, Strauss, and Odonkor are actively involved in the Cardiac Xenotransplantation program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, which has produced the longest-surviving orthotopic pig-to-baboon xenotransplant. Dr. Strauss was involved in the first successful minimally invasive intraoperative TEE-guided “HARPOON”- assisted repair of the Mitral Valve in North America.

State and National Service:

  • Dr. Henderson serves as a member of the SCA Blood Conservation Committee
  • Dr. Odonkor serves as an ABA Oral Board Examiner, ABA MOCA minute question author, and member of the Standardized Oral Examination Committee at the ABA. He is also a member of the Perfusion Advisory Committee of the Maryland Board of Physicians.
  • Dr. Deshpande serves a member of the SCA DEI committee, the Women in Cardiothoracic Anesthesia (WICTA) Special Interest group of the SCA, ASA Committee on Residents and Medical Students, ASA Committee on Professional Diversity and ASA Committee on Academic Anesthesiology. She also serves as a Question author for the ABA ‎‎‎Adult Cardiac Anesthesiology (ACA) Exam‎‎‎ Committee.
  • Dr. Mondal is a member of the SCA Scientific Program Committee, SCA Echo Week Committee, SCA DEI Committee, the WICTA special interest group of the SCA, ASA Committee on Cardiovascular and Thoracic Anesthesia, and ASA Transplant Committee. 
  • Dr. Hollander serves as a Question author for the ‎‎‎ABA Advanced Exam Committee.
  • Dr. Williams is a member of the International Collaboration for Transfusion Medicine

Recent Publications

2024

1. Ibekwe SO, Mondal S. “Right vs Right”—Respect Patient's Rights or Do the Right Course of Treatment: A Commentary Surrounding a Patient's Refusal of Emergent. J Cardiothor Vasc Anesth. 2024;38(2):549-551. PMID: 38071147.

2. Ibekwe SO, Everett L, Mondal S. Methadone Should Not Be Used in Cardiac Surgery as Part of Enhanced Recovery After Cardiac Surgery Protocol. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2024;38(5):1272-1274. PMID: 38503627.

3. Mondal S, Abuelkasem E, Vesselinov R, Henderson R, Choi S, Mousa A, Zaza KJ, Tanaka KA. Protamine dosing and its impact in cardiac surgery transfusion practice-A retrospective bi-institutional analysis. Transfusion. 2024;64(2):467-474. PMID: 38264767.

4. Strauss E, Mali M, Henderson R, Mondal S. What Comes First the Transfusion or the Primary Graft Dysfunction? (RE: Bottiger B et al, Anesthesiology [April] 2024). Anesthesiology. Accepted.

5. Mondal S, Oakes DA, Humphrey T, Kolarczyk L, Trzcinka A. Women in Anesthesiology and the Mid-Career Stall: Why They Are Not Advancing Into Senior Leadership. Anesth Analg. 2024;DOI: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000006826. PMID: 38289857.

6. Williams B, Henderson R, Mazzeffi M, Tanaka K. FEIBA: Too Potent a Potion or Just Right for Post-CPB Bleeding?. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2024;38(9):1882-1884. PMID: 38972817.

7. Mondal S, Abuelkasem E, Vesselinov R, Henderson R, Choi S, Mousa A, Zaza KJ, Tanaka KA. Protamine dosing and its impact in cardiac surgery transfusion practice-A retrospective bi-institutional analysis. Transfusion. 2024;64(3):467-474. PMID: 38264767.

8. Parrino CR, Grewal AS, Gibbons M, Toursavadkohi SA, Rock P, Anders MG. Nasal Intubation is not associated with "smoother" emergence from general anesthesia for carotid endarterectomy: a case-cohort study. Ann Vasc Surg. 2024;102, 56-63. PMID: 38296037.

9. Grewal AS, Garcia S, Mali M. Pro: Methadone Should Be Used as a Part of Enhanced Recovery After Cardiac Surgery Protocol. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2024;38(5): 1268-1271. PMID: 38458828.

10. Milam AJ, Bonner TJ, Burton BN, Williams B, Youssef MR, Smith RN, Cannesson M, Troianos C, Pittet J. The Difficulty Implementing Evidence-Based Practice in the Perioperative Setting. Anesth Analg. 2024;139(4):874-880. PMID: 39052524.

11. Eberlein M, Reed RM, Gharaibeh K, Charya A, Grazioli A, Henderson R, Krupnick AS, Bittle G. Small recipient chest cavity from fibrotic lung disease in lung transplantation: Physiology matters. JHLT Open. 2024;5:100123. PMID: 40143914.

12. Strauss ER, Mali M, Henderson R, Mondal S. Transfusions in Lung Transplantation: Comment. Anesthesiology. 2024;141(6):1216-1217. PMID: 39530720.

14. Deshpande SP, Henderson R, Ajith AU, Zimrin AB, Williams B. Cancer-Related Coagulopathy and Perioperative Considerations. Anesth Analg. 140(4):860-872. 2024.

15. Deshpande S. The Empty Space. Anesth Analg. DOI: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000007080. 2024 16. Druker L, Grewal AS. Heparin Resistance. Open Anesthesia. https://www.openanesthesia.org/ keywords/heparin-resistance/. 2024.

17. Schaer DJ, Schaer CA, Humar R, Vallelian F, Henderson R, Tanaka KA, Levy JH, Buehler PW. Navigating Hemolysis and the Renal Implications of Hemoglobin Toxicity in Cardiac Surgery. Anesthesiology. 2024;141(6):1162-1174. PMID: 39159287.

18. Tanaka KA, Henderson RA, Strauss ER. Evolution of viscoelastic coagulation testing. Expert Rev Hematol. 2020 Jul;13(7):697-707. PMID: 32310702.

2025

1. Mondal S, Wasylyshyn C, Vesselinov R, Gibbons M, Bhati C, Jones SE, Rock P, Anders MG. Impact of intraoperative Desmopressin on postoperative urine in adult cadaveric kidney transplant – a single center retrospective study. Can J Anesth. 2025;72:540-549. PMID: 40119096.

2. Mondal S, Emmanuel M, Reindorf R, Mali M, Toursavadkohi S, Ghoreishi M, Williams B, Deshpande SP, Fernando RJ, Augoustides JG, Blacker SN, Smeltz AM. Anesthetic and Perioperative Considerations in Endovascular Aortic Valve, Aortic Root, and Ascending Aorta Repair (Endo-Bentall Procedure) for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection: A Single Academic Center Experience. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2025;39(6):1583-1593. PMID: 40011137.

3. Griffith BP, Grazioli A, Singh AK, Tully A, Galindo J, Saharia KK, Shah A, Strauss ER, Odonkor PN, Williams B, Silverman HJ, Burke A, Drachenberg CB, Wells CL, Dickfeld T, Hong SN, Hicks AJ 3rd, Ananthram M, Gupta A, Christenson RH, Tamburro L, Zhang T, Hershfeld A, Lewis B, Feller ED, Kuravi K, Sorrells L, Morgand E, Mezine F, Goutaudier V, Rothblatt M, Lau CL, Taylor B, Perrin S, Loupy A, Ayares D, Mohiuddin MM. Transplantation of a genetically modified porcine heart into a live human. Nat Med. 2025;31(2):589-598. PMID: 39779924.

4. Singh AK, Goerlich CE, Zhang T, Lewis B, Hershfeld A, Braileanu G, Kurvi K, Rice K, Sentz F, Mudd S, Odonkor P, Strauss E, Williams B, Burke A, Gupta A, Drachenberg CB, Ayares D, Griffith BP, Mohiuddin MM. Genetically Engineered Pig Heart Transplantation in Non-human Primates. Commun Med (Lond);5(1):6. PMID: 39774817.

5. Park C, Ryu T, Mohamed-Hinds R, Kim K, Kim JH, Zou L, Williams B, Na CH, Chao W. Proteomic profiling of plasma extracellular vesicles identifies signatures of innate immunity, coagulation, and endothelial activation in septic patients. Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 1;15(1):21871. PMID: 40596376.

6. Boyang R , Lin R, Li C, Park C, Li Z, Wang S, Suen AO, Kessler J, Yang S, Kozar R, Zou L, Williams B, Hu P, Chao W. Nucleotide motif-guided selection of plasma microRNA biomarkers for organ injury prediction in trauma. medRxiv [Preprint].2025;doi: 10.1101/2025.03.02.25323184. PMID:40093224.

7. Williams NA, Fontaine MJ, Reese E, Anders M, Rock P, Lokhandwala PM, Grewal AS. Electronic positive patient identification, computer provider order entry, and electronic remote blood issue implementation in operating rooms improve the safety and efficiency of blood transfusions. Lab Med. 2025 Mar 26:lmae122. doi: 10.1093/labmed/lmae122. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40139246.

8. Datta S, Richter E, Faloye AO. Left Ventricular Assist Device Insertion in a Patient With MitraClip: Remove Clip or Leave It? A Case Report. A A Pract. 2025;19(5):e01961. PMID: 40391820.

9. Zapata D, Anderson D, Ho K, McCloskey D, Henderson R, Taylor B. Robotic Mitral Valve Replacement With Balloon-Expandable Valve Using Fibrillatory Arrest. Innovations (Phila). 2025;20(4):414-415. PMID: 40548755.

10. Polyak P, Kwak J, Kertai MD, Anton JM, Assaad S, Dacosta ME, Dimitrova G, Gao WD, Henderson RA, Hollon MM, Jones N, Kucharski D, Low Y, Moriarty A, Neuburger P, Ngai JY, Cole SP, Rhee A, Richter E, Shapeton A, Sutherland L, Turner K, Wanat-Hawthorne AM, Wu IY, Shore-Lesserson L. Vasoplegic Syndrome in Cardiac Surgery: A Narrative Review of Etiologic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Options. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2025; 39(7):1815-1829. PMID: 40157894.

11. Fontaine MJ, Lasola JJM, Martinez-Hernandez A, Marshall JN, Bentzen S, Zhan M, Lokhandwala PM, Tanaka K, Villa CH, Jones A, Atreya CD, Henderson RA. A prospective non-inferiority trial of pathogen reduced platelets compared to non-pathogen reduced platelets for correction of viscoelastic platelet function testing in cardiac surgery. Transfusion. 2025;65(7):1293-1306. PMID: 40371875.

12. Annabathula R, Samanta A, Allaham H, Mysore M, Odonkor P, Gupta A, Benitez M, Anderson D, Chahal D. Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement for Valvular Shock in an Extremely Large Annulus. JACC Case Rep. 2025;30(6 Pt 2):103545. PMID: 40155146.