The Department of Anesthesiology is proud to highlight its recent achievements at the
Quinnipiac University and Hartford Health Symposium, where faculty, residents, and
medical students collaborated on innovative research projects that stood out among
99 multidisciplinary submissions. These accomplishments reflect our department’s
leadership in advancing perioperative care and our strong commitment to fostering
resident’s and early involvement of medical students in anesthesiology research. By
providing mentorship opportunities, we empower students to contribute meaningfully to
clinical scholarship and quality improvement initiatives. These efforts not only enhance
the educational experience but also drive innovations that improve patient outcomes
and address global challenges like sustainability.
Symposium Highlights:
1. Anterior Femoral Cutaneous Nerve Blocks in Total Knee Arthroplasty
- Awarded First Place for Best Research Project
- Presented by Dr. James Tautkus, MD (PGY-1), with mentorship from Drs.
Andrew Kehrer, Theresa Bowling, Haleh Saadat, and Vlad Frenk. - This quality improvement project demonstrated that incorporating anterior
femoral cutaneous nerve blocks (AFCNB) into perioperative protocols
significantly reduced postoperative diazepam requirements and improved pain
control for anterior knee pain inadequately addressed by conventional nerve
blocks.
2. Carbon Dioxide Venous Embolism During Retroperitoneoscopic Adrenalectomy
- Awarded Second Place for Best Case Presentation
- Presented by Dr. Kyle Yano, DO (PGY-1), with mentorship from Drs. Haleh
Saadat and Katherine Michelini. - This clinical case study detailed the intraoperative management of a rare but potentially life-threatening complication—carbon dioxide venous
embolism—using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)-guided diagnosis,
cessation of insufflation, patient repositioning, and cardiovascular support.
3. Pain Management Strategies in Lumbar Fusion Surgery
- Presented by third-year medical student Ryan Brennan under the mentorship of Drs. Haleh Saadat and Vlad Frenk.
- This retrospective study compared ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane blocks (ESPB) with wound infiltration using liposomal bupivacaine in lumbar
fusion surgery patients. The findings showed no significant differences in
postoperative pain scores or opioid consumption between the two techniques,
contributing valuable insights into multimodal analgesia strategies.
- Presented by second-year medical student Georgi Savov under the mentorship of Drs. James Tautkus, Haleh Saadat, and Gale Segarra Roberts.
- This initiative successfully eliminated desflurane vaporizers at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in April 2024, significantly reducing the institution’s anesthetic-associated carbon footprint and aligning with global sustainability efforts.
