General Anesthesia Division

The Division of General Anesthesia encompasses not only general surgery, trauma surgery and surgical oncology but also oversees perioperative services and critical care. Stony Brook University Hospital serves as the only Level 1 Trauma center for the nearly 1.5 million people of Suffolk County. A 20 bed Surgical Intensive Care Unit which is run by both surgical and anesthesia faculty. Additional Critical Care takes place in our Coronary Care Unit, Medical Intensive Care, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

Division Members


Daryn Moller, MD
Chief of General Anesthesia
           

Residency Training

The division of general anesthesiology provides a diverse, well rounded experience for both residents and attendings, from the most basic aspects of the practice of anesthesiology up to the most demanding and complex. Residents will gain significant experience in dealing with complex multi-trauma cases including closed head injury, intra-abdominal injury and major orthopedic injury simultaneously. Although uncommon in this geographic area, penetrating trauma is managed by our trauma services as well. Trauma/Critical Care experience is augmented by a four-week rotation in the 20 bed Surgical Intensive Care Unit which is run by both surgical and anesthesia faculty. Additional Critical Care experience can be done on an elective basis in our Coronary Care Unit, Medical Intensive Care, Pediatric Intensive Care and Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

  • CA-1: Four-week rotation with close faculty supervision immediately following the six-week introduction for new residents. Focus is on patient management and problem solving in the OR. The clinical experience is supplemented with medical simulation of routine cases and critical events. Dedicated PACU rotation. Advanced airway management.
  • CA-2: There is a focus on invasive monitoring and transesophogeal echocardiography for the diagnosis of ischemia and monitoring of volume status. Residents rotate through Vascular Anesthesia for four weeks with a focus on minimally invasive endovascular procedures. There is also some exposure to major vascular procedures and the physiologic changes associated with surgical procedures involving aortic cross clamping.
  • CA-3: This is an advanced clinical rotation for major general and radical oncologic procedures. The focus is on increasing complex patients with multiple co-morbid conditions. Senior residents are given increasing independence as they gain additional experience in the management of these patients.  They also rotate through “Airway II”, a two-week block focusing on management of the difficult airway.  Senior residents are given additional responsibilities as team leader on call and assist in the triage and management of patients involved in emergent surgical procedures.
  • ▶ A day in the life of a Resident on General Rotation ...
  • ▶ A day in the life of a Resident on Advanced Clinical Rotation ...
  • ▶ A day in the life of a Resident during Vascular Cases ...
  • ▶ A day in the life of a Resident doing a Trauma case ...
  • ▶ A day in the life of a Resident on Pre-op Rotation ...
Recent Division Activity

Resident Dr. Kathleen Cervo presents her Medically Challenging Case at the 2019 PGA Meeting

Resident Dr. Shayla Mena presenting at the 2021 ASA meeting

Recent Publications
Resident authors denoted by bold type
  • Abbasi S, Singh F, Griffel M, Murphy PF. A Process Approach to Decreasing Hospital Onset Clostridium difficile Infections. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2020;46(3):146‐152.
  • Spaniolas K, Nie L, Moller D, Tatarian T, Hesketh A, Yang J, Docimo S, Bates A, Gan TJ, Pryor A. A Comprehensive Approach for the Prevention of Nausea and Vomiting Following Sleeve Gastrectomy: a Randomized Controlled Trial. Obes Surg. 2020 Jun 25.
  • Rubano JA, Jasinski PT, Rutigliano DN, Tassiopoulos AK, Davis JE, Beg T, Poovathoor S, Bergese SD, Ahmad S, Jawa RS, Vosswinkel JA, Talamini MA. Tracheobronchial Slough, a Potential Pathology in Endotracheal Tube Obstruction in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Intensive Care Setting. Ann Surg. 2020 May 20. PMID:32433291.
  • Wiggans M, Arias F, Urman RD, Richman DC, Sweitzer BJ, Edwards AF, Armstrong MJ, Chopra A, Libon DJ, Price C. Common neurodegenerative disorders in the perioperative setting: Recommendations for screening from the Society for Perioperative Assessment and Quality Improvement (SPAQI). Perioper Care Oper Room Manag 2020, vol 20.
  • Richman PS, Richman DC. The role of cardiopulmonary exercise testing in perioperative risk assessment. Int Anesthesiol Clin. 2020 Nov 25.
  • Beg T. Reflections of an Ambulatory Anesthesiologist from the COVID Front Lines. SAMBA Link Member News I Summer 2020.
  • Levin MA, Shah A, Shah R, Kane E, Zhou G, Eisenkraft JB, Chen MD, Katz D, Park C, Lai CY, Burnett G, Gidicsin C, Madek J, Uysal S, Kohli-Seth R, Leibowitz AB; Mount Sinai HELPS Innovate Group. Differential Ventilation Using Flow Control Valves as a Potential Bridge to Full Ventilatory Support during the COVID-19 Crisis: From Bench to Bedside. Anesthesiology. 2020 Oct 1;133(4):892-904.
  • Stony Brook COVID-19 Research Consortium. Mallipattu SK, Jawa R, Moffitt R, Hajagos J, Fries B, Nachman S, Gan TJ, Saltz M, Saltz J, Kaushansky K, Skopicki H, Abell-Hart K, Chaudhri I, Deng J, Garcia V, Gayen S, Kurc T, Bolotova O, Yoo J, Dhaliwal S, Nataraj N, Sun S, Tsai C, Wang Y, Abbasi S, Abdullah R, Ahmad S, Bai K, Bennett-Guerrero E, Chua A, Gomes C, Griffel M, Kalogeropoulos A, Kiamanesh D, Kim N, Koraishy F, Lingham V, Mansour M, Marcos L, Miller J, Poovathoor S, Rubano J, Rutigliano D, Sands M, Santora C, Schwartz J, Shroyer K, Spitzer S, Stopeck A, Talamini M, Tharakan M, Vosswinkel J, W Wertheim. Geospatial Distribution and Predictors of Mortality in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19: A Cohort Study. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020 Sep 14;7(10):ofaa436.
  • Guthrie DB, Richman DC. Patients with psychiatric disease: implications for anesthesiologists. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2021 Jun 1;34(3):345-351.
  • Beg T, Daoud BE, Richman DC. Preoperative optimization of patients undergoing interventional procedures: infrastructure, logistics, and evidence-based medicine. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2021 Aug 1;34(4):482-489.
  • Romeiser JL, Cavalcante J, Richman DC, Singh SM, Liang X, Pei A, Sharma S, Lazarus Z, Gan TJ, Bennett-Guerrero E. Comparing Email, SMS, and Concurrent Mixed Modes Approaches to Capture Quality of Recovery in the Perioperative Period: Retrospective Longitudinal Cohort Study. JMIR Form Res. 2021 Nov 4;5(11):e25209.
  • Kang RS, Hutnik R, Kant I, Zlatopolsky A, Brar C, Oleszak SP. Retrograde Intubation Over a Flexible Fiber-Optic Bronchoscope. Anesth Prog. 2022 Apr 1;69(1):42-45.
Recent Presentations
  • Mathew A, Adsumelli R, Gupta AK, Richman D. Propofol Associated Acute Pancreatitis Following General Anesthesia: A Case Report. Perioperative Medicine Summit, Orlando Mar 2020
  • Cervo K, Richman D. Complications of neck radiation – beyond the difficult airway. Perioperative Medicine Summit, Orlando Mar 2020
  • Taft A, Lee A, Richman D, Gupta AK. Pre-Operative Evaluation and Intraoperative Management of a Patient with EDAC (Excessive dynamic airways collapse). PGA 2020
  • Kang RS, Beg T, Mavarez-Martinez A, Punta C, Bergese SD. Clinical Features of COVID-19 Patients Requiring Endotracheal Tube Exchange. PGA 2020
  • Kang RS, Nguyen CP, Gruen A. Airway Management Of A Patient With Anterior Cervical Hematoma. PGA 2020
  • Kant I, Kang RS, Brar C, Oleszak SP. Retrograde Nasal Fiberoptic Intubation in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. ASA 2020
  • Kang RS, Brar C, Oleszak SP. Airway Management of a Patient with a Multinodular Goiter Causing Tracheal Compression. ASA 2020
  • Kang RS, Kant I, Brar C, Oleszak SP. Reversal of Neuromuscular Blockade with Sugammadex in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. ASA 2020
  • Kang RS, Chojnowski R, Oleszak SP. Development of Subglottic Mass Following Intubation for COVID-19. PGA 2020
  • Kant I, Kang RS, Hutnik R, Zlatopolsky A, Oleszak SP. Transnasal and Transoral Retrograde Intubation in Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy. PGA 2020
  • Mena S, Gruttadauria M, Factor M, DeLemos M. Spinal Anesthesia in Suspected Brugada Syndrome. ASA 2021
  • Kang RS, Bracero LA, Figueroa C, Shuaib K, Watson E, Xiao A, Gidicsin C, Romeiser J, Costa AC, Bennett-Guerrero E. AIRWAY: Improving Preparation for Floor Intubations. ASA 2021
  • Mena SOleszak S. Airway Management with an Arteriovenous Malformation. ASA 2021
  • Shafai A, Kozlowski P, Kang RS, Oleszak SP. Development of Subglottic Stenosis Following Tracheostomy for COVID-19. ASA 2021
  • Kant I, Poovathoor S. Massive Transfusion Protocol in Ruptured Spleen. ASA 2021
  • Mena S, Nguyen C, Kang R, Oleszak S. The Anticipated Difficult Airway: Tracheal Stenosis After COVID-19 Infection. PGA 2021
  • Seiter C, Parikh S, Oleszak SP. An Aggressive Endobronchial Tumor Necessitating Unconventional Airway Management. PGA 2021
  • Lin G, Kang RS, Oleszak S. Laryngeal Stenosis After Inhalational Injury: Airway Management and a Review of the Literature. PGA 2021
  • Mathew A, Figueroa C, Oleszak S, Atkinson D. The Supraglottic Airway Device As An Intubation Conduit. PGA 2021
  • Bell J, Richman D. Anesthetic Considerations for Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease: Far Beyond the Nephron. PGA 2021
  • Zhang K, Xiao A, Richman D. Anesthetic Management of Intrabronchial Valves. PGA 2021
  • Bindelglass A, Richman D, Cecchetto K. Perioperative Approach to a Patient with Hereditary Amyloidosis. PGA 2021
  • Jin Z, Richman D. Utilization of Wearable Pedometer Devices in the Perioperative Period - a Systematic Review. Perioperative Summit 2022
  • Diamond P, Gidicsin C. Anesthetic Management for Thrombectomy of Saddle Pulmonary Embolism. ASA 2022
  • Cuenca J, Jin Z, Ahn J, Poovathoor SP, Lin J. Efficacy of Remimazolam for Procedural Sedation Compared to Midazolam - A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. ASA 2022