The Obstetrical Anesthesiology rotation is required during the CA-2 year and is two months duration. It may be taken as an elective for one to three months during the CA-3 year. During this rotation the anesthesiology resident is expected to learn and demonstrate the mastery of providing anesthesia and analgesia to normal and high-risk parturients. A keen understanding of maternal, fetal, and newborn physiological characteristics will be expected. Technical procedures such as epidural catheter placement and subarachnoid blocks will be mastered. Interpersonal and communications skills will be essential for successful completion of this rotation.

OB ANESTHESIOLOGY CA2:

• Learn the unique physiologic characteristics of the parturient.
• Learn the physiologic characteristics of the newborn and the physiological changes associated with birth.
• Become skilled at management of uncomplicated parturients.
• Learn and perfect the technique of epidural and subarachnoid analgesia for the laboring parturient.
• Learn and perfect the technique of epidural and subarachnoid anesthesia for a surgical delivery of the fetus.
• Learn and perfect the technique of rapid sequence induction and general anesthesia maintenance while optimizing the outcome of both mother and fetus/neonate.
• Become familiar with management of the high risk parturient including multiple gestations, extreme age, pregnancy induced hypertension, gestational diabetes, and morbid obesity.
• Learn and perfect the technique of neonatal resuscitation.

OB ANESTHESIOLOGY CA 3:

• Review previous skills and knowledge related to OB anesthesiology.
• Learn and perfect the techniques of combined spinal epidural.
• Become more comfortable with newer local anesthetics.
• Increase proficiency at spinal anesthesia for caesarean sections, second trimester abortions, cerclages, and postpartum tubal ligations.
• Increase comfort in the peripartum management of extremely high-risk parturient patients including pre-ecclampsia, ecclampsia, HELLP Syndrome, Fetal congenital annomolies, Maternal heart disease, etc.