News & Multimedia in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine

Research Roundup - March 2019

Friday, March 8, 2019  Mass General

Research at the MGH is interwoven throughout more than 30 departments, centers and units, and is conducted with the support and guidance of the MGH Research Institute. The Research Roundup is a monthly series highlighting studies, news and events.

Anesthesia CRNA Spotlight: Meghan Pattavina

Thursday, January 31, 2019  Mass General

A Q&A with Meghan Pattavina: CRNA and SRNA Clinical Coordinator in the Massachusetts General Hospital’s Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine (DACCPM).

Acupuncture Available at the Pain Management Center

Tuesday, January 29, 2019  Mass General

The Massachusetts General Hospital Pain Management Center offers acupuncture services as a treatment option for individuals with acute or chronic pain.

Research Roundup

Friday, October 5, 2018  Mass General

Research at the MGH is interwoven throughout more than 30 departments, centers and units and is conducted with the support and guidance of the MGH Research Institute.

Improving the Safety of Vena Caval Thrombectomy in Kidney Cancer with Tumor Thrombus Team Approach

Wednesday, July 25, 2018  Mass General

Complete removal of a tumor thrombus resulting from venous tumor invasion is essential for eliminating the cancer in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). A multispecialty tumor thrombus team within an integrated practice can improve the safety of this intricate and extensive procedure.

10 Tips for Living with Chronic Pain

Tuesday, June 26, 2018  Mass General

Living with chronic pain can be challenging. Lucy Chen, MD, a physician researcher in Massachusetts General Hospital’s Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, discusses 10 tips for living with chronic pain.

Can Acupuncture Relieve Chronic Pain?

Friday, June 1, 2018  Mass General

Lucy Chen, MD, a researcher in Massachusetts General Hospital’s Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, discusses her clinical interests and current research, which focuses on finding a reliable outcome assessment for acupuncture.

Anesthesia CRNA Spotlight: Q&A with Stephanie A. Lankford, MSN, CRNA, CPT

Monday, March 5, 2018  Mass General

Stephanie Lankford shares her thoughts about Women's History Month in this short Q&A.

Anesthesia Attending Spotlight: Lia Tron, MD, MPH

Thursday, February 8, 2018  Mass General

Lia Tron, MD, MPH, shares her unique experience as an attending physician in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Salvatore Basta, MD, Celebrates 40 Years at Mass General

Thursday, October 12, 2017  Mass General

On October 16, 1846, Boston dentist William T. G. Morton held the first successful public demonstration of ether as a surgical anesthetic. Mass General’s annual Ether Day celebration honors hospital employees for their years of service. Salvatore Basta, MD, will be celebrating 40 years with Mass General.

Anesthesia Attending Spotlight: Maximilian Hsia-Kiung, MD

Sunday, October 1, 2017  Mass General

Maximilian Hsia-Kiung, MD, shares his unique experience as an attending physician in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.

5 Things You Didn't Know About Chronic Pain

Friday, September 8, 2017  Mass General

September is Pain Awareness Month, and Maximilian Hsia-Kiung, MD, a physician in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, shares five things you didn’t know about chronic pain.

Anesthesia Resident Spotlight: Kyan Safavi, MD, MBA

Friday, March 31, 2017  Mass General

Kyan Safavi, MD, MBA, shares his unique experience as a resident in the Anesthesia Residency Program at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Making Things Work - Biomedical Engineering at St. Boniface

Tuesday, October 4, 2016  Mass General

Tom Monaghan works as the Chief Biomedical Engineering Technician at Massachusetts General Hospital. Tom worked as the sole biomedical engineering technician at St. Boniface in Haiti for half a year, fixing lifesaving medical equipment to ensure hospital staff have the tools they need to provide high quality care to patients

Once again, named among America's best hospitals

Tuesday, August 2, 2016  Mass General

Massachusetts General Hospital is once again named among the top hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report and is the only hospital to be highly rated across all 16 specialties.

Building teamwork block by block

Friday, February 26, 2016  Mass General

Recently a team of 60 surgeons, anesthesiologists, nursing and perioperative support staff from across the Departments of Surgery, Anesthesia and Perioperative Nursing participated in a team training exercise.

Explorations on ice:

Friday, December 11, 2015  Mass General

The Weddell Seal is a champion diving mammal. It can thrive in icy Antarctic waters for extended periods of time while holding its breath, and survive the extreme pressure of deep diving due to its unique physiology.

Neurologic 'switch' rapidly induces sleep-associated brain wave patterns

Thursday, October 29, 2015  Research

MGH and MIT investigators have discovered what appears to be a neurologic ‘switch’ within the brain that controls the process of falling asleep.

Anesthesia Resident Spotlight: Jamie Rubin, MD, and David Bartels, MD

Saturday, August 1, 2015  Mass General

David Bartels, MD, and Jamie Rubin, MD, share their unique experiences as residents in the Anesthesia Residency Program at Massachusetts General Hospital.

#1 in the Nation

Tuesday, July 21, 2015  Mass General

U.S. News & World Report has named Massachusetts General Hospital the #1 hospital in the nation based on our quality of care, patient safety and reputation in 16 clinical specialties.

Brown honored

Friday, February 6, 2015  Mass General

Emery N. Brown, MD, PhD, director of the Neuroscience Statistic Research Laboratory in the MGH Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

Caroline’s cause

Monday, January 12, 2015  Mass General

Caroline Murray is hoping to make a difference. The 9-year-old has been collecting funds for MGH Alzheimer’s research to help her grandmother and others who suffer from the disease.

Integrated medical technology may ease Ebola’s complicated procedures

Friday, November 14, 2014  Mass General

As health care workers across the country prepare for the possibility of treating a patient with Ebola, an MGH research team is working hard to rapidly identify technology-based solutions to support Ebola care.

Ether Day applause

Friday, October 24, 2014  Mass General

Every October, the MGH community celebrates the anniversary of the first successful public demonstration of ether as a surgical anesthetic. In doing so, the hospital also celebrates staff as they reach milestones in their commitment to the hospital.

Russell Museum Fall Lecture Series

Thursday, September 11, 2014  Mass General

All MGH Russell Museum lectures are open to the public. To register, please email mghhistory@partners.org.

Safe delivery

Friday, July 25, 2014  Mass General

For Dan Drzymalski, MD, Shiqian Shen, MD, and May Pian-Smith, MD, physicians in the MGH Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, relieving pain is their calling – a calling that recently took them overseas.

#1 in New England, #2 in the nation

Tuesday, July 15, 2014  Mass General

U.S. News & World Report ranks Massachusetts General Hospital among the top hospitals in America based on our quality of care, patient safety and reputation in 16 specialties.

In General Awards and Honors: May 16, 2014

Friday, May 16, 2014  Mass General

In General Awards and Honors: May 16, 2014

Nurses on the run

Friday, February 28, 2014  Mass General

Six nurses on the Blake 12 Intensive Care Unit are planning to run the 2014 Boston Marathon – five for charity teams and one as a qualified runner.

James Rathmell named first Beecher professor

Friday, August 2, 2013  Mass General

James P. Rathmell, MD, executive vice chair and chief of the Division of Pain Medicine in the MGH Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, has been named as the inaugural incumbent of the Henry Knowles Beecher Professorship of Anesthesia.

Dream come true: MGH researcher selected as NASA astronaut trainee

Friday, June 21, 2013  Mass General

When Jessica Meir was 5 years old, she drew a picture of what she wanted to be when she grew up. Thirty years later, the PhD and assistant biologist in the MGH Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine recalled that crayon creation when discussing how her dream of becoming an astronaut may now become a reality.

Toys, toys, toys

Friday, December 21, 2012  Mass General

MGH departments host annual Toys for Tots competition.

Enhancing the patient and family experience

Friday, December 7, 2012  Mass General

Local artist donates prints to the MGH Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) waiting room.

Major NIH grants support innovative research projects

Friday, September 28, 2012  Mass General

Two MGH-led research teams and one MGH investigator have received major grants from the National Institutes of Health.

Team helps treat burn victims in Ukraine

Friday, August 17, 2012  Mass General

The Doctors Collaborating to Help Children organization recently launched a new telemedicine program allowing MGH and Shriners physicians to provide quick and efficient consultations for acutely ill burn patients in Ukraine.

In Generals: 08.10.12

Friday, August 10, 2012  Mass General

In General awards and honors

Xue named first recipient of Amelia F. Gardner Memorial Award

Friday, July 13, 2012  Mass General

Feng Xue, senior financial analyst in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, was honored June 26 as the first recipient of the Amelia F. Gardner Memorial Service Award in recognition of her “nurturing nature, dedication, selflessness and patience.”

In General: July 13, 2012

Friday, July 13, 2012  Mass General

In General: July 13, 2012

Cemetery tour keeps history alive

Friday, June 29, 2012  Mass General

Each spring Elliott Miller, MD, brings together a new generation of physicians to learn about their predecessors, a unique occasion in that the students are the teachers – each is tasked with making a presentation – and their classroom is the Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge.

In General 05.11.12

Friday, May 11, 2012  Mass General

In General awards and honors

Department of Anesthesia collaboration aims to improve postoperative care in rural Uganda

Friday, February 10, 2012  Mass General

IN THE UNITED STATES and other developed nations, caregivers can access to the latest technologies and techniques, allowing them to improve patient outcomes and comfort. Unfortunately, clinicians in developing countries often lack these critical resources.

Friendly competition brings holiday joy

Friday, December 23, 2011  Mass General

The battle began brewing at the MGH in the final weeks of November.

October 20, 2011 in Misrata, Libya:The day the humanitarian imperative, unexpectedly, meets freedom

Wednesday, October 26, 2011  Mass General

MGH anesthesiologist Catherine Mullaly shares her account of working as a Durant Fellow at Qasr Ahmed Hospital in Misrata, Libya during the fall of Sirte, the capture of Qaddafi, and the liberation of the Libyan people.

SAC meeting

Friday, April 22, 2011  Mass General

The 64th meeting of the MGH Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) on April 14 celebrated key accomplishments of MGH investigators, past and present, and examined strategies for meeting the challenges currently facing the academic biomedical research community.

SAC meeting to honor past scientific leadership, address current challenges

Friday, April 8, 2011  Research

ALL MGHERS are invited to attend the 2011 meeting of the MGH Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), which will commemorate the hospital’s bicentennial with a look back at significant research accomplishments of MGH investigators and examine challenges facing today’s research community.

In General: J.A. Jeevendra (Jeeva) Martyn, MD, and Jeannie T. Lee, MD, PhD

Friday, January 14, 2011  Mass General

MGH Hotline 01.14.11 In General awards and honors

Future philanthropists support MGHfC

Friday, July 16, 2010  Mass General

THE YOUNGEST of philanthropists recently demonstrated their support for pediatric patients at MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC).

IV infusion devices move from "smart" to "intelligent"

Friday, February 19, 2010  Mass General

MGH Hotline 02.19.10 In the late 1990s, the MGH transformed patient intravenous (IV) medication safety by conceptualizing and developing the "smart" drug infusion pump -- an invention that was first deployed at the MGH and has since proven highly useful in clinical care worldwide.

Facing a better future

Friday, December 4, 2009  Mass General

MGH Hotline 12.04.09 When she looked in the mirror, the long jagged scars running across her cheek reflected back at her, a disturbing reminder of the physical and emotional abuse she suffered at the hands of the father of her children.

MGH Center for Pain Medicine renovates and expands

Friday, November 20, 2009  Mass General

MGH Hotline 11/20/2009 AS ONE OF THE LARGEST and most advanced pain centers in the Northeast, the MGH Center for Pain Medicine offers multidisciplinary care for individuals with acute, chronic and cancer-related pain as well as coordinated consultative services for hospitalized and ambulatory patients.

MGH Center for Pain Medicine renovates and expands

Friday, November 20, 2009  Clinical

MGH Hotline 11.20.09 As one of the largest and most advanced pain centers in the Northeast, the MGH Center for Pain Medicine offers multidisciplinary care for individuals with acute, chronic and cancer-related pain as well as coordinated consultative services for hospitalized and ambulatory patients.

Brown named to Zapol professorship

Friday, October 23, 2009  Mass General

MGH Hotline 10.23.09 The Warren M. Zapol Professorship in Anaesthesia, a new endowed chair at Harvard Medical School (HMS), has been established to honor the clinical and research accomplishments of Warren M. Zapol, MD, who served as anesthetist-in-chief in the MGH Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine from 1994 to 2008 and who is now the department's anesthetist-in-chief emeritus.

A new and improved Post Anesthesia Care Unit

Friday, October 16, 2009  Mass General

MGH Hotline 10.16.09 A new and improved Post Anesthesia Care Unit Patients recovering from surgery in the MGH Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) now are cared for in a new 20-bed unit nearly double the square footage of the previous facility.

Acute Pain Service established for 24-hour pain management

Friday, March 13, 2009  Clinical

The MGH Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care on Jan. 5 launched the Acute Pain Service under the guidance of department chief Jeanine Wiener-Kronish, MD.

Largest-ever study identifies gene regions associated with sleep duration - 3/7/2019, Research

A study led by investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Exeter Medical School has identified 76 new gene regions associated with sleep duration.

Insomnia-associated gene regions suggest underlying mechanisms, potential treatment targets - 2/25/2019, Research

An international research team led by investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Exeter Medical School has identified 57 gene regions associated with symptoms of insomnia.

Research sheds light on body clock and links to mental health and disease - 1/29/2019, Research

A large-scale genomic analysis by researchers from the University of Exeter and Massachusetts General Hospital has revealed some of the inner workings of the body clock, shedding new light on how it links to mental health and disease.

Neuroinflammation seen in spinal cord, nerve roots of patients with chronic sciatica - 5/9/2018, Research

A study by Massachusetts General Hospital investigators has found, for the first time in humans, that patients with chronic sciatica – back pain that shoots down the leg – have evidence of inflammation in key areas of the nervous system.

Massachusetts panel reviews adverse events in cataract surgery, makes recommendations for prevention - 11/10/2017, Research

A team of specialists in anesthesiology, ophthalmology and patient safety convened in response to a series of injuries to patients receiving cataract surgery has reported its findings regarding factors contributing to those and other adverse events and strategies for preventing patient harm in such procedures.

Separation of conjoined twins presents surgical and ethical challenges for MassGeneral Hospital for Children staff - 10/25/2017, Clinical

When a pair of conjoined twins was brought to MassGeneral Hospital for Children for evaluation, the staff was presented with both the technical challenges inherent in what would be a complicated separation procedure and the ethical dilemma of choosing between options that would probably result in the death of either one or both children.

Advanced EEG analysis reveals the complex beauty of the sleeping brain - 2/7/2017, Research

Massachusetts General Hospital investigators have developed a novel approach to analyze brainwaves during sleep, which promises to give a more detailed and accurate depiction of neurophysiological changes than provided by a traditional sleep study.

Migraine associated with higher risk of stroke after surgery - 1/11/2017, Research

Surgical patients with a history of migraines have a greater risk of stroke and readmission to hospital.

Genetics link sleep disturbance with restless legs syndrome, schizophrenia and obesity - 12/19/2016, Research

A team of American and British scientists have for the first time discovered genetic connections between sleep disturbance and a range of medical disorders including obesity.

Stimulation of dopamine neurons induces arousal of mice receiving general anesthesia - 10/26/2016, Research

The latest study from a Massachusetts General Hospital/Massachusetts Institute of Technology team investigating the mechanisms underlying general anesthesia finds that stimulating a specific group of neurons in mice produces signs of arousal even as the animals continue to receive the anesthetic drug isoflurane.

Early mobilization improves outcomes, shortens length of stay in surgical ICUs - 9/29/2016, Research

A program encouraging early mobilization of patients in surgical intensive care units was able to reduce the time patients spent in the ICU and their overall time in the hospital and also increased patients’ functional independence upon hospital discharge, allowing more of them to be discharged home.

Nanoprobe enables measurement of protein dynamics in living cells - 6/14/2016, Clinical

A team of researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and the Rowland Institute at Harvard University have used a specialized nanoprobe developed by the Harvard/Rowland investigators to directly measure levels of key proteins within living, cultured cells.

Shackleton expedition surgeons completed hazardous procedure 100 years ago - 6/14/2016, Mass General

Amputation completed in extreme environment posed hazards – some then unknown – to both patient and surgical team.

The body's response to low levels of oxygen may treat mitochondrial disease, study finds - 2/25/2016, Research

A team led by MGH investigators has found that the controlled induction of the hypoxia response, the body’s reaction to a reduced level of oxygen in the bloodstream, may relieve the symptoms of one of the most challenging groups of genetic disorders – mitochondrial diseases.

Mass. General study finds medication error or adverse event associated with 5 percent of perioperative drug administrations - 10/25/2015, Research

The first study to measure the incidence of medication errors and adverse drug events during the perioperative period – immediately before, during and right after a surgical procedure – has found that some sort of mistake or adverse event occurred in every second operation and in 5 percent of observed drug administrations.

Studies reveal how general anesthesia's brain effects differ in older adults and in children - 8/13/2015, Research

A series of papers from MGH researchers is detailing the differences in the way common anesthetics affect the brains of older patients and children, findings that could lead to ways of improving monitoring technology and the safety of general anesthesia for such patients.

Mass. General study identifies characteristic EEG pattern of high-dose nitrous oxide anesthesia - 7/7/2015, Research

A report from MGH investigators finds that EEG patterns of patients receiving high doses of nitrous oxide differ significantly from those of the same patients under ether-based inhaled anesthetics, findings that suggest how nitrous oxide produces its effects and may help explain the failure of the first attempt to demonstrate anesthesia at MGH.

Mass General team generates therapeutic nitric oxide from air with an electric spark - 7/6/2015, Research

A lightweight, portable system developed by an MGH research team can produce the potentially life-saving gas nitric oxide from the air by means of an electrical spark.

MGH/MIT study identifies neurons important for induction of natural REM sleep - 2/3/2015, Research

An MGH/MIT team has found that that activation of cholinergic neurons – those that release the neurotransmitter acetylcholine – in two brain stem structures can induce REM sleep in an animal model. Better understanding of mechanisms that control different sleep states is essential to improved treatment of sleep disorders.

Mass. General-developed system reveals how our brains and bodies change as we fall asleep - 11/20/2014, Research

MGH investigators have developed a system to accurately track the dynamic process of falling asleep, something has not been possible with existing techniques.

Single molecular switch may contribute to major aging-related diseases - 11/12/2014, Research

A study led by MGH investigators has identified what appears to be a molecular switch controlling inflammatory processes involved in conditions ranging from muscle atrophy to Alzheimer’s disease.

Stimulation of brain region restores consciousness to animals under general anesthesia - 7/28/2014, Research

Stimulating one of two dopamine-producing regions in the brain was able to arouse animals receiving general anesthesia with either isoflurane or propofol.

Postoperative pain may increase risk of temporary problems with learning, memory - 11/6/2013, Research

The pain caused by a surgical incision may contribute to the risk of postoperative cognitive dysfunction, a sometimes transient impairment in learning and memory that affects a small but significant number of patients in the days following a surgical procedure.

Automated system promises precise control of medically induced coma - 10/31/2013, Research

Putting patients with severe head injuries in induced comas requires constant monitoring of brain activity and manual adjustment of drug dosage. Now a computer-controlled system promises to automate the process, making it more precise and efficient and opening the door to more advanced control of anesthesia.

EEG patterns indicate when patients lose, regain consciousness under propofol anesthesia - 3/5/2013, Research

MGH investigators have identified specific EEG signatures that indicate when patients lose and regain consciousness under the general anesthetic drug propofol. The findings should lead to better ways of monitoring awareness and tracking other aspects of the brain states of patients under anesthesia.

Neuroinflammation may be behind general-anesthesia-associated learning disabilities - 1/24/2013, Research

Two studies in mice suggest that several factors may combine to induce impairments in learning and memory, accompanied by the inflammation of brain tissue, in young mammals receiving general anesthesia and that the offspring of animals that received general anesthesia during pregnancy may show the same effects.

MGH/MIT study discovers how brain activity changes when anesthesia induces unconsciousness - 11/5/2012, Research

Investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have identified for the first time a pattern of brain activity that appears to signal exactly when patients lose consciousness under general anesthesia.

Drugs used to immobilize patients during surgery raise risk of respiratory complications - 10/16/2012, Research

MGH researchers have found that medications currently used to immobilize patients during surgery can increase the risk of postoperative respiratory complications.

More pregnant women taking high blood pressure drugs, yet safety unclear - 9/10/2012, Research

Nearly 5 percent of pregnant women are prescribed drugs to treat high blood pressure, including some drugs that aren’t considered safe for mothers or their babies.

Massachusetts General Hospital Ranked #1 in the Nation on U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll - 7/17/2012, Mass General

Massachusetts General Hospital has moved into the number one spot on the 2012-13 U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” list.

Recovery from propofol anesthesia may be sped by use of common stimulant - 4/5/2012, Research

The ability of the commonly used stimulant methylphenidate (Ritalin) to speed recovery from general anesthesia appears to apply both to the inhaled gas isoflurane, as previously reported, and to the intravenous drug propofol.

Study reveals how anesthetic isoflurane induces Alzheimer's-like changes in mammalian brains - 3/1/2012, Research

The association of the inhaled anesthetic isoflurane with Alzheimer's-disease-like changes in mammalian brains may by caused by the drug's effects on mitochondria, the structures in which most cellular energy is produced.

EEG pattern reflects brain's shift into low-energy, protective mode - 2/10/2012, Research

A distinctive pattern of brain activity associated with conditions including deep anesthesia, coma and congenital brain disorders appears to represent the brain's shift into a protective, low-activity state in response to reduced metabolic energy.

Common stimulant may speed recovery from general anesthesia - 9/21/2011, Research

Administration of the commonly used stimulant drug methylphenidate was able to speed recovery from general anesthesia in an animal study conducted at MGH. The report is the first demonstration in mammals of what could be a safe and effective way to induce arousal from general anesthesia.

Uncovering the neurobiological basis of general anesthesia - 12/29/2010, Research

Emery Brown, MD, PhD, author of a New England Journal of Medicine review article, lays out a conceptual framework for understanding general anesthesia by discussing its relation to sleep and coma.

Study Should Prove Helpful in Quest for Safer, More Effective Blood Substitutes - 2/23/2010, Research

A study published in the March 2010 issue of the journal Anesthesiology gives researchers new insights in how to better understand and control a severe side effect of hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers, often referred to as "artificial blood."

Mass. General team develops potentially safer general anesthetic - 7/23/2009, Research

Simple bedside test improves diagnosis of chronic back pain, could guide treatment - 4/6/2009, Research

A simple and inexpensive method of assessing pain, developed by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers, is better than currently used techniques for distinguishing neuropathic pain – pain caused by damage to the nervous system – from other types of chronic back pain.

Nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord sense pain caused by physical insult - 1/5/2009, Research

Mass. General researchers and the colleagues add to understanding of the role of the protein COX2 in pain associated with inflammation.

Research team explores causes of death on Mount Everest - 12/9/2008, Research

In the first detailed analysis of deaths during expeditions to the summit of Mt. Everest, a research team led by MGH investigators has conducted found that most deaths occur during descents from the summit in the so-called “death zone” above 8,000 meters and identified factors associated with a greater risk of death.