Apparently they go through special fellowships after residency and have to participate in specific heart and lung surgeries. The fellowships include specific time learning about PH.

I think all PH patients should be taught from first diagnosis to insist on cardiac anesthesiologists.

My cardio Doc. said I should never go under without a cardio specialist anesthesiology. That I would require being incubated the entire time. I looked back on my RHC/LHC, and they all say I had a cardio specialist Anesthesiology. I had no issues, all my other procedures they were just Anesthesiology and I had trouble. I do not know the training, Except that they are also Doctors not just achieved nurses.

Marge: Thank you so much for sharing your experience. it really reinforces what so few PH patients know about getting anesthesia and I gives me greater confidence going in for my ablation

Hi Heather, good luck with your upcoming procedure. My PAH specialist have always made me have a cardio-anesthesiologist there along with an anesthesiologist. I was told that besides the extra years of training they use special techniques and different monitor devices. Anyone with cardiac, vascular, or thoracic surgery's/issues it's best to have a cardiac anesthesiologist there. My doctors even called and stopped a colonoscopy I was supposed to have on the morning of the procedure. They were going over my chart and saw that I was going into have one done and had it stopped because there was not a cardiac anesthesiologist going to be there. All this after the prep the day before. They said it's Best to be safe with PAH.

@A myPHteam Member The procedure I'm having on 2/17 is a cardiac ablation which will be under full anesthesia. I've have had 4 RHCs which were all done with my being fully awake...just locals and some minor sedation.

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