Across eleven operating rooms at Charité and the German Heart Center, we perform “open-heart surgery”. Our primary role is to support patients but also to guide the surgical team safely through this potentially high-risk procedure. While the heart is stopped for a few hours and circulation is being taken over by a machine, we ensure that the brain and other organs are optimally perfused and protected.

Students are invited to come to the surgical suite to experience this. What are the technicalities of cardiopulmonary bypass? How do we monitor patients and what do the waveforms and data on the monitors mean? How do we use ultrasound/echocardiography to check whether the heart valves and muscles are working properly and whether the result of the surgical intervention is optimal? How do we ensure that patients can lead a normal life after heart transplantation or implantation of an artificial heart? Why do we have to operate on the heart of some particularly sick premature babies on the first day of life? What are the major procedural risks and how do we minimize these? Why are some aspects of the work of a cardiac anesthesiologist similar to that of an airplane pilot?

We implemented ultrasound simulators to train cardiac anesthesiologists in structured courses but also use these devices for practical student education. Following simulation-based theoretical teaching, our cardiac anesthesiologists demonstrate the clinical applications of the technology and describe “live” pathophysiology within the operating rooms and on the intensive care unit. The philosophy of our department is that hands-on, practical learning is more efficient and sustainable than the traditional combination of textbooks and lectures.

Individuals deeply interested in our work are very welcome to undertake their doctoral thesis in our department. Potential topics include: risk stratification in cardiac anesthesia, optimal use of imaging methods, hemodynamic management, specifics of interventional/minimally invasive therapies and patient blood management in pediatric cardiac anesthesia.

Please do not hesitate to contact our teaching coordinators PD Dr. Marian Kukucka (DHZB) [kukucka@dhzb.de] or Dr. Lavinius Ungur (Charité) [alexander-lavinius.ungur@charite.de].