Our Approach to Obstetric Anesthesiology
Montefiore Einstein Obstetric Anesthesiology is an integral part of the labor and delivery teams. As leaders in obstetric anesthesiology, we operate 24 hours a day providing perioperative care for cesarean deliveries and other obstetric-related procedures and pain relief during and after labor and delivery. Designated as an Accreta Referral Center, we are fully equipped to care for patients with a broad spectrum of high-risk conditions and offer a complete range of obstetric and gynecological services. Our team of internationally-recognized obstetric anesthesiologists welcome more than 6,000 babies into the world each year. We are one of the few centers in New York to have earned the Regional Perinatal Center and the level 4 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) designations from the New York State Department of Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics for providing the highest level of maternal and neonatal care available for newborns and women with the most complex and high-risk conditions.
Known as “the mother of obstetric anesthesia,” Dr. Gertie Marx, a world authority on obstetric anesthesiology, dedicated her life and career to the care of pregnant women and their babies and advancing pain relief in labor as one of the first obstetric anesthesiologists at Montefiore Einstein. Beginning in 1955, Dr. Marx served Montefiore Einstein patients for four decades, was a founding member of the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology, and later had a spinal anesthesia needle named after her for her significant contributions. As a result of Dr. Marx’s pioneering accomplishments, we were one of the first institutions to use epidural anesthesia for pain relief during childbirth and to establish obstetric anesthesiology as a subspecialty.
Specialized Care for High-Risk Obstetrics
We provide specialized care for obstetric patients with complex medical conditions that could complicate delivery such as heart conditions, high blood pressure, diabetes, advanced maternal age and multiple births. Our team of obstetric anesthesiologists works closely with obstetricians, maternal-fetal medicine specialists and neonatologists to ensure expectant mothers with high-risk conditions receive comprehensive multidisciplinary care. Our team reviews and explains each pain relief option for vaginal delivery and cesarean section, working with our multidisciplinary colleagues to develop a safe, comprehensive obstetric anesthesia plan tailored to each patient.
Advanced Diagnostics & Treatments
We offer access to the latest anesthesiology techniques and technologies to help improve patient safety and provide the highest quality of care for our obstetric patients. We employ the most advanced perioperative obstetric and fetal monitoring techniques and perioperative point of care ultrasound (POCUS) to enhance clinical decision-making and ensure optimal outcomes.
A variety of personalized treatments are offered, from neuraxial anesthesia during labor and delivery to general anesthesia for cesarean deliveries and other obstetric-related surgical procedures. Our team reviews and explains each pain relief option for vaginal delivery and cesarean section, working with our obstetric colleagues to develop a safe and comprehensive anesthesia plan tailored to each patient’s unique needs.
During labor, we provide the full spectrum of personalized analgesia techniques, including the following:
- Lumbar epidural
- Combined spinal-epidural
- Dural puncture epidural
- IV analgesia
We provide anesthesia care for a wide range of operative procedures, including the following:
- Cesarean section
- Bilateral tubal ligation after birth
- Cerclage placement
- External cephalic version
- Fetal surgery
- Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome laser ablation treatment
- Examination under anesthesia, manual extraction of placenta
Research
We are leading collaborative research to improve clinical care and safety for obstetric patients requiring analgesia and/or anesthesia. Our anesthesiologists pioneered the use of epidural anesthesia for pain relief during childbirth and were the first to introduce 2-chloroprocaine into clinical practice — the only local anesthetic agent that is more potent but less toxic than procaine and is commonly used in the obstetric setting. (LINK)
Our physician-scientists regularly contribute to peer-reviewed publications and ongoing research projects. Our recent research and quality improvement projects have been focused on maternal hypertension detection and reducing anesthesia-related costs. In collaboration with the division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, we are studying the usefulness of POCUS (point of care ultrasound) in obstetric patients and have incorporated POCUS into our Residency Program curriculum.
Obstetric Anesthesiology Education & Training
At Montefiore Einstein Anesthesiology, we are committed to training the next generation of obstetric anesthesiologists. Residents and fellows are provided extensive clinical and research opportunities, structured didactics, mentorship, and broad exposure to a wide range of complex obstetric cases. Our trainees are involved in all aspects of perioperative and periprocedural patient care.
Through our one-year ACGME-accredited fellowship, Obstetric Anesthesiology Fellows gain experience from our expert faculty who are fellowship-trained and board-certified obstetric anesthesiologists, providing anesthetic consultation and management for both routine and high-risk parturient patients. In addition to NICU and Maternal-Fetal Medicine rotations, our fellows rotate with the Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine team for Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) training in perioperative settings. Our goal is to foster the careers of our trainees, preparing them for modern clinical practice.
Your Obstetric Anesthesiology Team
Shamantha G. Reddy, MD, Fellow of the American Society of Anesthesiologist
The Montefiore Einstein Obstetric Anesthesiology team includes fellowship-trained obstetric anesthesiologists who are board-certified in Anesthesiology. Our internationally-recognized team of experts collaborates with obstetricians, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, neonatologists and other specialists to enhance patient safety and provide the highest quality of care for our patients.
