Anesthesiologists have been involved in much of the research at the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital leading to innovations in cardiovascular surgery. For example, they

• Invented a breathing machine for newborns and infants.
• Studied causes of heart attacks that happen before and after heart surgery.
• Found which patients are most likely to have strokes after heart surgery and studied ways to help prevent strokes.
• Learned how the heart-lung machine affects the way blood clots during heart surgery.
• Developed a variety of cooling methods to protect the heart, brain, and other organs during heart surgery.
• Studied medicines and blood gas management to find ways to better protect the brain during and after heart surgery.
• Determined that the sugar solution used in the heart-lung machine would not harm patients with diabetes.
• Found new ways to provide oxygen to the heart muscle during surgery.

The Research section of this website provides more detail.

Updated March 2008