Dr. John Sum-Ping is the Chief of Anesthesiology at the VA North Texas Health Care System.  Over 4,500 anesthetic cases are performed annually, including over 600 cardiothoracic and major vascular cases.  Many procedures are done using regional techniques including interscalene, axillary, femoral, sciatic, and lumbar plexus blocks. 

An Intensive Care team manages patients in the Thoracic and Surgical ICUs in collaboration with the primary service.  The ICU team is co-directed by Dr. Ade Adesanya, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, and Dr. George Sarosi, Assistant Professor of Surgery.  The team consists of anesthesiology and surgery residents and, alternately, anesthesiology and surgery faculty intensivists.  Critically ill patients from all surgical subspecialties are managed, including cardiaothoracic, neuro, vascular, and orthopedic surgery.  Daily teaching rounds are complemented by didactic lectures in critical care.

The Pain Clinic, which is one of the busiest and most advanced within the VA System, is involved in the treatment of acute postoperative pain (including a postoperative epidural pain service) and chronic malignant and non-malignant pain syndromes.  Between two and eight procedures are performed on a daily basis, including diagnostic and neurolytic blocks, spinal cord stimulators, and intrathecal pumps.

Additionally, the Cardiothoracic/Vascular service exposes the resident to basic and intermediate levels of performance and interpretation of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).  Hands-on-training is supplemented by viewing of numerous video tapes and CD-ROMs, as well as live didactic discussions with anesthesiology faculty certified in intraoperative echocardiography.