We are proud to offer a one-year combined head and neck/advanced airway anesthesia fellowship. The Stanford head and neck/advanced airway teaching program has been in place since 1998, and our department pioneered this subspecialty fellowship training in the U.S. in 2009.

This unique fellowship is highly structured, integrating didactic, clinical, simulation and research components. Comprehensive lectures and discussions are combined with outstanding opportunity to manage complex cases, and to acquire state-of-the-art advanced airway management skill sets in real life situations. The Stanford Head and Neck Anesthesia division is one of the busiest in the department, and runs 3-6 operating rooms every day.

The surgical procedures range from major head and neck cancer surgery to complex laryngeal surgery, and also include surgery for obstructive sleep apnea, advanced neurotologic and skull base surgery, functional endoscopic sinus and pituitary surgery, facial plastic surgery, as well as maxillofacial and orthognatic surgery. Fellows will learn unique anesthetic implications for these procedures, and become proficient with pharmacokinetic principles of different opioid infusions and administration of total intravenous anesthesia and deliberate hypotension. Trainees will also master different supraglottic and subglottic high frequency jet ventilation techniques.

Although the majority of training will be on the adult patient population, participation in the anesthesia care of pediatric head and neck surgical patients, many of whom present to Stanford with congenital airway abnormalities, can be arranged. Other outstanding training options include the exposure to field airway management by participating in helicopter flights as part of the Stanford Life Flight program. Simulation-based difficult airway management is also included as part of fellowship training.

Flexibility in the fellowship curriculum is allowed, and the program can be structured to suit the individual’s needs. We accept 1-2 qualified individuals each year. All applicants must have a strong commitment to excellence in clinical care, education, and research, which constitute an integral part of the fellowship year.

Potential candidates should e-mail a C.V. and a letter of interest to:

Vladimir Nekhendzy, M.D.
Clinical Professor of Anesthesia and Otolaryngology
Director, Stanford Head and Neck Anesthesia and Advanced Airway Management Program
E-mail: nek@stanford.edu