CTchecklist.com was created as a living repository for checklists for use during potentially high-risk anesthesiology cases. Many of these checklists were heavily influenced by the clinical pathways made available to the adult cardiothoracic anesthesiology fellows at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, though some changes may have been made as current practices change. These checklists are meant for educational purposes only, and no guarantee in made toward their completeness. No checklist can cover every aspect of a complex surgical case.

However, we know from our aviation colleagues that the use of checklists greatly reduces the risk of errors. Our hope is that these lists will be a valuable tool for those learning the complex anesthetic requirements for these cases and a trusted partner for verifying the work of seasoned anesthesiologists.

The Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and Routine Valve (CABG/RV) checklist is the most comprehensive and is recommended as the starting place for those learning cardiothoracic anesthesiology case choreography. Each of the following checklists builds upon the CABG/RV checklist.

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting & Routine Valves

Left Ventricular Assist Device

Left Ventricular Assist Device - BAS Specific

Heart Transplant

Lung Transplant

Septal Myectomy

Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy

Liver Transplant

This guide was originally created in early 2020 to provide onboarding information for CT Anesthesiology Fellows at Vanderbilt that performed residency at another institution. Much of the information will be Vanderbilt-specific, but may be helpful to other Residents/Fellows during their CT Anesthesiology rotations.

VUMC Fellow Guide for Printing (2020 version)

VUMC Fellow Guide for Viewing (2020 version)

Cardiac Surgery Hand Off Script