Stanford Obstetric Anesthesiology

About our Division

A global leader in the field of obstetric anesthesia

The obstetric anesthesia division is a leading department in the field of obstetric anesthesia both nationally and internationally. Our mission is to ensure that high quality labor pain relief is available to all patients on our labor and delivery unit, and that optimal anesthesia care and postoperative analgesia are provided to all patients undergoing cesarean delivery.  

We offer a dedicated in-house obstetric anesthesia team with a minimum of two team members that are immediately available at all times, 24/7. This level of coverage ensures that we can provide prompt care for our patients when the need arises. Dedicated in-house anesthesiologists minimize delays in the provision of pain relief and emergency care that could occur in other institutions where the anesthesiologist is responsible for covering both the labor and delivery and general operating room and/or is on-call from home.

Highlights of our service include:

  • Emphasis on patient choice in selecting pain management techniques.
  • Use of techniques specifically designed to help labor progress naturally.
  • Helping ALL WOMEN experience an uncomplicated labor and delivery, including routine management of high-risk pregnancies that require special expertise and resources. 
  • All members of the core obstetric anesthesia team are fellowship-trained and highly experienced in all aspects of obstetric anesthesia practice.
  • Production of practice-changing research that has led to important improvements in the quality of maternal care, epidural pain relief in labor, anesthesia for cesarean delivery, and obstetric emergency multidisciplinary team training. 
  • Pioneering special safety protocols to manage unexpected maternal complications such as hemorrhage or preeclampsia.
  • Frequent emergency team training drills which educate and prepare our own staff to manage acute and unexpected maternal complications that may occur during labor or delivery.

MISSION STATEMENT

To be global leaders in the field of obstetric anesthesia and to advance patient care through innovative research and education.