Interview with Dr. Edward Cohen
Why did you feel that it was important to write Cohen’s Comprehensive Thoracic Anesthesia, 1st Edition? What does it add to the field?
When I began my anesthesia practice, Thoracic Anesthesia was not considered an independent subspecialty. Today, Thoracic Anesthesia literature is now indispensable to many practicing clinicians’ library. My intentions when editing this book were not to replace any thoracic anesthesia book, but rather to offer something slightly more comprehensive in this critical and rapidly-expanding subspecialty of anesthetic practice. I conceptualized this volume to serve as a true contribution to the field of thoracic anesthesia. The book is unique in that it redefines how we, as anesthesiologists, can achieve superior patient care. The perioperative care is discussed linearly, just as we encounter these situations in the hospital environment.
What is the most exciting aspect of Cohen’s Comprehensive Thoracic Anesthesia, 1st Edition? What chapter or topic covered are you most excited about?
Thoracic Anesthesia is one of the most challenging subspecialties with innovations which include devices for lung isolation and monitoring capability, new understanding of the intraoperative managing one lung ventilation, and a significant innovation in post-operative pain management. The leading authors of the chapters are for the most part directors of the thoracic division in their institutions. The team is truly international, with participants hailing from vast counties such as the UK, Canada, Germany, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and China. This diverse team of contributors provides a wide range of perspective. The book contains chapters on cutting edge procedures chapter such as tubeless thoracic procedures, ERAS in thoracic anesthesia, robotic procedures, and protective lung ventilation.
Who will find the greatest value from this book and why?
The book will appeal to clinicians who require the necessary and updated principals of thoracic anesthesia, including residents in training and general and thoracic anesthesiologists. Thoracic cases are widely spread and performed in most hospitals. Thoracic cases are managed by “any stuff” anesthesiologists, unlike the cardiac cases that are performed only in large centers and handled by a small team of cardiac anesthesiologists. For that reason, in addition to the dedicated thoracic anesthesiologists, the book will appeal to a large group of practitioners whom thoracic anesthesia is not necessarily their primary practice. These practitioners can also find in this book the necessary information to safely manage their patients.
What new ideas, practices, or procedures do you hope your readers take away from Cohen’s Comprehensive Thoracic Anesthesia, 1st Edition?
The book covers a variety of topics on pre-operative assessment including anatomic correlation of the respiratory system, radiology and classifications of the thoracic tumors from the surgeon perspective as well as the pulmonary pathophysiology. The most updated information on preoperative evaluation and preparation, monitoring of oxyanion hemodynamic, intraoperative management of one lung ventilation, methods of lung separation, ventilatory strategies and postoperative pain management. The book contains a large number of clinically oriented chapters with specifics in clinical scenarios and case management such as video assisted thoracoscopy, robotic surgery, tubeless procedures lung volume reduction, esophageal surgery, cystic fibrosis, lung transplantation, tracheal resection, mediastinoscopy, tracheal stents and ERAS during thoracic surgery.
About the Author
Dr. Edmond Cohen is a Professor of Anesthesiology and Thoracic Surgery and the Director of Thoracic Anesthesia at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Dr. Cohen completed his anesthesia residency and cardiothoracic anesthesia fellowship training at Mount Sinai Hospital. Over the last 35 years at Mount Sinai, he gains his reputation as a renowned educator, scholar and a world-renowned leader in Thoracic Anesthesia.
Dr. Cohen has lectured throughout the world on topics related to Thoracic Anesthesia and Airway Management. He led professional Thoracic workshops and panels and has published extensively on a range of topics in cardiothoracic anesthesia in national and international meetings. He participated in multiple visiting professorship programs in the USA and worldwide and for the last 20 years he delivered the Thoracic Refresher Course lectures at the ASA meeting.
Dr. Cohen recognizes the importance of Thoracic workshops as an educational tool, and has established and chaired over 100 national and 50 international workshops worldwide. These workshops provide a unique opportunity to practice the various methods of lung separation under the direction of experts. Prominent anesthesia meetings at which Dr. Cohen has chaired thoracic workshops and panels include annual meetings of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, The New York PGA, The International Anesthesia Research Society, The Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, The European Society of Anesthesia, The European Society of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia and The World Congress of Anesthesiologists.
He has established an outstanding teaching and academic program with an exceptional curriculum for the anesthesiology residents and fellows under his direct supervision and mentorship. He extensively published, wrote book chapters, editorials, and manuscripts reviews. He is the editor of the book “The Principals of Thoracic Anesthesia” and most recently, the associate editor of the book “Principals and Practice of Anesthesia for Thoracic Surgery” and most recently, the associate editor of “Principals and Practice of Anesthesia for Thoracic Surgery”. Currently, Dr. Cohen is the editor of “The Cohen’ Comprehensive Thoracic Anesthesia “to be published by Elsevier by November 2021. He is on the Editorial Board of numerous journals and an expert reviewer for several journals including Anesthesiology and Analgesia & Analgesia. He was involved in numerous research projects and is the inventor of the “Cohen Endobronchial Blocker”, used worldwide to provide one lung ventilation. Finally, for the last 6 years, Dr. Cohen have organized the PGA Thoracic Symposium which includes programing entirely dedicated to thoracic topics. Due to its success, the Symposium was adapted and implemented by other societies including the ESA. In summary, Dr. Cohen has established an outstanding record as a clinician educator with international prominence in the specialty of thoracic anesthesia.
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