Critical Care and CSRU

Dr. Daniel Bainbridge
Program Director

The Critical Care Program at Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry is a multidisciplinary program that provides Royal College postgraduate training in Critical Care Medicine. Trainees gain experience caring for critically ill patients in the Richard Ivey Critical Care Trauma Centre (30 beds) at Victoria Hospital and the Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit (24 beds) and the Cardiac Surgery Recovery Unit (16 beds) at University Hospital. There is exposure to a variety of a wide variety of clinical services within the program including: trauma, major vascular, thoracic, neurological, neurosurgical, transplant and cardiac. 

The Critical Care Program has a well-established educational program for trainees, which has been recognized for its excellence by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. There are 17 faculty members within critical care with a range of clinical backgrounds including anesthesia, internal medicine, respirology, emergency medicine and surgery. Faculty members are involved in education, and basic science and clinical research.

If you are interested in postgraduate training, further details can be obtained by visiting our website.

Cardiac Surgery Recovery Unit (CSRU)

The Cardiac Surgery Recovery Unit (CSRU) is a 14 bed critical care unit that specializes in the care of the post-operative cardiac surgery patient. The CSRU is one of three teaching intensive care units under the leadership of the Critical Care Program.

Each year we care for over 1300 patients that undergo Cardiac Surgery including: coronary bypass, valve replacements, heart transplantation, minimally invasive and robotic cardiac surgery, trans-catheter valves and ventricular assist device placement.

This unit has state of the art equipment to meet the complex needs and fast track recovery of our cardiac surgical patients. The CSRU is staffed by critical care physicians with backgrounds that include cardiac anesthesiology, critical care medicine, and cardiac surgery. Resident trainees from anesthesia and cardiac surgery, cardiology, critical care rotate through the unit along with cardiac anesthesia fellows. The CSRU has an Advanced Practice Nurse who works within the unit and provides a key link between the CSRU and Cardiac Surgery ward.

The CSRU provides excellent experience in postoperative cardiac surgery care both clinically and academically. One and two year Fellowship opportunities are available within the unit.

The CRSU strives to achieve the following core values

Knowledge

  • Comprehensive fast track cardiac surgery recovery care
  • 1600 cardiac surgical cases including complex and robotic beating heart surgery
  • Acute care and complications in these patients
  • Cardiorespiratory and multi-system physiology and pathology
  • Acute coronary syndrome and reperfusion injury

Skills and Monitoring

  • Practical and learning of invasive line placement and monitoring, such as CVP, PAC, TEE, IAPB, ventricular assist device; chest tube; feeding tube; CVVHD in renal dialysis; regional anesthesia techniques for analgesia

Professional Attitudes

  • Patient-family interaction
  • Team care approach with consultant, nurses and supporting health professionals
  • Admission and discharge of patients

For more information, please visit LHSC Cardiac Surgery Recovery Unit (CSRU) site.