Job Description

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Consultant Cardiothoracic Anesthetist to join a leading tertiary-care hospital in Dubai.

The successful candidate will provide specialized anesthetic and perioperative care for patients undergoing complex cardiac, cardiothoracic, thoracic and major vascular procedures. The role requires close collaboration with cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiologists, intensivists, perfusionists and multidisciplinary cardiac teams.

The Consultant will be expected to demonstrate advanced expertise in cardiac anesthesia, perioperative transesophageal echocardiography, invasive hemodynamic monitoring and management of critically ill cardiac patients.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative anesthetic care for adult cardiothoracic patients.
• Conduct detailed pre-anesthetic assessments and optimize high-risk cardiac patients before surgery.
• Provide anesthesia for:
• Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
• Valve repair and replacement
• Aortic surgery
• Major thoracic surgery
• Complex cardiothoracic procedures
• Major vascular procedures
• Hybrid and minimally invasive cardiac procedures where applicable
• Manage patients requiring advanced hemodynamic and invasive monitoring.
• Perform and interpret transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) within appropriate credentialing and privileges.
• Provide perioperative management of patients with complex cardiac conditions, including:
• Severe valvular disease
• Ischemic heart disease
• Heart failure
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Aortic pathology
• Arrhythmias
• Complex congenital or acquired cardiac disease in adults
• Manage difficult airways and high-risk anesthetic cases.
• Provide advanced cardiovascular resuscitation and management of perioperative emergencies.
• Participate in management of patients requiring mechanical circulatory support where appropriately trained, including ECMO and other advanced support modalities.
• Coordinate with the cardiac ICU for postoperative management and transfer of critically ill patients.
• Participate in multidisciplinary Heart Team and cardiothoracic case discussions.
• Provide anesthesia for cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology and structural heart/interventional procedures when required.
• Contribute to enhanced recovery and perioperative optimization pathways.
• Maintain accurate anesthesia records and ensure appropriate documentation.
• Participate in departmental on-call, emergency and out-of-hours services.
• Participate in morbidity and mortality reviews, clinical audits and quality-improvement programs.
• Support development and implementation of cardiothoracic anesthesia protocols and clinical pathways.
• Teach and supervise residents, fellows and junior anesthesiology staff.
• Participate in CME/CPD, research, publications and professional education.
• Maintain compliance with DHA regulations, UAE healthcare legislation, hospital policies and patient-safety standards.

Essential Qualifications

• MBBS, MBChB, MD or equivalent medical degree from an accredited institution.
• Completion of an accredited residency/specialty training program in Anesthesiology.
• Recognized postgraduate qualification in Anesthesiology.
• Recognized fellowship/subspecialty qualification or substantial advanced training in Adult Cardiac / Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology.
• Eligible for or holding a DHA Consultant license.
• Current professional registration and Good Standing Certificate.
• Current ACLS certification; DHA's licensing manual specifically requires anesthetists to submit an ACLS certificate for relevant licensing/registration processes.

Experience Requirements

• Significant post-specialty experience in anesthesiology.
• Strong recent experience in adult cardiac and cardiothoracic anesthesia.
• Demonstrated independent experience managing complex cardiac surgical cases.
• Extensive experience with invasive cardiovascular monitoring and advanced perioperative management.
• Experience with intraoperative TEE is highly desirable.
• Experience in a tertiary cardiac/cardiothoracic center is strongly preferred.
• Experience in cardiac ICU or perioperative critical care is advantageous.

Preferred Candidate Profile

Tier 1 recognized specialist qualification.

• Fellowship training in Adult Cardiac Anesthesia / Cardiothoracic Anesthesia.
• Experience in a high-volume international cardiac center.
• Strong expertise in:
• TEE
• Hemodynamic monitoring
• CABG anesthesia
• Valve surgery
• Aortic surgery
• Thoracic surgery
• ECMO/mechanical circulatory support
• Complex cardiac ICU management
• Academic publications, research or conference presentations.
• Previous teaching/fellowship supervision experience.
• Experience working within internationally accredited hospitals.
• Core Competencies
• Advanced cardiac and cardiothoracic anesthesia skills.
• Excellent perioperative risk assessment and clinical decision-making.
• Advanced airway and cardiovascular management.
• Expertise in TEE and echocardiographic assessment.
• Ability to manage unstable and critically ill cardiac patients.
• Effective multidisciplinary communication.
• Strong leadership and crisis-management skills.
• Commitment to evidence-based practice and patient safety.
• Strong teaching and mentoring capability.