Mass General Brigham

Department of Anesthesiology

The discovery of anesthesia is one of medicine's most transformative breakthroughs, turning surgery from a dreaded ordeal into a precise, painless science. Today, anesthesiology enables everything from routine procedures to the most complex surgeries and extends beyond the operating room to transform intensive care, pain management, and patient safety. Ongoing advances in pharmacology, monitoring technology, and personalized medicine continue to improve and save countless lives.

Our story began at Mass General Brigham with the first public demonstration of ether anesthesia in 1846—a defining moment in medical history. Today, as a unified department spanning Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and eleven community locations, we are building on this shared legacy to advance the future of anesthesiology. With a team of approximately 1,100 employees, including 320 clinical faculty and 90 research faculty, our department provides exceptional care to over 100,000 patients annually in operating rooms and procedural suites across our campuses, as well as to countless others in intensive care units and pain clinics. We proudly train over 280 residents and fellows while managing over $42 million in annual research expenditures. By leveraging the unique talents and intellectual resources across our campuses, we continue to deliver outstanding patient care, conduct groundbreaking research, educate future leaders in anesthesiology, and create meaningful social impact.

Our strength lies in our unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and collaboration. The Department of Anesthesiology at Mass General Brigham is not only addressing today’s healthcare challenges but also shaping the future of anesthesiology and setting new standards of excellence for the field.

Multiple Locations, One Department

Training the Future of Our Specialty

The Anesthesia Residency and Fellowship Programs provide unparalleled education in anesthesia, critical care and pain medicine. This education stems from interactions with expert faculty educators, world-class researchers, highly skilled surgeons who perform advanced surgical procedures and outstanding colleagues and peers.

With more than 100 operating rooms across all locations, more than 30 non-operating room anesthetizing locations, eight intensive care units, two pain clinics and more than six obstetric suites, faculty in the department have ample opportunities to demonstrate excellence in all areas of anesthesia.

Excellence in Clinical Care

Fostering Innovation and Investigation

Transforming medicine through innovation is the ultimate goal of research in our department, which integrates the full cycle of bench to bedside development. Investigators frequently catalyze the rich scientific environment of Harvard Medical School and its affiliates, and benefit from the longstanding research infrastructure in our department.