History

The University of Minnesota Department of Anesthesiology has a long history of innovation as one of the nation’s oldest academic anesthesiology departments. It played a pivotal role in the development of open-heart surgery in the 1950s, with anesthesiologists helping to pioneer techniques for managing cardiopulmonary bypass. The department also contributed significantly to early advances in pain management, regional anesthesia, and neurophysiologic monitoring during neurosurgery. Its collaboration in organ transplantation further advanced the field of transplant anesthesia.

Today, the department remains a leader in clinical care, education, and research, with ongoing contributions to perioperative medicine, pain management, and critical care medicine.