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Rita Saynhalath, MD $$

Pediatric Anesthesiologist

Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center

Languages Spoken:
English, French,

Locations

UT Southwestern Pediatric Group

Biography

Rita Saynhalath, M.D., is a Pediatric Anesthesiologist at Children’s Health℠, a member of Anesthesiologists for Children and an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Management at UT Southwestern. She is board-certified in general anesthesiology and pediatric anesthesiology. 

Dr. Saynhalath earned her medical degree at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. She completed her residency at Texas A&M Health Science Center/Scott & White Medical Center in Temple, Texas and fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center/Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. 

During her fellowship, Dr. Saynhalath developed an interest in clinical research under the mentorship of Dr. Peter Szmuk. She has since been involved in numerous clinical trials and research endeavors. Her research interests include neurotoxicity in the developing brain, emerging technologies and medical devices in pediatric anesthesia. 

She is a member of the Outcomes Research Consortium and an ad hoc reviewer for multiple journals. Dr. Saynhalath is a member of the Quality and Safety Committee and is involved in Quality Improvement projects with the Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology, such as updating perioperative clinical guidelines to improve patient care. 

She takes a special interest in the medical education of trainees and faculty development within the Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology. She has attended the Society for Education in Anesthesia’s Teaching Workshop and is a question author for the American Board of Anesthesiology. Dr. Saynhalath is a voting member of the Children’s Health Continuing Medical Education Committee. 

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children.

Education and Training

Medical School
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (2011)
Residency
Baylor Scott and White Memorial Hospital (2015), Anesthesiology
Fellowship
UT Southwestern - Children's Medical Center (2016), Pediatric Anesthesiology
Board Certification
American Board of Anesthesiology(Pediatric Anesthesiology),
American Board of Anesthesiology

Departments and Programs

  • Publications

    • Szmuk P, Andropoulos D, Mcgowan F, Brambrink A, Lee C, Lee, KJ, McCann ME, Liu Y, Saynhalath R, Bong CL, Anderson BJ, Berde C, de Graaff JC, Disma N, Kurth D, Loepke A, Orser B, Sessler Di, Skowno JJ, von Ungern-Sternberg BS, Vutskits L, Davidson A. An Open Label Pilot Study of a Dexmedetomidine-Remifentanil-Caudal Anesthetic for Infant Lower Abdominal/Lower Extremity Surgery: The T REX Pilot Study. Paediatric Anesthesia. 2019; 29:59-67. https://doi.org/10.1111/pan.13544. 
    • Mehta SD, Leavitt W, Alex G, Saynhalath R, Kiss E. Endotracheal Intubation using Alfentanil in a Pediatric Patient with Mitochondrial Myopathy and Gastroparesis. Journal of Pediatric Genetics. 2020 Feb. 
    • Efune PN, Longanecker JM, Alex G, Saynhalath R, Khan U, Rivera K, Jerome AP, Boone W, Szmuk P. Use of dexmedetomidine and opioids as the primary anesthetic in infants and young children: A retrospective cohort study. Paediatric Anesthesia. 2020 Jun 8. doi: 10.1111/pan.13945. Epub ahead of print. 
    • Efune PN, Saynhalath R, Blackwell JM, Steiner JW, Olomu PN, Szmuk P. The Truview PCD™ video laryngoscope for nasotracheal intubation in pediatric patients: A subset analysis from a prospective randomized controlled trial. Paediatric Anesthesia. 2020 Oct;30(10):1157-1158. doi: 10.1111/pan.14005. Epub 2020 Sep 6. 

     

  • Professional Activities

    • Member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists 
    • Member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Education Committee 
    • Member of the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists 
    • Co-coordinator of the Pediatric Parallel Session Planning Committee for the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting
    • Member of the Society for Education in Anesthesia 
    • Member of the Society of Pediatric Anesthesia 
    • Member of the Society of Pediatric Anesthesia Communications Committee 
    • Contributor for the Society of Pediatric Anesthesia Question of the Week

  • Awards and Honors

    Dr. Saynhalath was awarded the Humanism Award in 2010 by the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department while she was a medical student. She received an Honorable Mention - Best Presentation Award in 2014 during the Annual Anesthesiology Research Forum as a third year resident. In 2019, she was awarded the Young Educator Award by the Division of Pediatric Anesthesia at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

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