Patrick A. Upchurch
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Patrick A. Upchurch, MD

Languages spoken: English

Dr. Upchurch is a cardiac anesthesiologist, perioperative echocardiographer, and consultant in perioperative medicine for the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine. After completing anesthesiology residency (Johns Hopkins) and three fellowships in critical care (Boston Children's), cardiothoracic anesthesiology (Emory), and perioperative echocardiography (University of Utah), Dr. Upchurch joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor in 2023.

The founding principles of Dr. Upchurch's career lie within understanding cardiopulmonary physiology, caring for patients in the cardiac OR and cath lab, ensuring immediate safety and optimizing durable success by providing exceptional care and echocardiographic imaging in the context of sound clinical judgement. Locally, he serves as the Co-director of the multi-disciplinary Structural Heart team which evaluates and treats abnormalities of the heart's structures with catheter-based, minimally invasive therapies (e.g., TAVR, mitral TEER, TMVR, tricuspid TEER, TTVR, left atrial appendage occlusion, septal occlusion, and paravalvular leak closure). He is the Director of Structural Heart Imaging, facilitating multidisciplinary planning, quality reviews, and continuing education in the pursuit of excellence in real-time procedural imaging guidance for the Structural Heart team. He is also the Associate Program Director for the Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology fellowship.

Nationally, he is a member of the Board of Directors for the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA), and actively serves on the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Committee on Patient Blood Management and the SCA Blood Management Subcommittee. His academic interests include structural heart imaging guidance, coagulation, patient blood management, and enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery. He has been an invited professor and lecturer at annual meetings for the ASA, SCA, Utah Thoracic Society, and the Theodore H. Stanley Annual Update in Anesthesiology, as well as for academic departmental grand rounds nationally. He also serves as a peer reviewer for the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography and the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia.

Specialties

  • Anesthesiology
  • Perioperative Echocardiography
  • Heart Transplant
  • Perioperative Medicine
  • Thoracic Anesthesia
  • Cardiothoracic Anesthesia

Board Certification

American Board of Anesthesiology (Sub: Adult Cardiac Anesthesiology)
National Board of Echocardiography (Advanced Perioperative TEE)
American Board of Anesthesiology
National Board of Echocardiography (Adult Comprehensive Echocardiography)

Dr. Upchurch is a cardiac anesthesiologist, perioperative echocardiographer, and consultant in perioperative medicine for the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine. After completing anesthesiology residency (Johns Hopkins) and three fellowships in critical care (Boston Children's), cardiothoracic anesthesiology (Emory), and perioperative echocardiography (University of Utah), Dr. Upchurch joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor in 2023.

The founding principles of Dr. Upchurch's career lie within understanding cardiopulmonary physiology, caring for patients in the cardiac OR and cath lab, ensuring immediate safety and optimizing durable success by providing exceptional care and echocardiographic imaging in the context of sound clinical judgement. Locally, he serves as the Co-director of the multi-disciplinary Structural Heart team which evaluates and treats abnormalities of the heart's structures with catheter-based, minimally invasive therapies (e.g., TAVR, mitral TEER, TMVR, tricuspid TEER, TTVR, left atrial appendage occlusion, septal occlusion, and paravalvular leak closure). He is the Director of Structural Heart Imaging, facilitating multidisciplinary planning, quality reviews, and continuing education in the pursuit of excellence in real-time procedural imaging guidance for the Structural Heart team. He is also the Associate Program Director for the Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology fellowship.

Nationally, he is a member of the Board of Directors for the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA), and actively serves on the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Committee on Patient Blood Management and the SCA Blood Management Subcommittee. His academic interests include structural heart imaging guidance, coagulation, patient blood management, and enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery. He has been an invited professor and lecturer at annual meetings for the ASA, SCA, Utah Thoracic Society, and the Theodore H. Stanley Annual Update in Anesthesiology, as well as for academic departmental grand rounds nationally. He also serves as a peer reviewer for the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography and the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia.

Board Certification and Academic Information

Academic Departments Anesthesiology -Assistant Professor (Clinical)
Board Certification
American Board of Anesthesiology (Sub: Adult Cardiac Anesthesiology)
National Board of Echocardiography (Advanced Perioperative TEE)
American Board of Anesthesiology
National Board of Echocardiography (Adult Comprehensive Echocardiography)

Education history

Undergraduate Food Science and Human Nutrition - University of Florida B.S.
Undergraduate Applied Physiology and Kinesiology - University of Florida B.S.
Professional Medical Medicine - University of Virginia School of Medicine M.D.
Residency Surgery - Duke University Medical Center Resident
Fellowship Surgical Critical Care - Boston Children¿s Hospital Fellow
Residency Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine - Johns Hopkins Hospital Resident
Fellowship Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesia - Emory University Hospital Fellow
Fellowship Perioperative Echocardiography - University of Utah Clinical Fellow

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Budd AN, Kertai MD, Wyler von Ballmoos MC, Raphael J, Ghadimi K, Levy JH, Shore-Lesserson LJ, Mazzeffi MA, Sniecinski RM, Tanaka KA, Bolliger D, Abdalla M, Ural KG, Upchurch PA, Rozental O, Hunter CB, Seibert AR, Klick JC, Carroll D, Lobner K, Hensley N (2026). Management of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Adult Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: A Joint Consensus Statement by the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Anesthesia and analgesia,
  2. Ryan MA, Leu GR, Upchurch PA, Tunkel DE, Walsh JM, Boss EF (2021). Systemic Bevacizumab (Avastin) for Juvenile-Onset Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis: A Systematic Review. Laryngoscope, 131(5), 1138-1146.
  3. Ryan MA, Russell JO, Schoo DP, Upchurch PA, Walsh JM (2020). Transoral Endoscopic Vestibular Thyroglossal Duct Cyst Excision. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol, 129(12), 1239-1242.
  4. Landrigan CP, Rahman SA, Sullivan JP, Vittinghoff E, Barger LK, Sanderson AL, Wright KP Jr, O'Brien CS, Qadri S, St Hilaire MA, Halbower AC, Segar JL, McGuire JK, Vitiello MV, de la Iglesia HO, Poynter SE, Yu PL, Zee PC, Lockley SW, Stone KL, Czeisler CA, ROSTERS Study Group (2020). Effect on Patient Safety of a Resident Physician Schedule without 24-Hour Shifts. N Engl J Med, 382(26), 2514-2523.
  5. Choi PS, Sleeper LA, Lu M, Upchurch P, Baird C, Emani SM (2020). Revisiting prosthesis choice in mitral valve replacement in children: Durable alternatives to traditional bioprostheses.(Epub ahead of print). J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg.
  6. Barger LK, Sullivan JP, Blackwell T, O'Brien CS, St Hilaire MA, Rahman SA, Phillips AJK, Qadri S, Wright KP, Segar JL, McGuire JK, Vitiello MV, de la Iglesia HO, Poynter SE, Yu PL, Zee P, Sanderson AL, Halbower AC, Lockley SW, Landrigan CP, Stone KL, Czeisler CA, ROSTERS Study Group (2019). Effects on resident work hours, sleep duration, and work experience in a randomized order safety trial evaluating resident-physician schedules (ROSTERS). Sleep, 42(8).
  7. Blackwell T, Kriesel DR, Vittinghoff E, O'Brien CS, Sullivan JP, Viyaran NC, Rahman SA, Lockley SW, Barger LK, Halbower AC, Poynter SE, Wright KP Jr, Yu PL, Zee PC, Landrigan CP, Czeisler CA, Stone KL, ROSTERS Study Group (2019). Design and recruitment of the randomized order safety trial evaluating resident-physician schedules (ROSTERS) study. Contemp Clin Trials, 80, 22-33.
  8. French JP, Hamilton KL, Quindry JC, Lee Y, Upchurch PA, Powers SK (2008). Exercise-induced protection against myocardial apoptosis and necrosis: MnSOD, calcium-handling proteins, and calpain. FASEB J, 22(8), 2862-71.
  9. Sun C, Li H, Gao Y, Matsuura T, Upchurch PA, Raizada MK, Sumners C (2007). Lack of macrophage migration inhibitory factor regulation is linked to the increased chronotropic action of angiotensin II in SHR neurons. Hypertension, 49(3), 528-34.

Review

  1. Ryan MA, Upchurch PA, Senekki-Florent P (2020). Neonatal Vocal Fold Paralysis. [Review]. Neoreviews, 21, (5), e308-e322.
  2. Goeddel LA, Jung YH, Patel P, Upchurch P, Fernando RJ, Ramakrishna H (2020). Analysis of the 2018 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Guidelines for the Management of Adults With Congenital Heart Disease: Implications for the Cardiovascular Anesthesiologist. [Review]. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth, 34, (5), 1348-1365.