Research Overview

  1. Near Infrared Spectroscopy in pediatric cardiac surgery with respect to cerebral oxygenation and the relationship to neurologic outcome.
  2. Assessment of the cortical response to external stimuli in anesthetized subjects using near infrared spectroscopy.
  3. Pediatric validation of a commercial NIRS monitor.

Education

Medical School

MBBCh University of Witwatersrand Medical School
1984 Johannesburg South Africa

Internship

General Surgery/Internal Medicine Johannesburg Hospital (now The Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital)
1985 Johannesburg South Africa

Residency

Anesthesiology Johannesburg Hospital (now The Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital)
1989 Johannesburg South Africa

Residency

Anesthesiology Groote Schuur Hospital
1993 Cape Town South Africa

Fellowship

Pediatric Anesthesia Boston Children's Hospital
1995 Boston MA

Fellowship

Cardiac Anesthesia Boston Children’s Hospital/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
1996 Boston MA

Publications

  1. Can pain under anesthesia be measured? Pain-related brain function using functional near-infrared spectroscopy during knee surgery. Neurophotonics. 2023 Apr; 10(2):025014. View Abstract
  2. A Survey of the Congenital Cardiac Anesthesia Society on the Use and Clinical Application of Near- Infrared Tissue Oximetry in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2022 09; 36(9):3617-3625. View Abstract
  3. Measuring "pain load" during general anesthesia. Cereb Cortex Commun. 2022; 3(2):tgac019. View Abstract
  4. Preventing pediatric chronic postsurgical pain: Time for increased rigor. Can J Pain. 2022; 6(2):73-84. View Abstract
  5. Brain-based measures of nociception during general anesthesia with remifentanil: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS Med. 2022 04; 19(4):e1003965. View Abstract
  6. fNIRS brain measures of ongoing nociception during surgical incisions under anesthesia. Neurophotonics. 2022 Jan; 9(1):015002. View Abstract
  7. Rhythmic Change of Cortical Hemodynamic Signals Associated with Ongoing Nociception in Awake and Anesthetized Individuals: An Exploratory Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy Study. Anesthesiology. 2021 11 01; 135(5):877-892. View Abstract
  8. Commentary: Thoracic epidural anesthesia for pediatric cardiac surgery and enhanced recovery: Still lessons yet to be learned. JTCVS Tech. 2022 Feb; 11:69-70. View Abstract
  9. Cerebral Emboli Monitoring Using Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography in Adults and Children: A Review of the Current Technology and Clinical Applications in the Perioperative and Intensive Care Setting. Anesth Analg. 2021 08 01; 133(2):379-392. View Abstract
  10. NIRS measures in pain and analgesia: Fundamentals, features, and function. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2021 01; 120:335-353. View Abstract
  11. Sensitivity of a Next-Generation NIRS Device to Detect Low Mixed Venous Oxyhemoglobin Saturations in the Single Ventricle Population. Anesth Analg. 2020 09; 131(3):e138-e141. View Abstract
  12. Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2020 Feb; 34(2):489-500. View Abstract
  13. A Time-Frequency Approach for Cerebral Embolic Load Monitoring. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2020 04; 67(4):1007-1018. View Abstract
  14. Validation of a Second-Generation Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Monitor in Children With Congenital Heart Disease. Anesth Analg. 2019 04; 128(4):661-668. View Abstract
  15. Selected 2017 Highlights in Congenital Cardiac Anesthesia. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2018 08; 32(4):1546-1555. View Abstract
  16. Cerebral Oxygen Saturation in Children With Congenital Heart Disease and Chronic Hypoxemia. Anesth Analg. 2017 07; 125(1):234-240. View Abstract
  17. Cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy insensitively detects low cerebral venous oxygen saturations after stage 1 palliation. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2017 09; 154(3):1056-1062. View Abstract
  18. Non-invasive Assessment of Cerebral Blood Flow and Oxygen Metabolism in Neonates during Hypothermic Cardiopulmonary Bypass: Feasibility and Clinical Implications. Sci Rep. 2017 03 09; 7:44117. View Abstract
  19. Anesthesia, brain changes, and behavior: Insights from neural systems biology. Prog Neurobiol. 2017 06; 153:121-160. View Abstract
  20. Cerebral High-Intensity Transient Signals during Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization: A Pilot Study Using Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography. J Neuroimaging. 2017 07; 27(4):381-387. View Abstract
  21. White Matter Volume Predicts Language Development in Congenital Heart Disease. J Pediatr. 2017 02; 181:42-48.e2. View Abstract
  22. Noninvasive Cardiac Output Estimation by Inert Gas Rebreathing in Mechanically Ventilated Pediatric Patients. J Pediatr. 2016 10; 177:184-190.e3. View Abstract
  23. Capturing Pain in the Cortex during General Anesthesia: Near Infrared Spectroscopy Measures in Patients Undergoing Catheter Ablation of Arrhythmias. PLoS One. 2016; 11(7):e0158975. View Abstract
  24. Brain measures of nociception using near-infrared spectroscopy in patients undergoing routine screening colonoscopy. Pain. 2016 Apr; 157(4):840-848. View Abstract
  25. Reply to Letter: "Surgically Induced Neuropathic Pain: Understanding the Perioperative Process". Ann Surg. 2015 Jun; 261(6):e162-3. View Abstract
  26. Evaluation of cerebral oxygenation and perfusion with conversion from an arterial-to-systemic shunt circulation to the bidirectional Glenn circulation in patients with univentricular cardiac abnormalities. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2015 Feb; 29(1):95-100. View Abstract
  27. Advances in the Care of Adults With Congenital Heart Disease. Semin Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2015 Sep; 19(3):175-86. View Abstract
  28. Cerebral blood flow velocity and neurodevelopmental outcome in infants undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease. Ann Thorac Surg. 2014 Jul; 98(1):125-32. View Abstract
  29. Case 6-2013: Perioperative management of an adult patient with tetralogy of fallot and pheochromocytoma. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2013 Dec; 27(6):1399-406. View Abstract
  30. Surgically induced neuropathic pain: understanding the perioperative process. Ann Surg. 2013 Mar; 257(3):403-12. View Abstract
  31. Massive air embolism in a Fontan patient. J Extra Corpor Technol. 2011 Jun; 43(2):79-83. View Abstract
  32. 2010 meeting of the Congenital Cardiac Anesthesia Society (CCAS) and the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA). Anesth Analg. 2010 Nov; 111(5):1331-3. View Abstract
  33. Pediatric heart transplantation: demographics, outcomes, and anesthetic implications. Paediatr Anaesth. 2011 May; 21(5):594-603. View Abstract
  34. Anesthesia and perioperative stress: consequences on neural networks and postoperative behaviors. Prog Neurobiol. 2010 Dec; 92(4):601-12. View Abstract
  35. Relationship of intraoperative cerebral oxygen saturation to neurodevelopmental outcome and brain magnetic resonance imaging at 1 year of age in infants undergoing biventricular repair. Circulation. 2010 Jul 20; 122(3):245-54. View Abstract
  36. Subtle hemorrhagic brain injury is associated with neurodevelopmental impairment in infants with repaired congenital heart disease. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2009 Aug; 138(2):374-81. View Abstract
  37. Cerebral oximetry during infant cardiac surgery: evaluation and relationship to early postoperative outcome. Anesth Analg. 2009 Apr; 108(4):1122-31. View Abstract
  38. Congenital supravalvular aortic stenosis and sudden death associated with anesthesia: what's the mystery? Anesth Analg. 2008 Dec; 107(6):1848-54. View Abstract
  39. Matrix-array 3-dimensional echocardiographic assessment of volumes, mass, and ejection fraction in young pediatric patients with a functional single ventricle: a comparison study with cardiac magnetic resonance. Circulation. 2008 Apr 08; 117(14):1842-8. View Abstract
  40. Randomized trial of hematocrit 25% versus 35% during hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass in infant heart surgery. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2008 Feb; 135(2):347-54, 354.e1-4. View Abstract
  41. The frequency of anesthesia-related cardiac arrests in patients with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery. Anesth Analg. 2007 Aug; 105(2):335-43. View Abstract
  42. Cerebral perfusion and oxygenation after the Norwood procedure: comparison of right ventricle-pulmonary artery conduit with modified Blalock-Taussig shunt. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2007 Mar; 133(3):648-55. View Abstract
  43. Anesthetic management of pial synangiosis and intracranial hemorrhage with a Fontan circulation. Paediatr Anaesth. 2006 Jan; 16(1):72-6. View Abstract
  44. Anesthetic management of the neonate with congenital complete heart block: a 16-year review. Paediatr Anaesth. 2005 Dec; 15(12):1059-66. View Abstract
  45. An evaluation of bilateral monitoring of cerebral oxygen saturation during pediatric cardiac surgery. Anesth Analg. 2005 Nov; 101(5):1294-1300. View Abstract
  46. Hemodynamic responses to etomidate on induction of anesthesia in pediatric patients. Anesth Analg. 2005 Sep; 101(3):645-650. View Abstract
  47. Evaluation of plasma fentanyl concentrations in infants during cardiopulmonary bypass with low-volume circuits. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2005 Jun; 19(3):316-21. View Abstract
  48. Iatrogenic hyperthermia during cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Anesth Analg. 2004 Oct; 99(4):1055. View Abstract
  49. Cardiovascular causes of airway compression. Paediatr Anaesth. 2004 Jan; 14(1):60-74. View Abstract
  50. Anesthetic implications of primary cardiac tumors in infants and children. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2002 Oct; 16(5):582-6. View Abstract
  51. Bispectral index monitoring during infant cardiac surgery: relationship of BIS to the stress response and plasma fentanyl levels. Paediatr Anaesth. 2001 Nov; 11(6):663-9. View Abstract
  52. Severe hypercarbia during cardiopulmonary bypass: a complication of CO2 flooding of the surgical field. Anesth Analg. 1998 Feb; 86(2):264-6. View Abstract
  53. Pethidine-associated seizure in a healthy adolescent receiving pethidine for postoperative pain control. Paediatr Anaesth. 1998; 8(4):349-52. View Abstract
  54. Administration of magnesium sulphate before rocuronium: effects on speed of onset and duration of neuromuscular block. Br J Anaesth. 1997 Jul; 79(1):122-4. View Abstract
  55. Chylous ascites following abdominal aortic surgery. S Afr J Surg. 1995 Mar; 33(1):26-8. View Abstract
  56. Acetazolamide in the treatment of metabolic alkalosis in critically ill patients. Heart Lung. 1991 Sep; 20(5 Pt 1):455-9. View Abstract

Contact Barry D. Kussman