• Virendra Arya headshot
  • Professor

    Max Rady College of Medicine
    Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
    University of Manitoba
    Room L2035, 409 Tache Avenue – St-Boniface Hospital
    Winnipeg, Manitoba R2H2A6

    Phone: 204-891-5671
    Fax: 204-231-0425
    virendra.arya@umanitoba.ca

Research summary

Dr. Arya has been involved in clinical research in anesthesia for over 20 years. His current research focuses on the application of high spinal anesthesia to optimize recovery in cardiac surgical patients, with specific attention to its hemodynamic effects in congenital heart disease patients. The overarching goal of this research is to comprehend the hemodynamic impacts of sympathectomy and gravity within the context of loop circulation. In this model, various compartments with different elastance, regulated by the sympathetic system, sequentially discharge into the next compartment in series, forming a loop.

Dr. Arya's previous research involvement includes participation in the multicentric POCAST trial, which evaluated the effects of ketamine on postoperative delirium, along with a comparative analysis of the effects of normothermic and hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass.

Research themes

  • High spinal anesthesia for enhanced cardiac surgical recovery
  • Post-neuraxial block hemodynamics in cardiac valvular lesions and congenital heart disease

Research interests

  • Emotional intelligence in perioperative medicine
  • Medical surprise anticipation and response capability (M-SARC) in perioperative medicine
  • Regional anesthesia for enhanced cardiac surgical recovery

Keywords

  • Cardiac output monitoring
  • High spinal anesthesia
  • Ketamine
  • Normovolemic hemodilution
  • Post-operative delirium
  • Retrograde intubation

Research affiliations

Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba

Department of Anesthesiology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA

Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA

Advanced Cardiac Centre, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India

Biography

Dr. Virendra Arya is presently serving as a professor of anesthesiology in the department of anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine at the Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba. He has held the Position of Excellence (POPE) Family Professor in Anesthesiology since July 1, 2023. Before his current position, he served as the professor-in-charge of the cardiovascular and thoracic section of anesthesia at the Advanced Cardiac Centre, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, India. Dr. Arya commenced his career as an assistant professor in anesthesiology in 1999, progressing to the position of professor of anesthesiology in 2011 and subsequently as professor of cardiovascular and thoracic anesthesia in 2017.

Dr. Arya played a pivotal role in initiating the Anesthesia Resident Exchange Program between the University of Manitoba and PGIMER-Chandigarh, fostering global medicine. He assumed the role of visiting professor at the University of Manitoba in 2013 and later, in 2020, was appointed as a professor of anesthesiology. Dr. Arya is dedicated to resident teaching and has developed the University of Manitoba Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) and Perioperative Transthoracic Echocardiography (UoM PPTTE) program, acknowledged for 20 Royal College Maintenance of Certification (MOC) section 3 credits.

His contributions extend to international collaboration, where he has been invited as a visiting professor to various institutes and has served as an instructor for Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) workshops by the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Dr. Arya is a member of the editorial board of the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia and Annals of Cardiac Anesthesia. Additionally, he is involved in committees such as the Committee on Cardiovascular and Thoracic Anesthesia (American Society of Anesthesiologists), Continuing Education and Professional Development (CEPD) committee of the Canadian Anesthesiologists Society (CAS), and the program review committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM). He served as an executive member of the Indian Association of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Anesthesiologists in 2008-2009.

Dr. Arya devotes approximately 80 percent of his time to clinical work, maintaining a prolific academic output with over 50 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals and six textbook chapters. He is a sought-after speaker at national and international conferences and has supervised numerous postgraduate and doctorate trainees in the field.

Education

Diplomate, Advanced Perioperative TEE, National Board of Echocardiography, USA (2016)

Certification in Focused Cardiac TTE, University of Montreal, Canada (2014)

Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC), Anesthesiology (2014)

Doctor of Medicine (MD), Anesthesiology, PGIMER-Chandigarh, India (1995)

Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), IGMC-Shimla, HP University, India (1991)

Awards

Nomination for the YK Poon Teacher of the Year Award, University of Manitoba (2020)

Best Thesis Paper Award in the 27th Annual Conference of All India Coordination Committee of Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AICCROG) (2010)

'Dr. Kop’s Award' for the Best Paper in the National Conference of Indian Society of Anesthesiologists (1999)

Letter of Appreciation from Dr. Edmond I. Eager II (Prof Emeritus, University of California) (1998)

Bronze Medal in MD Anesthesia (1995)

Contact us

Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
Max Rady College of Medicine
Harry Medovy House, second floor
671 William Avenue
University of Manitoba (Bannatyne campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3E 0Z2 Canada

204-787-1125
204-787-4291