Seth Perelman, MD

As a child of first-generation immigrants, there was always an emphasis on education in my family. I was interested in how the human body worked, and the combination of natural curiosity and a desire to help people led me to pursue a career in medicine.

I graduated from NYU School of Medicine, so I have strong ties to NYU Langone, where I now serve as a cardiothoracic and transplant anesthesiologist. As a board-certified physician in anesthesiology and perioperative transesophageal echocardiography, I am involved in complex procedures. These include heart valve replacement, bypass surgery, and lung and heart transplants.

In addition, I lead NYU Langone’s Bloodless Medicine and Surgery Program, which includes a multidisciplinary team of surgeons and other clinicians. We use techniques that avoid the need for blood transfusions and blood products during procedures, helping to ensure patients have fewer complications after surgery, shorter hospital stays, and a faster recovery.

As an anesthesiologist, I am involved from the time a patient is scheduled for surgery. I help to educate patients and allay any anxiety they may have. Our team follows Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS^®) protocols in which we tailor care for people to achieve quicker recovery following procedures and reduces their length of stay in the hospital.

At NYU Langone, we have also created a preoperative anemia clinic, which many hospitals do not have, to treat people with iron deficiency anemia before surgery. It is important for people to have normal iron and hemoglobin levels before surgery because this decreases the need for a blood transfusion or reduces the amount of blood transfusion required, in addition to decreasing complications after surgery.

My research is related to blood management and conservation, including iron deficiency anemia, coagulation, and blood testing during surgery. I have lectured nationally and internationally on these topics, and my research has been published in leading academic journals.

I have an interest in medical missionary work and have traveled as part of a team to developing countries around the world, helping people with limited resources to access orthopedic procedures and become independent. I have also been involved in mission trips in which children received cleft palate surgery, helping to free them from social stigma and overcome speech impediments.

I am a founding member of the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management and serve on its board of directors. I am also a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and serve on its Committee on Patient Blood Management. In addition, I am a member of the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists’ Blood Conservation Working Group.