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Christina T. Mora Mangano, MD ’79:
Blazing Trails, Fostering a Passion for Research
C
thesiologist.
BY B ETH-AN N
hristina T. Mora Mangano, MD ’79, has
helped blaze a few trails in her nearly
three decades as a fellowship-trained cardiothoracic anes-
A staunch advocate for subspecialization of anesthesiology, she has argued tirelessly for the necessity of individuals with specialized expertise in dealing with complex cardiac conditions. Her research has helped define the perioperative management of patients requiring cardiothoracic surgery. And, in a male-dominated profession, she has on many occasions been the first or one of a few female cardiovascular anesthesiologists on staff, culminating in 2007 with her selection as the first female president of the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA). Throughout her career, she has never been one to shy away from potential conflict if it has meant standing up for what she feels is in the best interests of her patients—or her profession. “If I am swimming with the sharks . . . I don’t plan to be eaten
KER B ER
alive,” she responded unapologetically to a former division chief of cardiothoracic anesthesiology who suggested that she was too assertive. In 1994, Dr. Mora joined the faculty of Stanford University—at the time, already internationally recognized for its cardiovascular center— and she has been part of the center’s continued evolution. “To be able to work with world-class surgeons and enhance the role and influence of the cardiothoracic anesthesiologist has been very rewarding,” she says. Currently, she is a professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine and chief, division of cardiovascular anesthesia, a position she has held for the past 15 years. As an attending anesthesiologist at the Stanford University Hospital, she specializes in managing complex cardiovascular cases, including major aortic surgery with profound hypothermic circulatory arrest, heart and lung transplants, and emergencies. She states,
“Some nights it seems that every patient west of the Mississippi suffering an aortic dissection arrives by helicopter on the hospital roof. “I feel tremendously fortunate, because I found my passion and was able to identify something I love doing,” Dr. Mora says. “I tell my children, the best thing in life is to find something you love to do, and—even if there are days you don’t want to get up in the morning—once you’re at work, you can say, ‘Wow! Let’s rock and roll!’ And, remarkably, I am paid to do this! It is a gift and a privilege.” It would have been difficult for the former otolaryngologist hopeful to imagine such enthusiasm for the career during her surgical residency. But when a midnight-shift epiphany in her third year of residency brought the realization that a career change was needed, she began to consider other options. “The decision was very emotional, and I realized what I was walking away from, but I knew it just wasn’t for me,” Dr. Mora explains. Someone recommended anesthesiology, and her initial reaction was less than glowing: “Those guys don’t do anything but keep people asleep!” Still unconvinced, she decided to explore it fur-
52 Robert Wood Johnson I MEDICINE
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