Rafi Avitsian, M.D.

Rafi Avitsian M.D. is the Section Head for the Neurosurgical Anesthesiology Section in Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF) in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He is also the program director of neurosurgical anesthesia fellowship program and a staff anesthesiologist in this department. He is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology in Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University.

He is of Armenian origin. Born in Iran, he immigrated to Canada later in life before coming to Cleveland Clinic, where he completed his internship, residency and fellowship, with a focus on neurosurgical anesthesiology. After graduation, he joined the staff in the Department of General Anesthesiology at Cleveland Clinic. He is also an assistant professor of anesthesiology in the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. He is board-certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology.

His clinical interests include neurosurgical anesthesia, particularly anesthesia for intracranial vascular surgeries. His clinical studies are directed mostly towards finding the optimal anesthetic methods to decrease post-operative complications after neurosurgery. He is also interested in airway management, especially for patients with difficult airway issues, and he has an active role in teaching as well as innovating in the area of airway management.

Dr. Avitsian also has special passion for resident education and was awarded various teaching awards including: Best Teacher of the Year, the Arthur Barnes Distinguished Teacher Award and the Distinguished Educator Award.

Fellowship - Cleveland Clinic

Neurosurgical Anesthesiology
Cleveland, OH USA
2005

Residency - Cleveland Clinic

Anesthesiology
Cleveland, OH USA
2004

Internship - Cleveland Clinic

Internal Medicine
Cleveland, OH USA
2001

Medical School - Tehran University School of Medicine

Tehran Iran
1994

• Anesthesiology

• Recipient, Arthur Barnes Distinguished Teacher Award, from SRNA school, Anesthesiology Institute, Cleveland Clinic 2006
• Scholarship in Teaching Award, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, 2006
• Recipient of Distinguished Educator I Certificate, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 2006
• Teacher of the Year Award, Department of General Anesthesiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 2006
• Highest teaching score by anesthesiology residents, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 2005
• Carole Ferguson Award for Best Resident of the Year, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 2003

• Innovative design of a Central Line Catheter with ability to access the Jugular Bulb.
• Innovative design of a fiberoptic scope sheath to decrease cross contamination rate between patients.

• American Society of Anesthesiologists
• Society for Neurosurgical Anesthesia and Critical Care
• Society for Education in Anesthesiology
• Society for Airway Management

Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists report if they have any collaborations with the pharmaceutical or medical device industries as part of the Cleveland Clinic’s procedures. The Cleveland Clinic publicly discloses payments to its physicians and scientists for speaking and consulting of $5,000 or more per year, and any equity, royalties, and fiduciary relationships in companies with which they collaborate. In publicly disclosing this information, the Cleveland Clinic tries to provide information as accurately as possible about its doctors’ connections with industry and those of their immediate family members. As of 1/21/2010, Dr. Avitsian has reported no financial relationship with industry that is applicable to this listing. Patients should feel free to contact their doctor about relationships with industry and how the relationships are overseen by the Cleveland Clinic. To learn more about the Cleveland Clinic’s policies on collaborations with industry and innovation management, go to our Integrity in Innovation page.

• Armenian
• English
• Persian