Biography

Kenichi Tanaka, M.D., M.Sc.

Department of Anesthesiology

University of Oklahoma Health Science Center

920 Stanton L. Young Blvd., WP1140

Oklahoma City, OK  73104

Email: kenichi-tanaka@ouhsc.edu

Phone: 405-271-4351; Fax 405-271-8695

Dr. Tanaka has received his doctor of medicine degree from Keio University in Tokyo, Japan. He has completed the Anesthesiology residency at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (1995-1998). He subsequently pursued a clinical fellowship at the Department of Anesthesiology at Emory University School of Medicine (1998-2000). He holds a diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology since 1999. He completed the Masters program in the Science of Clinical Research at Emory University (2006); in the same year, he was promoted to Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at Emory University School of Medicine. In 2012, Dr. Tanaka left Emory and joined the faculty of University of Pittsburgh as Professor of Anesthesiology. In 2014, he was recruited to become the Section Chief of Adult Cardiac Anesthesiology and Professor of Anesthesiology at University of Maryland School of Medicine. In 2021, Dr. Tanaka joined the faculty of University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center as John Plewes Chair and Professor of Anesthesiology.

Area of Clinical Work and Research: Dr. Tanaka’s clinical expertise is cardiovascular anesthesiology with a special focus on perioperative coagulation management and patient blood management. His research expertise encompasses preclinical, translational and clinical investigations as well as epidemiological studies relating to perioperative transfusion and surgical complications. His laboratory work utilizes a broad range of tests: in vitro assays including thromboelastometry, thrombin/plasmin generation assay, flow-chamber, and flow-cytometry; in vivo and ex vivo animal and human models. In parallel with preclinical/translational work, he has conducted a broad range of clinical studies in cardiac surgical patients; he currently serve as the PI and co-PI in 2 prospective randomized trials of hemostatic agents for cardiac surgical patients. Using perioperative surgical and anesthesia databases, he has also been engaging in several epidemiological studies. He currently serves as Senior Editor for Anesthesia & Analgesia, Editor for Journal of Cardiothoracic & Vascular Anesthesia, and Associate Editor for British Journal of Anaesthesia.

Contributions to Science: Dr. Tanaka’s has written more than 260 peer-reviewed articles including 50 review papers as well as 15 book chapters, primarily in the areas of: 1) Clinical coagulation monitoring; 2) Perioperative hemostatic intervention, and 3) Transfusion-related outcomes.

1)      Clinical coagulation monitoring: His research goal is to optimize perioperative monitoring of hemostasis through a better understanding of diagnostic capability and limitations of various coagulation monitoring devices. He has extensive clinical expertise in perioperative use of viscoelastic coagulation tests.

1. Katori N, Tanaka KA, Szlam F, Levy JH. (2005) In vitro evaluation of platelet count and clot retraction with thrombelastography. Anesthesia & Analgesia 100(6): 1781-5, PMID 15920213
2. Taketomi T,  Szlam F, Vinten-Johansen J, Levy JH, Tanaka KA. (2007) Thrombin-activated thrombelastography for evaluation of thrombin interaction with thrombin inhibitors. Blood Coagulation & Fibrinolysis 18(8):761-7, PMID 17982317
3. Ogawa S, Ohnishi T, Hosokawa K, Szlam F, Chen EP, Tanaka KA. (2013) Hemodilution-induced changes in coagulation and effects of hemostatic components under flow conditions. British Journal of Anaesthesia 111(6):1013-23, PMID 23794670
4. Tanaka KA, Bharadwaj S, Hasan S, Judd M, Abuelkasem E, Henderson RA, Chow JH, Williams B, Mazzeffi MA, Crimmins SD, Malinow AM. (2019) Elevated fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, and factor VIII confer resistance to dilutional coagulopathy and activated protein C in normal pregnant women. British Journal of Anaesthesia 22(6): 715-9, PMID 30916034

Hemostatic intervention studies: Dr. Tanaka is currently serving as an PI for the following mulit-center hemostatic intervention studies.

Randomized controlled trial comparing dimethyl sulfoxide cryopreserved platelets to liquid stored platelets in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery (NCT04709705) CellPhire/US Department of Defense-funded clinical trial

Active-control Randomized Trial Comparing 4-factor Prothrombin Complex Concentrate with Frozen Plasma in Cardiac Surgery (NCT05523297) Octapharma-funded clinical trial

Dr. Tanaka has focused on the identification of key hemostatic elements in restoring various forms of coagulopathy that are associated with perioperative bleeding. My laboratory was the first to demonstrate the restoration of hemostasis in factor VIII-deficient (hemophilia A) mice by introducing heterozygous antithrombin deficiency. I have subsequently explored coagulopathy after cardiopulmonary bypass and during ECMO.

1. Bolliger D, Szlam F, Suzuki N, Matsushita T, Tanaka KA. (2010) Heterozygous antithrombin deficiency improves in vivo haemostasis in factor VIII-deficient mice. Thrombosis & Haemostasis 103(6):1233-8, PMID: 20352163
2. Tanaka KA, Egan K, Szlam F, Ogawa S, Roback JD, Sreeram G, Guyton RA, Chen EP. (2014) Transfusion and hematologic variables after fibrinogen or platelet transfusion in valve replacement surgery: preliminary data of purified lyophilized human fibrinogen concentrate versus conventional transfusion. Transfusion 54(1):109-118, PMID  23718572
3. Abuelkasem E, Hasan S, Mazzeffi MA, Planinsic RM, Sakai T, Tanaka KA. (2017) Reduced requirement for prothrombin complex concentrate for the restoration of thrombin generation in plasma from liver transplant recipients. Anesthesia & Analgesia 125(2):609-15, PMID 28537975
4. Mazzeffi M, Gonzalez-Almada A, Wargowsky R, Ting L, Moskowitz K, Hockstein M, Davison D, Levy JH, Tanaka KA. (2023) In Vitro Treatment of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Coagulopathy with Recombinant von Willebrand Factor or Lyophilized Platelets. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 37(4):522-527, PMID: 36690556.

2)      Transfusion-related outcome and epidemiological studies: Allogeneic blood products can be lifesaving, but they are also known to cause side effects in surgical patients, increasing morbidity and mortality. I have recently focused on surgical outcome analyses in non-cardiac and cardiac surgeries. This is increasingly important area of research for value-based healthcare delivery and avoidance of hospital-acquired complications.

1. Tanaka KA, Pontikes AE, Van D, Vandyck K, Butt A, Mazzeffi MA, Thakral R, Stewart KE. (2022) Relationships between body mass index, allogeneic transfusion and surgical site infection after knee and hip arthroplasty surgery. Anesthesia & Analgesia 136(1):123-9, PMID 35389377
2. Tanaka KA, Alejo D, Ghoreishi M, Salenger R, Fonner C, Ad N, Whitman G, Taylor BS. (2023) Impact of preoperative hematocrit, body mass index, and red cell mass on allogeneic blood product usage in adult cardiac surgery patients. Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia 37(2):214-20, PMID 35644751
3. Terada R, Stewart K, Hansen S, Shettar SS, Butt A, Vallurupalli S, Martin M, Tanaka K. (2023) Temporal changes and predictors of perioperative blood transfusion in elective spine surgery: a retrospective analysis of a large surgical database. British Journal of Anaesthesia 130(4):421-9, PMID 36586804