Welcome to the Division of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
The Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine group is divided into Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Management and Chronic and Interventional Pain Medicine, with complementary but different primary focus. We provide both inpatient and outpatient services for a large referral base.
Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain
As a diverse group of regional anesthesiologists, we take great pride in our commitment to improve acute pain in surgical patients, as well as in those patients hospitalized with chronic pain conditions. These goals are central to our division’s overall mission of education, research and service.
All of our division faculty are board certified by the American Board of Anesthesiologists.
VCU Health System is a high volume center, and we perform over 5,000 regional anesthesia procedures a year. We strive to provide innovative patient care, in collaboration with our surgical and medical team colleagues. Our division is also dedicated to providing cohesive and modern educational and training experiences to our residents and regional anesthesia fellows. Every year, we represent VCU Health System with posters and presentations of our research at meetings such as the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, International Anesthesia Research Society and the American Society of Anesthesiologists. The broad extent of our patient care and training include the following:
- Regional Anesthesia for both adult and pediatric patients
- Neuraxial anesthesia, including spinals, epidurals, and combined spinal epidurals
- Upper and lower extremity nerve blocks
- Truncal nerve blocks
- Ambulatory nerve catheter infusions
- Multimodal anesthesia
- Multimodal pain management therapies
- Ketamine infusions
- Lidocaine infusions
- Diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic pain conditions
- Holistic therapies
- Acupuncture
- Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) and simulation education
Sabrina Dhillon, M.D.
Associate Professor
Sabrina Dhillon, M.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
Undergraduate: B.S., Chemistry, University of Virginia
Graduate: M.D., M.Sc., Eastern Virginia Medical School
Residency: Anesthesiology, University of Virginia
Laura Lahaye, M.D.
Associate Professor
Laura Lahaye, M.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
Associate Professor; Director of Acute Pain Service
Undergraduate: B.S. (Univ of Maryland, College Park, MD)
Graduate: M.D. (UVA, Charlottesville, VA)
Residency: Anesthesiology (Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH)
Interests: Regional Anesthesia, General Anesthesia
Email: laura.lahaye@vcuhealth.org
Praveen Prasanna, M.D.
Associate Professor, Residency Program Director
Praveen Prasanna, M.D.
Associate Professor, Residency Program Director
Department of Anesthesiology
Residency Program Director
Graduate: MBBS, Bachelor of Surgery (Medical College Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India)
Post Doctoral Training: Fellow of the College of Anaesthetists Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (FCARCSI) (Royal College of Anaesthetists United Kingdom)
Residency: Anesthesiology (Baystate Medical Center, Springfield MA)
Interests: Regional and General Anesthesia
Bryant Tran, M.D.
Associate Professor
Bryant Tran, M.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
Associate Professor; Regional Anesthesia Fellowship Director
Undergraduate: B.S., Wake Forest University
Graduate: M.D., Wake Forest University
Internship: Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University
Residency: Anesthesiology, University of Virginia
Fellowship: Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine, Stanford University
Interests: Regional Anesthesia, Transplant Anesthesia, Acute Pain Management
Email: bryant.tran@vcuhealth.org
Michael Buxhoeveden, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Michael Buxhoeveden, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
Undergraduate: B.S., Villanova University
Graduate: M.S., Georgetown University
Graduate: M.D., Rutgers- New Jersey Medical School
Residency: Anesthesiology, Virginia Commonwealth University
Fellowship: Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University
Interests: Regional Anesthesia, Perioperative Ultrasound
Fax: 804-828-8300
Cedric H. Campbell, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Cedric H. Campbell, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
Undergraduate: B.S., Medical Tech, Union College
Graduate: M.D., University of Illinois
Internship: Family Medicine, St. Elizabeth Medical Center
Residency: Anesthesiology, Virginia Commonwealth University
Interests: General Anesthesia
Deanna Couser, M.D
Assistant Professor
Deanna Couser, M.D
Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
Department of Anesthesiology
Undergraduate: B.Sc Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University
Graduate, M.D: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Residency: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Fellowship: the Pediatric Anesthesiology University of North Carolina, School of Medicine
Email: deanna.couser@vcuhealth.org
David Moffatt, M.D.
Assistant Professor
David Moffatt, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
Undergraduate: McDaniel College
Medical School: VCU School of Medicine
Residency: University of Washington, Seattle
Fellowship: University of New Mexico, Regional and Acute Pain
Email: david.moffatt@vcuhealth.org
Jay Napoleon, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Jay Napoleon, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
Undergraduate: B.S. Mechanical Engineering (MIT, Cambridge, MA)
Graduate: M.D. (VCU Medical Center)
Residency: Anesthesiology (VCU Medical Center)
Fellowship: Pain Management (VCU Medical Center)
Interests: Acute Pain Management, Regional Anesthesia
Email: jay.napoleon@vcuhealth.org
Maliha Nowrouz, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Maliha Nowrouz, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
Undergraduate: B.S. Business Information Technology (Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA)
Graduate: M.D. (Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA)
Residency: Anesthesiology (VCU)
Fellowship: Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine (VCU)
Interests: Regional, resident education, ERAS
Email: maliha.nowrouz@vcuhealth.org
Astrid Overholt, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Astrid Overholt, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
Undergraduate Major: Integrative Biology, B.A., Minor: Scandinavian Studies (University of California, Berkeley, CA)
Graduate: MD (Tulane University, New Orleans, LA)
Residency: Anesthesiology (Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA)
Fellowship: Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain (Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA)
Interests: Regional Anesthesia, Acute Pain, Local Anesthetics, Clinical pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, Global Health
Shilen P. Thakrar, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Shilen P. Thakrar, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
Undergraduate: B.S. Biochemistry (University of California, Los Angeles)
Graduate: M.D. (VCU School of Medicine)
Residency: Anesthesiology (Albany Medical Center)
Email: shilen.thakrar@vcuhealth.org
Matthew Torre, D.O.
Assistant Professor
Matthew Torre, D.O.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
Undergraduate: B.S. Biology (James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA)
Graduate: M.D. (Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine; Blacksburg, VA)
Residency: Anesthesiology (NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn, NY)
Fellowship: Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine (Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA)
Interests: Acute Pain Medicine, Regional Anesthesia, General Anesthesia
Email: matthew.torre@vcuhealth.org
Chronic and Interventional Pain Medicine
The focus of our Chronic and Interventional Pain group is to treat pain that extends beyond the perioperative area, whereby the pain may have its origins in post-surgical causes, cancer, chronic disease, or often, idiopathic conditions. The focus is on restorative therapies that return the patient to healthy adaptive lifestyles without the burden of debilitating pain.
All of our division faculty are board certified by the American Board of Anesthesiologists, the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation or other member boards with added qualifications in pain medicine.
VCU Health System has a balanced, interdisciplinary approach to chronic pain care that utilizes interventional and operative approaches, psychological techniques, physical therapies, pharmacological approaches and alternative approaches such as acupuncture, nutritional care and wellness, all utilized in a comprehensive patient-centered care plan. We train four clinical Chronic and Interventional Pain fellows each year and have a large national presence. Our group produces national level research and strives to continue to find innovative ways to help treat our patients and advance the science of pain care.
Examples of the techniques utilized include:
- Interventional image-guided spinal procedures such as epidural injections, radiofrequency ablation, and sympathetic blocks
- Operative implants: Peripheral nerve stimulators, spinal and dorsal root ganglion stimulators, and intraspinal drug delivery pumps
- Hypnosis, mindfulness meditation, cognitive behavioral and interdisciplinary neuroscience education
- Pharmacologic therapies primarily using neuromodulating agents and non-opioid therapies
- Alternative therapies including acupuncture
Andrew W. Chapman, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Andrew W. Chapman, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
Undergraduate: B.S., Biology, Washington and Lee University
Graduate: M.D., University at Buffalo School of Medicine
Internship: Transitional Intern, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA
Residency: Anesthesiology, Virginia Commonwealth University
Fellowship: Interventional Pain, Rush University Medical Center
Interests: Neuromodulation, Cancer Pain
Email: andrew.chapman@vcuhealth.org
Joshua Lee, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Joshua Lee, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
Undergraduate: University of Virginia's College at Wise
Graduate: M.D., Virginia Commonwealth University
Residency: Anesthesiology, Virginia Commonwealth University
Fellowship: Interventional Pain, Virginia Commonwealth University
Email: joshua.m.lee@vcuhealth.org
Nicolas Maxymiv, D.O., M.S.
Assistant Professor
Nicolas Maxymiv, D.O., M.S.
Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesiology
Mary Wells, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor