Neuraxial anesthesia remains a foundational component of modern anesthetic practice, supporting procedures ranging from labor analgesia to major surgical interventions. In 2026, the field continues to evolve under the combined influence of clinical complexity,...

This content was reviewed by Stephen Garber, MD, Anesthesiologist in Southern California, and updated in 2026 to reflect current clinical evidence, quality frameworks, and recent guidance. Anesthesiology is changing under real operational pressure. The case mix is...

For RIVANNA, AI can help clinicians metaphorically see through walls by layering information onto ultrasound to achieve X-ray-like performance without radiation. Co-founded in 2010 by CEO Will Mauldin, PhD, the company was the first to bring a handheld ultrasound device to market during a large-scale push for miniaturized electronics.

Whether you're a healthcare professional, expectant parent, or curious reader, these data points offer a snapshot of what childbirth looks like around the globe today. Dive in to see how birth is changing and how innovation is helping to make it safer for families...

The United States sees approximately 3.66 million births each year, with birth rates highest in states like Texas, California, and Florida. But behind these numbers, providers across the country are managing increasingly complex cases. More women are having...

In labor and delivery, every procedure brings unexpected variables — even for those who've spent their careers on the obstetrics floor. Unpredictability defines work in these units: a place where Dr. Hilary Gallin has spent years mastering anesthesiology's most...

Neuraxial anesthesia is not practiced uniformly across the globe. From the operating rooms of major academic medical centers to district hospitals in resource-limited settings, the techniques, protocols, and outcomes associated with spinal and epidural anesthesia...

Featuring Dr. Steve Garber, Obstetric Anesthesiologist, Saddleback Hospital In the delivery suite, precision is personal. Every placement, every decision, can shape a mother’s experience of birth. For Dr. Steve Garber, an obstetric anesthesiologist with more than...

Building health equity is an important role for modern health systems and hospitals. It’s an essential component of healthcare excellence in the areas of safety and quality. Medicine and healthcare still have a long way to go to make truly equitable care a reality,...

In neuraxial anesthesia, every decision is defined by precision. A single millimeter can shape patient comfort, safety, and outcomes. As artificial intelligence (AI) enters the perioperative space, it brings more than computational power; it brings clarity....

The healthcare environment in the US is one of constant change and fluidity. Changing demographic trends, economic forces, and advances in medical research and technology have significant impacts on healthcare and hospital performance and operations. The modern...

Healthcare economics have never been more challenging. Rising costs, flat reimbursements, and pressure for quality outcomes mean every clinical decision has a financial impact. At the same time, payers are stripping away traditional payment modifiers, making it...

For hospital healthcare executives, navigating the complex landscape of clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and financial performance is a constant balancing act. Within this landscape, neuraxial anesthesia, which is a cornerstone of modern surgical and...

By Paul Sheeran, Ph.D. — Director of Research & Development at RIVANNA For over a decade, RIVANNA has been at the forefront of imaging innovation, developing AI-driven procedural guidance to improve clinical outcomes. Now, with the support of a $3M...

The tech industry is continuing to advance their AI tools, such as large language models (LLMs) and beyond, in leaps and bounds. These tools are beginning to have major impacts in many areas, such as education, the workplace, and healthcare. The healthcare field is...

  Search interest for “handheld ultrasound” increased by 488% since 2010, reaching an average index of 43.4 in 2025. South Dakota and Kentucky are the states with the highest interest (100) in handheld ultrasound. Despite making up only 3.1% of the ultrasound...

How Obesity Shapes Public Concern and Complication Risks Across the U.S. States with higher obesity rates have much greater search interest in “epidural headache” (correlation r = 0.627, p < 0.001). West Virginia has the highest risk score at 93.5, indicating...

An analysis of the impact of employee engagement on hospital performance found 58% of the most engaged staff reporting top scores in patient safety culture. In the world of healthcare, patient safety by necessity plays a central role in ensuring quality healthcare;...

There is a significant shift occurring in the demographic composition of many developed countries: the aging of their populations. For the healthcare sector in the U.S., this presents a major challenge as a larger number of elderly people will need medical care....

The management of labor pain has always walked a fine line between efficacy and impact on mobility. Traditional epidural techniques, while effective in pain relief, often result in significant motor block that limits maternal movement. This issue is increasingly at...

A high-risk labor case with prior anesthesia-related traumatic stress, extreme BMI, and comorbidities demonstrated how Accuro Neuraxial Guidance enabled safe, single-attempt epidural placement by providing real-time midline and depth confirmation. The handheld ultrasound system not only reduced procedural uncertainty but addressed the previous traumatic experience, improved patient trust, and allowed the anesthesiologist to deliver precise, effective analgesia where traditional techniques would likely have failed.

This content was reviewed by Stephen Garber, MD, Anesthesiologist in Southern California. Ultrasound has fundamentally changed how clinicians approach neuraxial anesthesia. For years, palpation has remained the primary technique for identifying neuraxial landmarks....

Healthcare executives have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders. Whether it’s making determinations about organizational structure or directing strategy, all top-down decisions can have significant consequences. However, perhaps the most impactful role that...

This content was reviewed by Stephen Garber, MD, Anesthesiologist in Southern California. Post-dural puncture headaches (PDPH) are a widely recognized complication of spinal and epidural anesthesia, yet its prevalence remains a concern in modern anesthesiology....

In the field of healthcare and medical treatment, striving for improvements in healthcare safety and quality have always been of the utmost priority. As the medical field has evolved, great strides have been made in this area. Such advancements have contributed to...

The convergence of AI-guided neuraxial anesthesia and ultrasound-assisted anesthesia marks a profound shift in how we administer, teach, and measure the success of anesthesia procedures. With real-time data processing, image enhancement, and automated guidance, AI...

Healthcare is an ever-evolving landscape that faces an array of challenges. As the United States and many other advanced economies experience an aging population, the demand for quality healthcare will continue to increase, placing additional strain on a system...

Neuraxial anesthesia is a cornerstone of anesthetic practice, offering pain relief during surgeries, labor, and other medical procedures. However, there are specific contraindications — conditions or situations where neuraxial anesthesia poses unacceptable risks or...

Neuraxial anesthesia is a widely used technique for providing pain relief during surgeries and labor, but its application after spine surgery presents distinct challenges. Anatomical changes caused by surgeries such as laminectomies, spinal fusions, and disc...

Neuraxial anesthesia is a critical procedure that can be challenging for clinicians and anxiety-inducing for some patients. The traditional reliance on blind palpation for needle placement presents significant challenges, particularly in complex procedures such as...

Neuraxial anesthesia has become second nature to many practitioners, offering a reliable method for managing pain in surgery and labor. But even for seasoned anesthesiologists, the complications of neuraxial anesthesia remain a clinical reality that demands...

Ultrasound guidance is gaining traction for neuraxial procedures, providing anesthesiologists with enhanced accuracy, precision, and safety. Accuro — a handheld ultrasound guidance device for neuraxial procedures — was designed to integrate seamlessly into clinical...

A new study by RIVANNA® analyzes employment trends in anesthesiology across U.S. states and the rapid growth of the ultrasound market, projected to double in value by 2034. We examine how technological advancements are transforming these medical fields, creating...

The role of the Anesthesiologist has been trending up over the last four years, and an increasing number of people want to know more about what this job entails. A new study by RIVANNA®, which aims to analyze the growth of search interest for anesthesiologist job...

The role of the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) has recently gained significant attention. A new study by RIVANNA®, which aims to analyze the growth of search interest for “CRNA” across the United States, has revealed some significant findings. The...

We’re RIVANNA. We develop and commercialize comprehensive imaging solutions for spinal needle interventions and fracture and soft tissue diagnostics to improve provider precision and patient care. That’s what we do, and in many ways, it’s who we are. But here’s the...

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are at the forefront of patient care, supporting safe, effective, and increasingly accessible anesthesia administration. As healthcare technology continues to evolve, CRNAs have the unique opportunity to lead the...

A change is coming to acute pain management, and anesthesiologists are at the forefront. Ultrasound guidance has expanded the role of anesthesia providers by enhancing precision, safety, and efficiency in anesthesia administration. It enables more accurate needle...

Nurse anesthesia education requires precision, hands-on practice, and the ability to navigate complex anatomical structures. Beth Clayton — seasoned Professor and Program Director at the University of Cincinnati — emphasizes the critical role of effective teaching...

A patient waiting to receive spinal anesthesia for the first time is invariably anxious — and understandably so. At RIVANNA, every investment we make in research and development for our medical technology is guided by a commitment to helping clinicians improve that...

Neuraxial anesthesia is a cornerstone in obstetrics for labor and delivery. Epidural placement requires exceptional precision, as any inaccuracies can lead to serious complications such as nerve damage or ineffective pain management. Dr. Stephen Garber, an...

In medicine, small errors can have profound implications. And in epidural and spinal anesthesia, sacrifices in precision correlate to sacrifices in patient care. It’s that simple. These procedures — absolutely crucial for pain management through childbirth and...

The reality of complications in epidural anesthesia needs to be confronted head-on. There’s room for improvement. We’ve seen plenty, as have many anesthesiologists — and patients. With Accuro ultrasound guidance for neuraxial anesthesia, anesthesiologists can see...

In anesthesiology, precision should never be a luxury. And in complex anesthesia, where the margin for error is razor-thin, absolute precision must be a baseline — it must be accessible, affordable, and effective. We’ve seen anesthesiologists navigate a minefield...

Anesthesiology is entering a dramatic renaissance. The traditional reliance on anatomical landmarks and intuition for neuraxial block placement is being rapidly replaced by earned confidence in artificial intelligence and ultrasound technology. This powerful...

Epidural administration can be difficult for patients with anatomical complexities, particularly scoliosis. The procedure encompasses placing neuraxial blocks for surgical treatments and child delivery, and it demands precision that traditional methods — reliant...

In the quiet expanses of rural communities, the lights of hospitals are going out as facilities close. It’s a silent crisis that starkly affects both patients and medical professionals, with a serious impact on anesthesiology. As rural hospitals shut their doors,...

Traditional ultrasound is a cornerstone in diagnostic and procedural medicine. But its application comes with a unique set of challenges, particularly in neuraxial procedures, where precision is nonnegotiable. From the steep learning curves associated with image...

These days, just about any job carries what feels like an incredible level of stress. But few careers actually match the stress of what it means to be an anesthesiologist or a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). This profession consistently ranks among...

The physiology of morbidly obese patients presents unique challenges when it comes to adapting medical procedures — including those that require anesthetization. Achieving successful neuraxial anesthesia can be particularly daunting due to impalpable landmarks and...

Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) play a critical role in providing excellence in patient care. There’s an ever-growing need for the skills and experience that accompany this position, but extreme staffing shortages persist across the country....

Among the countless advancements in the field of medicine, neuraxial anesthesia stands out as a cornerstone of modern perioperative care. This specialized technique — involving the administration of local anesthetic agents near the spinal cord — has garnered broad...

Neuraxial anesthesia is a vital component of anesthesiology, providing regional anesthesia for diverse surgical procedures. Anesthesiologists recognize its pivotal role in relieving pain and discomfort; however, it presents administration challenges when utilized...