Robert Ackerman, MD

Dr. Ackerman received his MD degree from University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. He completed an Anesthesiology Residency at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management. Dr. Ackerman most recently completed a Pain Medicine Fellowship at Duke University Medical Center, Department of Anesthesiology.

Dr. Ackerman’s clinical interests include pre-operative optimization, prehabilitation and enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS). His clinical focus in pain management includes peripheral nerve and spinal cord stimulation, perioperative pain management as well as interventional spine and cancer pain procedures. His research interests include onco-anesthesia, perioperative immune function, prehabilitation and perioperative nutrition; his pain medicine research focus includes the acute-to-chronic pain transition, peripheral nerve stimulation and quality improve-ment/patient safety. Dr. Ackerman will be dividing his time between the OR and the Interventional Pain Section.

Education & Training

Fellowship:

• Duke University Medical Center -

Residency:

• University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center -

Medical School:

• University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine - Medicine

• Aldawoodi NN, Turner K, Patel K, Coughlin E, Mhaskar R, Streitmatter C, Hoffman MS, Pow-Sang JM, Ackerman RS. A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing pre-anesthesia Evaluation via Telemedicine to In-Person at an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Telemed E-Health. 2025 Dec.31(12):1432-1442. Pubmedid: 40788778.
• Johnson EP, Monsour R, Hafez O, Kotha R, Ackerman RS. Major Perioperative Cardiac Risk Assessment: A Review for Cardio-Oncologists and Perioperative Physicians. Clin Pract. 2024 May.14(3):906-914. Pubmedid: 38804403. Pmcid: PMC11130950.
• Kotha R, Streitmatter C, Serdiuk A, Aldawoodi NN, Ackerman RS. Cardiac Remote Monitoring Devices and Technologies: A Review for the Perioperative Physician and Telemedicine Providers. Cureus. 2024 Feb.16(2):e53914. Pubmedid: 38343706. Pmcid: PMC10855008.
• Abrahams D, Ibrahim-Hashim A, Ackerman RS, Brown JS, Whelan CJ, Garfinkel MB, Gatenby RA, Muncey AR. Immunomodulatory and pro-oncologic effects of ketamine and isoflurane anesthetics in a murine model. PLoS One. 2023 Oct.18(10):e0292492. Pubmedid: 37816047. Pmcid: PMC10564181.
• Pettit MS, Crowder SL, Ackerman RS, Hafez O, Poch MA, Patel SY. Preoperative Nutritional Status and Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) Prior to Radical Cystectomy: A Review of the Literature. Nutr Cancer. 2023 Aug.75(9):1743-1751. Pubmedid: 37553951.
• Ackerman R, Riley M, Anwar MAF, Mitchell D, Vorenkamp K, Udani A, Yi P. Multidisciplinary simulation of local anaesthetic systemic toxicity improves diagnostic and treatment skills and self-confidence for pain clinic procedural staff. BMJ Open Qual. 2023 Apr.12(2). Pubmedid: 37041019. Pmcid: PMC10106041.
• Ackerman RS, Luddy KA, Icard BE, Piñeiro Fernández J, Gatenby RA, Muncey AR. The Effects of Anesthetics and Perioperative Medications on Immune Function: A Narrative Review. Anesth Analg. 2021 Sep.133(3):676-689. Pubmedid: 34100781.
• Patel SY, Ackerman RS, Boulware D, Poch MA. Epidural anesthesia may be associated with increased postoperative complications in the elderly population undergoing radical cystectomy: an analysis from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (NSQIP) database. World J Urol. 2021 Feb.39(2):433-441. Pubmedid: 32318858. Pmcid: PMC7771372.
• Ackerman RS, Aldawoodi NN, Muncey AR, Patel SY, Coughlin EC, Mhaskar RS. Intravenous versus Volatile Anesthesia and Cancer Outcomes: The Value of Precise Definitions and Pitfalls of Multivariate Analysis. Anesth Analg. 2021 Aug.133(2):e26-e27. Pubmedid: 34257210.
• Petitt MS, Ackerman RS, Hanna MM, Chen L, Mhaskar RS, Fernandez DC, Patel SY. Anesthetic and analgesic methods for gynecologic brachytherapy: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Brachytherapy. 2020 May.19(3):328-336. Pubmedid: 32122807.
• Muncey AR, Patel SY, Whelan CJ, Ackerman RS, Gatenby RA. The Intersection of Regional Anesthesia and Cancer Progression: A Theoretical Framework. Cancer Control. 2020 Jan.27(1). Pubmedid: 33070618. Pmcid: PMC7791454.
• Ackerman RS, Hirschi M, Trona N, Joyce DM, Evans T, Patel SY. Incidence of Thromboembolic Events in Oncology Patients Receiving Intraoperative Tranexamic Acid During Orthopedic Surgery: A Retrospective Review at a Comprehensive Cancer Center. A A Pract. 2020 Jan.14(2):63-66. Pubmedid: 31703004.
• Ackerman RS, Tufts CW, DePinto DG, Chen J, Altshuler JR, Serdiuk A, Cohen JB, Patel SY. How Sweet Is This? A Review and Evaluation of Preoperative Carbohydrate Loading in the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Model. Nutr Clin Pract. 2020 Apr.35(2):246-253. Pubmedid: 31637778.
• Ackerman RS, Hirschi M, Alford B, Evans T, Kiluk JV, Patel SY. Enhanced REVENUE After Surgery? A Cost-Standardized Enhanced Recovery Pathway for Mastectomy Decreases Length of Stay. World J Surg. 2019 Mar.43(3):839-845. Pubmedid: 30456482.
• Ackerman RS, Cohen JB, Getting REG, Patel SY. Are you seeing this: the impact of steep Trendelenburg position during robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy on intraocular pressure: a brief review of the literature. J Robot Surg. 2019 Feb.13(1):35-40. Pubmedid: 30047103.
• Hafez O, Ackerman RS, Evans T, Patel SY, Padalia DM. Mental Nerve Blocks for Lip Brachytherapy: A Case Report. A A Pract. 2018 May.10(10):265-266. Pubmedid: 29757796.

Voted top doctor in Pain Management in Tampa Magazine's Top Doctors 2025.