Dr. Mahmood Tabatabai, MD, PhD

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Get to know Anesthesiologist Dr. Mahmood Tabatabai, who serves patients in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

A veteran educator and medical professional of anesthesiology, Dr. Tabatabai works with patients at his private practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is currently in biomedical research related to physiology and anesthesiology.

Throughout his illustrious career, he has held various clinical and academic positions, including Chairman of the Department of Physiology at the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Iran, Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Pittsburgh, Acting Chairman of the Department of Anesthesia at the VA Medical Center in Philadelphia, Chairman of the Department of Anesthesia at the North Philadelphia Health System Hospitals, and Editor-in-Chief of the Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences.

An Iranian native, Dr. Tabatabai earned his medical degree from the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Iran back in 1963. After relocating to the United States, he earned his Doctorate degree in Physiology from the University of Pennsylvania. He then went on to complete his internship at Drexel University in 1979, followed by his residency in anesthesiology at the Yale-New Haven Hospital from 1979 to 1982.

With over 50 years of experience, he is a current or past member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the International Anesthesia Research Society, the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, the International Brain Research Organization, the Educational Council of the International Union of the Physiological Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Association of University Anesthesiologists.

Licensed to practice medicine in Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia and California, the doctor is board-certified in anesthesiology by the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA). As the certifying body for anesthesiologists since 1938, the ABA is committed to partnering with physicians to advance lifelong learning and exceptional patient care. Its mission is to advance the highest standards of the practice of anesthesiology. 

Throughout his line of work, Dr. Tabatabai has written  more than 70 research articles, review articles, and book chapters, as well as more than 80 biomedical abstracts. He attributes his success to his family, his teachers, his hard work and being influenced by other hard-working professionals in the field, and by taking pride in his work and devoting himself to his responsibilities.

Anesthesiology is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during, and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, and pain medicine. Anesthesiologists have the primary responsibility of monitoring the patient’s vital signs during surgery. In addition to basic measurements such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration., temperature, they also measure end tidal carbon dioxide pressure (end tidal CO2 ), and blood hemoglobin oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry.

Lauded for his achievements in the field of medicine, Dr. Tabatabai has been presented with numerous accolades such as a Recognition Award from the Iranian Ministry of Science and Higher Education in 1963 for graduating as the top physician in his class, Research Awards through the Ministry in 1974 and 1977, and the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award.

When not working, he enjoys playing tennis, horseback riding, swimming, jogging, reading and listening to the news, as well as watching movies.

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