Expert Witness — Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine

Puja Shah, MD

Double Board-Certified Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine Expert Witness

Active Clinical Practice • Former Chief of Pain Management • Medical Director Experience • Women's Health Expertise

Medical Record Review Standard of Care Analysis Causation Opinions Deposition & Trial Testimony

Dr. Shah is a double board-certified anesthesiologist and pain medicine physician with active clinical practice, healthcare leadership experience, and specialized expertise in perioperative safety, ambulatory surgery, pain medicine, and women's health. She provides independent expert review for plaintiff and defense matters nationwide.

Available for plaintiff and defense matters nationwide.

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Services

What Attorneys Hire Dr. Shah to Do

Attorneys retain Dr. Shah for independent review of anesthesia, airway, perioperative safety, ambulatory surgery center, pain management, and women's health cases. Services include record review, standard of care analysis, causation opinions, written reports, deposition testimony, and trial testimony.

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Medical Record Review

Thorough review and analysis of medical records, imaging, and clinical documentation

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Standard of Care Analysis

Assessment of whether clinical care met the applicable standard of care

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Causation Analysis

Expert opinions on whether a deviation caused or contributed to the alleged injury

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Expert Reports

Clear, well-organized written reports suitable for disclosure and court submission

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Deposition Testimony

Experienced, composed testimony under oath in deposition proceedings

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Trial Testimony

Clear, credible expert testimony before judges and juries at trial

Areas of Expertise

Case Types Reviewed

Dr. Shah evaluates cases across the following clinical areas. Attorneys can determine within seconds whether her expertise is relevant to their matter.

Anesthesiology

General anesthesia, MAC, procedural sedation, postoperative complications, office-based anesthesia

Airway & Respiratory Events

Difficult airway, failed intubation, aspiration, respiratory compromise, extubation complications

Perioperative Safety

PACU monitoring, failure-to-rescue, patient deterioration, monitoring failures, postoperative care

Ambulatory Surgery Centers

ASC standards, patient selection, perioperative risk, safety oversight, office-based procedures

Obstetrical Anesthesia

Epidurals, spinals, combined spinal-epidural, neuraxial complications, labor analgesia

Women's Health Procedures

Outpatient gynecological surgery, pelvic pain procedures, sedation for women's health cases

Pain Medicine

Interventional procedures, spinal cord stimulators, epidural injections, regional anesthesia complications

Opioid Prescribing

Opioid management standards, buprenorphine/Suboxone, postoperative opioid management, prescribing standards of care

Differentiators

What Sets Dr. Shah Apart

Dr. Shah brings a unique combination of active clinical practice, healthcare leadership, physician education, and communication expertise. Her opinions are grounded in current medical practice and informed by extensive experience in perioperative medicine, patient safety, ambulatory surgery, and healthcare operations.

✔Double Board Certification

Board-certified in Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, with expertise spanning perioperative care, patient safety, and interventional pain management.

✔Active Clinical Practice

Maintains an active clinical practice in anesthesiology and pain medicine, providing direct patient care and performing procedures on a regular basis. Her opinions reflect contemporary standards of care and real-world clinical practice.

✔Medical Director & Leadership Experience

Experience serving in physician leadership roles, including Medical Director and Chief of Pain Management. Brings expertise in clinical operations, patient safety, quality improvement, protocol development, and healthcare systems oversight.

✔Ambulatory Surgery & Outpatient Expertise

Expertise in ambulatory surgery center operations, patient selection, perioperative risk management, and the safety standards that govern outpatient surgical care.

✔Women's Health Expertise

As one of the few female pain management physicians in the country, Dr. Shah brings specialized expertise in the operative management of women's health conditions, pain, and obstetrical care.

✔Physician Educator & Media Expert

Recognized as a physician educator, speaker, medical journalist, and media contributor. Has delivered invited presentations, authored publications, participated in national media, and served as a medical correspondent for ABC News.

Media, Speaking & Education

Featured Media & Speaking

Dr. Shah's ability to explain complex medicine to non-physician audiences — demonstrated through national media, podcasts, and television — translates directly into clear, accessible expert testimony.

Podcast

MamasteFit: Pain Relief, Epidurals & Obstetrical Anesthesia

Podcast

MamasteFit: Navigating the Postpartum Mental Space

Television

CT News 12 Health Talk: The Opioid Epidemic

Clinical Education

Dr. Shah's Customized Anesthesia Approach

Individualized anesthesia planning to minimize drowsiness and nausea

Broadcast Media

ABC News Medical Journalism Correspondent

Worked directly with Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Richard Besser, writing for the ABC News Medical Unit

Television

CT News 12 Health Talks

TV Medical Correspondent — opioid epidemic, chronic pain management, and mind-body medicine

Medical Journal

Journal of Anaesthesia Practice (UK) — Feature Interview

International feature on anesthesia practice, airway management, COVID-19's impact, and patient communication

Academic Presentations

ASRA Pain Meeting & NY PGA Meeting

Poster presentations on neuraxial anesthesia complications — Phoenix, AZ (2013) and New York, NY (2013)

Expert Contributor

HealthyWomen.org — Women's Health Advisory Council

Medical reviewer and expert contributor on surgical pain planning and women's health

Authored Article

Newport Beach Independent

"Fighting Chronic Knee Pain with a Genicular Nerve Block" — April 2021

Background

About Dr. Shah

Dr. Puja Shah is a double board-certified anesthesiologist and interventional pain medicine physician with an active clinical practice at NYU Langone Health and ambulatory surgery centers throughout New York. She brings current, real-world standards of care to every case she reviews.

Her experience spans hospital-based anesthesia, ambulatory surgery centers, office-based procedures, obstetrical anesthesia, airway management, regional anesthesia, and comprehensive interventional pain medicine. She served as Chief of Pain Management at the Long Beach VA Healthcare System and as Medical Director at Liberty Endoscopy Center in New York. She also served as Team Physician for Red Bull North America Athletes.

Dr. Shah completed the accelerated 7-year BS/MD program at Drexel University College of Medicine, graduating magna cum laude. She completed her Anesthesiology residency at SUNY Downstate/Kings County Hospital — named Chief Resident of the Year — and her Interventional Pain Management fellowship at Baystate Medical Center/Tufts University.

Drexel University College of Medicine — BS/MD, Magna Cum Laude

Residency, Anesthesiology — SUNY Downstate / Kings County Hospital (Chief Resident of the Year, 2015)

Fellowship, Interventional Pain Management — Baystate Medical Center / Tufts University

Attending Anesthesiologist — NYU Langone Health (2023–Present)

CEO, Shah Strong LLC — Outpatient ASC Anesthesia (2024–Present)

Former Chief of Pain Management — Long Beach VA Healthcare System

Former Team Physician — Red Bull North America Athletes

Columbia Business School — Executive MBA Candidate

Member — American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA)

Member — American Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine (ASRA)

Member — New York State Society of Anesthesiologists (NYSSA)

Member — American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI)

Women's Health Advisory Council — HealthyWomen.org

Media & Recognition

ABC News Medical Journalism Correspondent — worked directly with Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Richard Besser

CT News 12 Health Talks — TV Medical Correspondent

Journal of Anaesthesia Practice (UK) — "Anaesthetist in Focus" feature interview, February 2021

Outpatient Surgery Magazine — Expert Commentary, March 2022

HealthyWomen.org — Physician Expert Contributor & Women's Health Advisory Council

Newport Beach Independent — Authored article on genicular nerve block, April 2021

MamasteFit Podcast — Featured expert, obstetrical anesthesia & women's health (2 episodes)

Research & Publications

Peer-Reviewed Work

Left Lower Extremity Weakness after Vaginal Delivery and Combined Spinal Epidural Anesthesia. Shah PR, Toledano D, PhD (Director of Obstetrical Anesthesiology). Department of Anesthesiology, SUNY-Downstate Medical Center.

International Journal of Obstetric Anesthesia

Neuraxial Anesthesia in a Parturient with Spina Bifida Occulta. Shah PR, Maloney M, Lai L. Department of Anesthesiology, SUNY-Downstate Medical Center.

Poster — ASRA Pain Meeting 2013, Phoenix AZ · NY State Society of Anesthesiologists PGA Meeting 2013

Induced lentiginosis with use of topical calcineurin inhibitors. Castelo-Soccio L, Di Marcantonio D, Shah P, Lee LW, Treat JR, Yan AC.

Arch Dermatol. 2012 Jun;148(6):766-8. PMID: 22710469 ↗

Oral glycopyrrolate as second-line treatment for primary pediatric hyperhidrosis. Paller AS, Shah PR, Silverio AM, Wagner A, Chamlin SL, Mancini AJ.

J Am Acad Dermatol. 2012 Nov;67(5):918-23. PMID: 22405644 ↗

Parvovirus-associated papular-purpuric "gloves and socks" eruption with atypical unilateral facial involvement. Shah P, Dawn A, Yan AC.

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2010 Nov;164(11):1065-6. PMID: 21041600 ↗

A Cross-Sectional Study of Somatic Symptoms and the Identification of Depression Among Elderly Primary Care Patients. Bogner HR, Shah P, de Vries HF.

Primary Care Companion of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. PMID: 20098519 ↗

Representative Case Topics

Clinical & Expert Witness Focus Areas

The following represent the types of clinical issues Dr. Shah evaluates. Contact Dr. Shah to discuss your specific matter.

Airway management failures

PACU respiratory events

Delayed recognition of deterioration

Office-based anesthesia safety

Ambulatory surgery center standards

Difficult airway management

Postoperative opioid management

Regional anesthesia complications

Epidural procedure complications

Spinal cord stimulator issues

Sedation-related injuries

Aspiration events

Monitoring failures

Obstetrical anesthesia complications

Neuraxial anesthesia in pregnancy

Failure-to-rescue claims

MAC sedation standards

Opioid prescribing standards

Buprenorphine management

Pelvic pain procedures

Outpatient women's health anesthesia

Extubation complications

ASC oversight & patient safety

Interventional pain procedure safety

Engagement

Retained By Attorneys Nationwide

Dr. Shah works with plaintiff and defense attorneys across the country. She is committed to independent, objective analysis and clear communication throughout every engagement.

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Plaintiff & Defense Matters Available for both sides — brings objectivity and credibility to every engagement

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Independent & Objective Review Honest, evidence-based opinions grounded in current clinical practice and medical literature

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Rapid Case Screening Available Quick preliminary review to assess case merit before full retention

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Reports Per Legal Standards Expert reports prepared in accordance with applicable federal and state legal standards

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Deposition & Trial Testimony Available for deposition and trial testimony nationwide

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Responsive Communication Attorney inquiries answered within one business day. Timely reports and case updates throughout

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