|
|
|
Meeting Review: SCA 27th Annual Meeting We are proud to report on the success of the 27th Annual Meeting of the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, held in Baltimore, Maryland this past May. Contributing to the success of this meeting was the venue, and the hard work of the Program Committee in selecting prestigious faculty and pertinent cardiovascular issues. This year's meeting hosted 752 registrants. One change to the Program was the addition of the Vascular Track, designed for anesthesiologists who care for cardiovascular patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. These sessions were temporally organized so that one could follow a Vascular Track at almost all times during the meeting. The Saturday morning Refresher Courses included Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia by Dr. Ted Warkentin and Echocardiography in the Diagnosis of Endocarditis, by Dr. Steven Goldstein. Updates on cardiac surgery outcomes, postoperative atrial fibrillation, and perioperative beta blockade were also delivered by experts in their respective fields. TEE and related workshops were also very well-attended throughout the meeting. The Sunday Program offered exciting multidisciplinary sessions that addressed current controversies in cardiovascular medicine. Dr. Shernan assembled an expert panel of anesthesiologists, a cardiologist, and a surgeon who "debated" the merits of interventional procedures, minimally invasive surgery, and other critical issues. These same faculty presented their "arguments" later in the day in a smaller more interactive setting. Similarly, another Sunday session offered an interactive discussion of echocardiography dilemmas. Many of these experts, including Dr. David Adams, also debated the merits of mitral valve repair in a later session. Also on Sunday, the session on How to Start Research at your Hospital was well attended. In addition to these sessions, cutting edge topics in the fields of pharmacogenomics, hemostasis, congenital heart disease, and cardiovascular pharmacology were presented throughout the meeting. The Monograph Session, this year moderated by Dr. David Cook, was on Innovations in Adult Cardiac Disease - a forward-thinking session on the future of cardiovascular anesthesiology. Sunday evening, our "Harborside Chats" were interactive hands-on sessions - one on Pediatric Extracorporeal Circulation and the second on Thoracic Anesthesiology. The Thoracic Anesthesiology session had a new station in which thoracic epidurals and paravertebral blocks were taught. We had a joint session with the American Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists, in which Dr. Mehmet Oz and other distinguished faculty discussed postoperative heart failure. At the business meeting, the President announced the two new members of the Board of Directors and thanked those whose terms expired. I am very grateful to the members of the Scientific Program Committee, who are directly responsible for the success of this meeting and who are integral in designing future meetings. Our next annual meeting takes place in San Diego, California, April 29-May 3, 2006. We will continue to present high quality faculty and cutting edge subject matter. We hope to see you all there. A special thanks is given to Scott Reeves and David Zvara (Vice Chairs of the Program Committee) for their invaluable contributions and their leadership of the scientific and education parts of the Program Committee. The organizational and administrative capabilities of Heather Spiess and the entire Ruggles team must also be gratefully acknowledged. Linda Shore-Lesserson, MD Table of Contents:
© Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists Questions or comments? Please send email to webmaster@scahq.org |