American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine February 2018 - 6

Why I'm Going to New York

re you coming to New York for the 2018 World Congress on
Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine?

The 2018 World Congress will be held April 19-21, 2018, in New York
City. This is the fifth time this meeting has been held-it happens
only once every four years, and this is the first time it will be held in
the United States. It brings together all five of the world's regional
anesthesia and pain medicine societies: ASRA, the European Society
of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy (ESRA), the Asian and
Oceanic Society of Regional Anesthesia (AOSRA), the Latin American
Society of Regional Anesthesia (LASRA), and the African Society
of Regional Anesthesia (AFSRA). The three-day comprehensive
meeting covers acute and chronic pain as well as regional anesthesia
and includes five parallel session tracks; 47 workshops; and a
preconference day of special sessions, including point-of-care
ultrasound workshops, the ASRA Pain and MSK Interventional
Ultrasound Certificate examination, and the European Diploma in
Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Management (EDRA) exam.
Here, a few of the session chairs and speakers share a preview of
some content being presented at this historic meeting and explain
why they're going to New York. To register, go to www.asra.com/
world-congress.
NEW BLOCKS-WHY AND HOW WELL DO THEY WORK?
I'm honored to be chairing the
session on "New Blocks-Why
and How Well Do They Work?"
Even though ultrasound-guided
regional anesthesia is more than 15
years old, we are still discovering
new ways to use ultrasound to
deposit local anesthetics in novel
locations that have enormous
potential impact on patient care.
Particularly exciting for me is
that many of these new block
Ki Jinn Chin, MB, BS, FANZCA,
techniques also mark a shift toward
FRCPC
making ultrasound-guided regional
Anesthesiologist
anesthesia safer and simpler to
Toronto Western Hospital
perform, thus putting it within reach
Toronto, Canada
of more of our colleagues.
For example, we will discuss new approaches to the infraclavicular
brachial plexus block, which address the limitations of the classic
ultrasound-guided technique. We will also feature the erector
spinae plane block, a truncal block for thoracic and abdominal
analgesia described just in the past year, generating a lot of interest
because of its potential as an alternative to thoracic epidural or
paravertebral blocks in challenging patients. I am also looking
forward to discussions on the quadratus lumborum block and
anesthesiologist-led, ultrasound-guided techniques of periarticular

infiltration around the knee. From an intellectual point of view, I'm
pleased to see that many of those new techniques have renewed
our study of clinical anatomy, which was always a cornerstone
of the art of regional anesthesia. I hope you will join our panel of
clinical experts for what promises to be an engaging session that
will inspire and educate us all.
ADVANCES IN NEUROMODULATION
I am going to New York to enjoy
time with friends and colleagues
and to explore the best practices
I can use in my patient care to
help more people who suffer from
chronic pain. I am particularly
excited about the panel on Advances
in Neuromodulation. It is a rare
event to have such a collaboration
of experiences brought together as
experts discuss the critical points
of using neuromodulation to expand
Timothy Deer, MD
and perfect electrical medicine.
President and
Those attending will hear a great
Chief Executive Officer
presentation on the best use of new
The Center for Pain Relief, Inc.
feedback loops, dorsal root ganglion
Charleston, West Virginia
stimulation, waveform advances,
and new software and hardware to
advance the therapy. Perhaps more important than content is the
panelists' evolution of ideas. Those ideas lead to the next device
innovation, which then will undergo a long and tumultuous road of
critical analysis, including level-one studies and in-depth evaluation
of efficacy and safety. Those are the ideas that will lead to future
device approvals and be the content of future world meetings.
In addition to the panels and discussion, the Congress offers
an opportunity to participate in firsthand training in the area of
implantable devices. This option will be important for both fellows
and practicing physicians who want to advance their skills. In
addition, we will dig deep into the proper use of opioids in noncancer pain and discuss which algorithms are the most appropriate.
Finally, the discussion of best algorithms will bring this together as a
cohesive set of information that will help a great number of people.
So, my friends, as you can see, the reasons to go to New York are
numerous. I am sure it will be an incredible time and an experience
we all remember for years to come. Please join me and bring a
friend to this amazing opportunity.
ENHANCED RECOVERY FOR TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY: A 360°
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
The World Congress is shaping up to be the educational event of
the decade for students of regional anesthesia and acute pain
medicine. The hallmark of this World Congress is innovative

American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
2018

http://www.asra.com/world-congress http://www.asra.com/world-congress

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine February 2018