Volume 78 Number 02

Looking Ahead to PGA80

On December 11 through 14, we will celebrate the eightieth anniversary of the PostGraduate Assembly (PGA80), our Society’s Annual Meeting, at New York City’s Marriott Marquis.

Registration is now open, and we urge all members to visit https://www.pga.nyc to register. The hands-on and small-group learning opportunities—many of which are new this year—may fill up quickly, so please sign up early. This is especially important if you need Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology™ (MOCA®) simulation and patient safety credits.

Overview of Featured Events: What to Expect

This year, on the Thursday preceding the meeting, you may attend a Master Class in either Contemporary Thoracic Anesthesia Practice or the new Crisis Resource Management for the Unstable Perioperative Patient Using Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS).

• Both Master Classes are full-day and hands-on continuing medical education (CME) credit-bearing sessions, with the Thoracic Anesthesia companion workshop on Friday.
• MOCA simulation credits will be provided to the Unstable Perioperative Patient Using POCUS Master Class attendees.

Our POCUS-based and airway management Workshops have been updated. For the second year, we are offering an electroencephalogram (EEG) workshop, which is valuable for anesthesiologists at any level. The Case-Based Learning Discussions are popular given their question-and-answer format, and provide an excellent forum for discussing best practices and exchanging how-to tips.

The Scientific Panels and Spotlight Sessions tracks have been streamlined to prevent competing sessions with a similar focus. Engaging With the Experts (EWE) sessions, which utilize a discussion format, provide attendees an opportunity to ask questions of preeminent panelists and hear their perspectives on areas of controversy.

Other Topical Highlights

• Discussion of virtual reality use in anesthesiology practice along with expanding technological advances and indications of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
• Presentations from inter-disciplinary experts and patient safety advocates
• Implementation science and systems engineering, both of which are crucial for safety in the complex environments of anesthesiology practice
• Real-life usage of new medications in our armamentarium—such as some costly yet exciting options for analgesia and hypnosis
• New scientific panels exploring the ethical dilemmas in our work and the increasing importance of office-based anesthesia to improve access while preserving safety. Note: Much work needs to be done in this space; check out the Spotlight Session on Dental Anesthesia Issues.
• A panel on postoperative delirium that will demystify this complex entity that affects not only the old and frail (one aspect of our current “silver tsunami”) but also children and previously healthy patients
• Updates on the newly identified ND4 mitochondrial mutation, which causes neurological injury during sevoflurane anesthesia; we will hear from the contributors to the joint American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)/Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA) statement on this entity.

Collaborating for the Future

What lies ahead for our specialty will demand strong leadership and collaboration. PGA80 sessions will address the many pathways to leadership; the importance of the humanities and collaboration in career building; and the unique life-cycle issues women face while aspiring to advance their leadership roles and academic careers.

• As has been the annual tradition, the ASA President will update us on advocacy issues, including recent wins and upcoming challenges.
• The premier specialty journals Anesthesiology and British Journal of Anaesthesia (BJA) will showcase impactful recent publications.
• The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF), Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP), and Society for Perioperative Assessment and Quality Improvement (SPAQI) will share their subspecialized, evidence-based management guidance.

Other “Don’t Miss” Activities

• The Robertazzi Panel, which follows the Saturday opening ceremony and will once again be led by Dr. Meg Rosenblatt. Drs. Basem Abdelmalak from the Cleveland Clinic (I Love NORA) and John Bebawy (NORA: More Like No Way!) from Northwestern University, who will present opposing views on non-OR anesthesia demands and inefficiencies—30offer solutions.
• The Poster Presentations, the Young Investigator Research Contest, and the 27th Annual Frost/Gevirtz Bragging Contest, all of which have a streamlined submission, review and award presentation process for PGA80.

• The Exhibit Hall, which will showcase many new possibilities for our 2027 wish lists. Attendees are encouraged to stop by as many booths as possible to show appreciation for the exhibitors’ support of PGA. It’s also a tremendous networking opportunity (and a chance for refreshments at certain times of the day).
• The immensely popular Medical Student and Resident/Fellow programming, spearheaded by Drs. Michael Wajda (New York University) and Bryan Mahoney (Mount Sinai Morningside/West; Academic Anesthesiology Committee Chair and Annual Sessions Second Vice-Chair). Resident and Fellow Section (RFS) leaders and members have also given their time, effort and outreach to PGA80’s current and aspiring trainee programs.

I look forward to connecting with you at PGA80 in December.