ANESTHESIOLOGY 2023 has officially come to an end. While many of us have finally escaped Karl, the San Francisco fog, we find ourselves back home reflecting on the past week at #ANES23. After the Golden State greeted us with dragons on day one of the conference, we plunged into mazes of colorful supraglottic airways and endotracheal tubes. Whether you found yourself taking a selfie with giant statues of propofol or drinking a latte with your face printed in the foam, there was not a mundane minute at #ANES23. Invigorating presentations and lectures boasting the importance of perioperative medicine rang in many ears as we learned about AI in anesthesia and envisioned a greener anesthetic landscape. We were also blown away by the emerging technologies including new anesthesia machines, airway equipment and techniques, and virtual reality in anesthesia. Despite spooky season being underway, we even discovered what’s not so hocus about all of this POCUS. We have truly never felt so hopeful about the future of our specialty.
After running the streets of Chinatown and Little Italy, many of our evenings were filled with riding cable cars, visiting the Alcatraz prison, and exploring the Golden State. However, a few Golden OSU Buckeyes stayed steadfast at work. ASA President-Elect, Dr. Ronald Harter, is a current #tOSU Buckeye whose election was celebrated on Monday night at the President’s Reception. Dr. Harter has served as the Chair of The Ohio State University Department of Anesthesiology for 15 years. In his near 30 years of anesthesiology practice, Dr. Harter has held countless committee leadership positions and served in numerous ASA roles, including speaker of the ASA House of Delegates. He has been an active member of the Ohio Society of Anesthesiologists (OSA) and served as president in the early 2000s. Dr. Harter has been an invaluable asset to our team and has contributed immensely to our education and resident wellness for years. We are thrilled to have this Golden Buckeye continue to lead us on the national level.
Aside from AI and eco-technology, the ASA House of Delegate was actively engaged in deliberations, implementation, and facilitation of policies geared towards protecting and advancing the profession. Our specialty's promising future was also evident in the plethora of medical students who attended the conference. The vast number of medical students showed their eagerness in learning of our specialty through virtual reality intubations and inductions while creating lifelong networking connections. Many residency directors and department chairs were immersed in their enthusiasm, and the prosperous residency open houses were quite literally jammed packed. These students, made up of many future Golden Buckeyes, make us as excited as ever for what is to come!
Throughout the conference, many of us jumped into several of the 60-minute refresher lecture courses and hands-on workshops designed to revitalize our skills with Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Perioperative Resuscitation and Life Support (PeRLS). However, another Golden Buckeye found herself in the heart of putting those skills to the test. A resident at The Ohio State University was gearing up for her Medically Challenging Case presentation when she was met with an all too familiar scenario. As she was heading to her board, the buzzing of the booming conference was suddenly hushed by a new clamor. A medical emergency was underway right in front of her eyes, and she did what she does best – acted as an anesthesiologist. While fearful eyes looked on, our Golden Buckeye assumed her usual leadership role and immediately stepped in to assist. She performed ACLS on a conference-attendee and worked swiftly with those around her to scavenge airway equipment and an AED. After a few rounds of compressions, ROSC was achieved – all in the chicness of wearing red bottom heels. After a safe handoff to the paramedics, she buttoned her suit jacket and was off to present no less than ten minutes later. Now that’s our Golden Buckeye!
If this past week has taught us anything, anesthesiology is as irreplaceable as ever, the care team model and perioperative medicine world’s future is bright, and we cannot wait to lead in a technologically advanced and green world of anesthesia. We are looking forward to seeing you again in 365 days for ANESTHESIOLOGY 2024 in Philadelphia, PA. We can already taste the cheesesteaks!
Dr. Alexandrea Garrett, Dr. Daphney Dorcius, Dr. Chukwudubem Obianagha, Dr. Nasir Hussain and Dr. David Stahl have no conflicts of interest to report.
Image by VectorSpace06 / Shutterstock
