What: Australasian Symposium on Ultrasound and Regional Anaesthesia (ASURA) is the premier regional anaesthesia conference in Australia
When: 13 – 15 March 2025
Where: Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart, 1 Davey Street
Why: International and National keynote speakers who will present the latest advancements in regional anaesthesia research, practice, and education.
Conference Facts:
- The Australian Society of Anaesthetists (ASA), ANZCA and NZSA will host over 450 anaesthetists from across Australia in Hobart for three days.
- Three International speakers will showcase the latest research and thinking of the profession on topics relating to Regional Anaesthesia.
- Specialist Anaesthetists are able to incorporate regional anaesthesia into patient care from the newborn undergoing emergency surgery, for paediatric elective and emergency surgery, women’s health with labour epidural analgesia and for complex gynaecology surgery, for patients undergoing major cancer surgery, for musculoskeletal surgery – including knee, hip, hand, arm and shoulder surgery, and for frail patients who are unlikely to survive a general anaesthetic.
- The government recognises the key role that regional anaesthesia plays, and on 1 March 2025 they introduced a new Medicare item for regional anaesthesia nerve catheters for post-operative analgesia (MBS item 22032).
- Hadley’s Hotel in Tasmania hosted the ASA’s inaugural meeting some 91 years ago in 1934.
- It is especially fitting that the ASA returns to Tasmania, where the first anaesthesia administered in Australia took place in Launceston, performed by Dr William Russ Pugh MD in the St John’s Hospital on 7 June 1847.
- This meeting is timely, occurring shortly after the completion of ASA’s Workforce Modelling Report which showed that demand for anaesthetic services is expected to increase by 35.7% between 2017 and 2032. ASA modelling suggests an additional 50 anaesthetists per year must be trained, to meet this increase in demand.
Dr Vida Viliunas on ABC Radio Hobart talks about ASURA
Listen to ASA Vice-President, Dr Vida Viliunas, on ABC Radio Hobart as she talks with Drive presenter, Kylie Baxter, about ASURA. Note: the interview with Dr Viliunas, on Thursday 13 March 2025, begins at 1:37:30 and plays for approx. eleven minutes.