Workshops at last!

By Luis M. Zabala, MD
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Children’s Medical Center, Dallas

Following an extraordinary day of clinical lectures, attendees at the 2016 CCAS meeting had the opportunity to take part in one of the four carefully designed workshops. This year’s workshops featured four critical areas of expertise that every pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist should master: Cardiopulmonary Bypass (CPB) understanding, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) and Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs), Pacemakers/Defibrillators and Cardiac Morphology.

The CPB Workshop was sold out and provided the learner with an opportunity to review all the components from an adult and pediatric CPB circuits. Scott Lawson CCP, Chief Perfusionist from Children’s Hospital Colorado, and Carrie Striker DHEd MPS CCP EP, from Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, enlightened the audience with their knowledge and presented us with hands-on – simulation-style learning, while explaining possible scenarios we might encounter when interacting with our perfusionist colleagues in the cardiac operating theater.

The Extracorporeal Life Support: ECMO and VAD Workshop allowed the participant the opportunity to interact with perfusionist and anesthesiologist experts in the field of extracorporeal life support. An interactive audience response station allowed for concept definitions and theoretical clarifications, moderated by Warwick Ames MMBS, FRCA. The other two stations were divided in ECMO and VADs, brilliantly moderated by Katie Butler BSN and Craig McRobb CCP. The participants had the opportunity to understand the hemodynamic implications derived from device setting changes, as well as fluctuations in hemodynamic alterations.

The Cardiac Morphology Workshop was an incredible experience. Individual pig heart dissection stations where assigned to each participant. Under the guidance of Gina Whitney, MD and James Spaeth, MD, the participants enjoyed the rare opportunity to surgically dissect the heart and understand the intracardiac anatomy from the surgical perspective. On the other side of the room Dr. Spaeth captured the audience’s attention once again, by displaying Cincinnati Children’s Hospital collection of 3D printed cardiac pathology specimens; everything from a single ventricle model to the incredible complexity of a complete atrio-ventricular canal lesion were available to enjoy.

The Perioperative Management of Pacemakers and ICDs Workshop were moderated by two fantastic cardiac anesthesiologists. Dr. Richard Ing and Dr. Manchula Navaratnam displayed master teaching skills while navigating complex rhythm scenarios and troubleshooting a temporary pacemaker in the intraoperative period. A rhythm simulator provided by Medtronic and pacemakers provided by Medtronic/Cardiotronic made this session possible. It was a pleasure watching the audience engaged in learning while manipulating the temporary pacemaker in practice. I heard one participant state “best workshop I have ever attended in my life.”

Overall, the afternoon workshop session was a huge success and definitely something to look forward to our next annual meeting.