Perioperative mental health: the elephant in the (operating) room
March 6, 2024
8 pm ET
Certificate of Attendance
1 in 5 Canadians have a diagnosable mental disorder within any given year, and surgical patients are at even elevated risk. Surgery is a highly stressful experience for many patients and at least half experience significant levels of acute preoperative anxiety and distress. Psychological factors have deleterious effects on critical surgical patient outcomes, such as pain, complications, functional recovery, length of stay, readmission, dissatisfaction with surgery, and mortality. These mental health impacts also extend to the healthcare system as a whole. Mental health disorders incur excess costs upwards of $600 US and $3400 US per patient following oncological and arthroplasty surgeries, respectively. Patients also identify anxiety as the worst component of their surgery experience. Despite the importance of mental health for patients undergoing surgery, perioperative mental health research is in its infancy and there are limited targeted interventions to manage mental health prior to surgery. This round will aim to review extant literature on perioperative mental health, and introduce approaches to optimize mental health prior to surgery.
Moderator: Dr Angela Jerath
Angela Jerath is an academic cardiac anesthesiologist and trained cardiovascular intensivist. She serves as an associate professor at the University of Toronto, based at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. She dedicates her research efforts into the examination and implementation of innovative critical care and surgical health delivery models, and assessing their influence on patient and health system outcomes using various clinical epidemiological and translational research methodologies.
Presenter: Dr Renee El-Gabalawy
Dr El-Gabalawy is a Clinical Health Psychologist and Associate Professor who is cross-appointed in the Departments of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine and Clinical Health Psychology at the University of Manitoba. She has research and clinical expertise in perioperative mental health and is internationally recognized in this area. Dr El-Gabalawy has over 120 peer-reviewed publications (H-index=36) and has obtained millions of dollars of funding as co- or principal investigator.
Learning Objectives:
After attending this round, the participants will be able to:
- Describe research demonstrating the impact of preoperative mental health status on perioperative outcomes
- Explain state anxiety and distress in a perioperative context (and how we can assess this)
- Describe and select appropriate preoperative approaches to optimize mental health
Canadian Airway Training: Guideline-based or choose your own adventure?
February 15, 2024
8 pm ET
Excellence in airway management is a cornerstone in anesthesia education and becomes part of one’s identity in anesthesia practice for many. Airway education is highly variable between Canadian universities and within programs, and the focus on individual skills and decision-making does not reflect the teamwork expected in both standard and emergency airway management. Recognition and predictable team response during airway emergencies lags other emergencies such as trauma and cardiac arrest. This round will address these challenges and help you in assessing airway guidelines.
Moderator: Dr Greg Manning
Dr Manning is a Cardiac Anesthesiologist and Critical Care Physician who is working to solve healthcare problems at a system level. He completed medical school and residency training at Memorial University and is fellowship trained at the University of Ottawa. Since, he has been in independent practice in St. John’s, NL and the Ottawa Heart Institute. After completing a Global Executive MBA in Healthcare and Life Sciences at Rotman School of Management (University of Toronto) in 2022, Dr Manning has shifted his career towards health system development and is now a Senior Medical Director with Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services (NLHS). Dr Manning is the Chair of the CAS Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and is beginning a term as a member of the WFSA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. He aims to maximize medical outcomes, service accessibility, and positive experiences for patients. He challenges and redesigns healthcare to deliver high-impact and cost-effective services to remote communities, underserved populations, and global health initiatives.
Presenter: Dr Laura Duggan
Dr Laura V. Duggan published over 50 articles in airway management, the most important of which have been the Canadian Airway Focus Group guidelines for both the unanticipated and anticipated airway management. Recognized as an international leader and educator in airway management, Dr Duggan has spent her career focusing on patient safety, human factors, and the humanness of anesthesia practice.
Learning Objectives:
After attending this round, the participants will be able to:
- Recall the origins and appraise the current challenges in airway guidelines
- Discuss the major themes of severe adverse events related to airway in Canada
- Examine the role of unwarranted variation in airway management
- Choose which (if any) airway guideline to adopt in Canadian residencies