Doctors perform the erector spinae plane (ESP) anesthesia technique for a heart surgery at Vinmec International Hospital. — Photo courtesy of Vinmec Healthcare System

HÀ NỘI — More than 200 health experts from around Asia exchanged the latest studies and advanced techniques on anesthesia and analgesia at the 9^th International Conference on Regional Anesthesia in Hà Nội on Saturday. 

The two-day conference, entitled RA Asia 2019, was organised for the first times in Việt Nam by Vingroup’s Vinmec Healthcare System.

At the event, participants focused on topics such as safety in regional anesthesia; the best anesthesia pathways in 2019; latest anesthesia and analgesic regimens as well as the role of anesthetists in early recovery after surgery.

Participants shared their experiences and also practiced to improve their skills on 20 types of anesthesia techniques such as facial nerve, lumbar and arm plexus, spine and abdomen anesthesia on models with instructions from leading experts.

Doctor Philippe Macaire, head of the Anesthesia Department at Vinmec International General Hospital, said RA Asia 2019 provided an opportunity to update new techniques and share experiences in this field for Vietnamese doctors.

“We hope to have more hospitals in the country apply opioid-free postoperative analgesia to further improve the quality of surgery. Patients can practice early rehabilitation after surgery, minimise the risk of chronic pain, and improve the quality of life after injury and surgery,” said Macaire.

Recent studies in developed countries showed that about 10 to 50 per cent of patients after surgery suffered persistent pain. Surgical patients in Việt Nam and around the world face the above risks. However, in Việt Nam, regional anesthesia - including postoperative pain - was still a relatively new field, according to the Việt Nam Society of Anesthesiologists.

Since 2017, Vinmec has provided pain-free care by highlighting the regional anesthesia and analgesia techniques as first line treatment to release pain for patients. The hospital has become one of the most advanced healthcare systems in Asia in opioid-free pain management.

Vinmec has achieved important improvements in anesthesia, especially the erector spinae plane (ESP) anesthesia technique to relieve pain comprehensively with no complications and a shortened period of active resuscitation, eliminating the risk of postoperative pain and chronic pain in 96 per cent of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Vinmec has successfully applied the ESP technique in 1,000 open-heart surgeries without complications or incident. 

The International Conference on Regional Anesthesia is an annual event that started in 2011 with the goal of building a professional community interested in the application of regional anesthesia techniques for resuscitation, pain treatment and providing an opportunity to share latest knowledge. — VNS