Dear Friends,
I trust you and your loved ones are well and in good health wherever you are. Needless to say the last year has been “unprecedented” with the COVID-19 pandemic. As we learn to protect ourselves and collectively fight this new disease, life is slowly returning to a new normal in many parts of the world. I am confident humanity will eventually prevail but it’s doubtful if life will ever be the same.
Today the ISSPS (International Symposium on Spine and Paravertebral Sonography for Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine) has established itself as a forum for clinicians to share experience, exchange ideas, and advance their knowledge in the use of ultrasound for regional anesthesia and pain medicine particularly in the field of central neuraxial and paravertebral blocks. Unfortunately the ISSPS 2020 was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic. However, as life returns to normal we have decided to organize the ISSPS 2021, albeit in a virtual format. The ISSPS 2021 webinar series will also be the 10th anniversary of this event since its inception in 2009. Multiple short webinars, of 3-4 hours’ duration, will be delivered every second Saturday from the 14 August – 04 December 2021. The dates and times for the webinars have been carefully chosen to allow participants to login, without much inconvenience, from all over the world and that too on the same day. Like in previous year’s the scientific committee has put together a thought provoking scientific program in which opinion leaders, researchers and renowned experts from around the world and locally will discuss the most updated information and emerging trends, on this state of the art field of regional anaesthesia and pain medicine, and beyond. As the convener I am most grateful to the faculty for accepting my invitation. Details of the scientific program can be viewed at the issps website (https://www.usgraweb.hk/issps2021/).
I sincerely believe that by the end of the symposium the participants will not only develop a sound knowledge about ultrasound for regional anaesthesia, but also on spinal and paravertebral sonography and the basic skills required to perform ultrasound guided central neuraxial and paravertebral interventions. The scientific program will also cover various aspects of POCUS (point of care ultrasound) for anesthesiologist and pain physicians. I am confident you will find the scientific program interesting whether you are a novice or an advanced user of ultrasound. The symposium will also provide a platform for the corporate sponsors to showcase the latest equipment and technology to a global audience. With the kind support of our corporate partners the ISSPS 2021 webinar series will be brought free of charge to the first 3000 registered participants. So I sincerely look forward to you joining us for this one-of-a-kind symposium.
Prof. Manoj Kumar Karmakar, MD, FRCA, FHKCA, FHKAM
Convener issps 2021
