The newsletter announces an upcoming ESRA Congress in Maastricht focused on regional anesthesia techniques and standards. It promotes discounts for trainees to attend workshops and sessions on topics like avoiding complications and anatomy. Additionally, it introduces Karin Schoenmakers as the new ESRA Residents and Trainees Representative and provides information on the EDRA examinations taking place during the congress.

1. ESRA Newsletter
# 5 - September 2016
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Enjoy your seasonal ESRA
Newsletter – Happy (end of)
summer!
Welcome to Maastricht!
Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the board of directors of ESRA and
members of the Organising Committee we invite you
to join us in Maastricht for the 35th Annual ESRA
Congress ­ State of the Art Safety Standards in
Regional Anaesthesia.
Since its foundation in 1980, ESRA has sought to
associate and affiliate into one organization all
anaesthesiologists, physicians and scientists who are
engaged in, or interested in, the techniques of
regional anaesthesia for surgery, obstetrics,
paediatrics and pain control.
As in previous years, the focus of the scientific
programme will be on state of the art presentations in
our field as well as new insights into basic science,
clinical research and therapeutic interventions. We
are creating a scientific programme in which the
interaction between speakers and audience is to be
continuous and the basic aim for the scientific
programme. The scientific standard at the annual
ESRA congress is now recognised as one of the best
in Europe and as a result carries a high rating with
the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical
Education, who assign credit hours to all ESRA
congresses.
The Scientific Committee is developing a programme
with topics covering all the fields of interest in the
application of regional anaesthesia/analgesia alone or
in multimodal approach. Acute and chronic pain
management topics of special interest for
anaesthesiologists will also be included as an
important part of the programme.
The type of sessions will be refresher course lectures,
symposia, pro/con debates, panel discussions,
luncheon sessions, special workshops including
cadaver workshops, and of course free paper and
Book the dates!
ESRA Cadaver Workshop
Paris
14-15 October 2016
More information and
registration
www.esraworkshops.com
ESRA Eastern Europe
Workshop
Krákow, Poland
10-11 November 2016
13TH ESRA WINTER
WEEK
15-20 January, 2017
Längenfeld, Austria
More information and
registration
www.esraworkshops.com
2ND ESRA PAIN
WORKSHOP
February 23, 2017
Innsbruck, Austria
WORKSHOP VENUE
Innsbruck University
COURSE STRUCTURE
Limited to 30 participants
25TH ESRA CADAVER
WORKSHOP
February 24-25, 2017
Innsbruck, Austria
WORKSHOP VENUE
Innsbruck University
COURSE STRUCTURE
Limited to 50 participants
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2. poster presentations.
For those participants who successfully completed
the first part (written exam) of the ESRA Diploma in
Ljubljana, 2015, the second part (practical) will take
place during the Maastricht Congress along with the
written exam for those who wish to register for
the Certified ESRA Diploma on Regional
Anaesthesia.
We very much expect you to enjoy this exciting
anaesthesia congress set in Maastricht!
Barry Nicholls
General Secretary
José De Andrés
President of ESRA
Marc Van de Velde
Scientific Chairman
Special discounts for trainees
Trainees Day
We are offering a special discounted day tickets for
trainees on Saturday 10 September, day 4 of the
Congress. The programme includes more than 50
sessions on everything from avoiding complications
to anatomy for dummies, and post­operative pain
management.
Live demos – including ultrasound guided
peripheral nerve blocks for breast surgery,
sciatic nerve blocks, and distal nerve blocks of
the upper and lower extremity.
Refresher courses – in central nerve blocks,
modern labour analgesia, post operative pain
management.
Talks from rising stars still in residency – from
Denmark, Switzerland, Netherlands and
Belgium.
Ask the expert sessions – on catheters for
peripheral nerve blocks, and chronic pain
management.
Who is it for? Residents and Trainees
When: Saturday, 10 September 2016
Where: Maastricht Congress
Time: 08:30 – 13:00
Cost: ­ €120 special rate for trainees only
View the programme: as a pdf
Register here
Trainees also benefit from major discounts on the
following hands­on workshops:
All Hands Workshop 03
What is it? Live demonstrations from 8 experts
covering: ISB supraclavicular, infraclavicular, axillary,
femoral, adductor canal block, popliteal block, TPA
(quadratus lumborum) and paravertebral.
When? Saturday, 10 September 2016
Time: 08:30­13:30
Cost: €55 (a 56% discount on the usual €125)
Register here
Hands­On Clinical Workshop 03: Lower limb II
(Paediatrics)
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3. What is it? Two demonstrations – one by USA expert
Santhanam Suresh and the other by Peter Marhofer
from Austria.
When? Saturday, 10 September 2016
Time: 08:30­10:00
Cost: €15 (a 50% discount on the usual €30)
Register here
ESRA Position Statement : Non medically
qualified staff performing anaesthesia
To combat the rising cost of healthcare across
Europe, many countries have started using non­
medical personnel to perform techniques that would
have traditionally been the domain of trained
anaesthesiologists.
National regional anaesthetic societies have solicited
ESRA to outline our position. So in May 2016, we
published our position statement, summarised here.
In some countries, ESRA says, properly trained and
supported non­medically qualified healthcare
professionals can perform some types of local
anaesthetic but this should be agreed first with
anaesthesia bodies, other regulators and the
hospital’s own department of anaesthesia. And these
procedures should be limited to:
Local infiltration for procedures such as wound
toilet and suturing
Fascia iliaca blocks for fractured neck or shaft
of feumur
Sub­Tenon’s block for cataract and retinal
surgery
We have warned against the use of non­medically
qualified personnel to perform any of these regional
anaesthetic techniques:
Spinal epidural and other neuroaxial blocks
Plexus and other trunk blocks
Peripheral nerve blocks
Peribulbar or retrobulbar eye blocks
Blocks for chronic pain therapy
We hope this this will aid national societies and
governing bodies in the performance of safe regional
anaesthesia throughout Europe.
Barry Nicholls
ESRA Secretary General
José De Andrés
ESRA President
Click here to access the Position Statement
Congrats to the new ESRA Residents &
Trainees Representative
ESRA Residents and Trainees members elected
Karin as their first representative in the Society’s
history.
Karin Schoenmakers

4. Resident at: Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The
Netherlands
Special interests: peri­operative pain management.
PhD thesis on duration of peripheral nerve blockades.
Personal strengths: enthusiasm, communication
skills, research experience and punctuality.
“Why I decided to stand for election”
“My vision is to educate all the residents in Europe in
ultrasound guided regional anaesthetic techniques.
This way all anaesthesiologists of the future will have
the competence to perform these techniques and
more patients will be able to choose such a technique
for peri­operative pain management.
My goal is to set up a learning program about the
basics of ultrasound and a basic set of blocks within
the residency. Containing an anatomical part (theory
and cadaver workshops) and a practical part with
sufficient hands­on training in scanning and needle
handling. And of course the social events are
important too! I’m ready to achieve this within ESRA.
Progress so far
We have recently surveyed residents nationally in the
Netherlands (for DARA­ESRA) to find out what they
think about education and the future of regional
anaesthesia. I would like to extend this survey across
Europe so that we can provide a programme to suit
all our residents.
Next steps: Meet me in Maastricht
The first Residents & Trainees meeting will take place
at the ESRA congress in Maastricht next week, where
all ESRA national representatives will gather to
discuss which new initiatives to put in place.”
Good luck Karin!
EDRA Examinations 2016
The EDRA parts I (written) and II (oral) examinations
will take place at the 35th Annual ESRA Congress in
Maastricht, the Netherlands, 7­10 September 2016.
Part I – 140 candidates will sit this 2­hour exam,
which will consist of 100 multiple­choice questions.
For the first time this year, examinee will submit their
answers online using IPad Airs that we will provide.
Part II – 90 candidates will sit this exam
Good luck to all!
For the first time, we will also organise the Part I
EDRA examination during the AORA Congress, in
Hyderabad, India, 23­25 September 2016.
Please note that applications are now closed.

5. Testimonial – How getting an ESRA
Fellowship has helped my career
Ivan Kostadinov
Resident anaesthesiologist: Clinical Hospital,
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Special interest: Regional Anaesthesia
Fellow at: Sint Maartenskliniek in Nijmegen­The
Netherlands
Supervisor: Dr Rudolf Stienstra
Skills gained: Level 5 in ultrasound and
neurostimulator guided peripheral nerve blocks.
Passed the EDRA examination.
“I was at one of the ESRA Cadaver Workshops when
Dr Van Geffen, from the Netherlands, told me about
the ESRA Fellowship program. I knew right away it
was a perfect opportunity for me, and so I applied and
was delighted to be accepted.
From the very beginning of my fellowship, I felt like a
part of the team at Sint Maartenskliniek. The
anaesthesiologists trained me intensively 1:1. Under
their direct supervision, I gained enormous
experience in peripheral nerve blocks (I performed
568 blocks in total). So I was soon able to run my
own list under indirect supervision. At the end of the
fellowship I was able to show proficiency in
ultrasound and neurostimulator guided peripheral
nerve blocks with skill level 5 (skill level 5=able to
perform a procedure independently and able to teach
and supervise others).
The knowledge and experience I gained on the
fellowship helped me to go on to pass the EDRA
examination.
Nowadays I am transferring that experience and
knowledge to the colleagues in my country.
At the end I would like again to thank ESRA for the
given opportunity to improve myself in the field of
Regional Anaesthesia.
Also I strongly recommend this fellowship program to
all young anaesthesiologists interested in Regional
Anaesthesia and encourage them to apply.”
Dr. Ivan Kostadinov
Ljbuljana, Slovenia
ESRA Fellow 2016
Apply for an ESRA Educational Grant
The European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and
Pain Therapy (ESRA) offers ESRA Educational
Grants in order to achieve the distinctive goals of
ESRA:

6. to encourage the specialisation of
anaesthesiologists and other physicians in
regional anaesthesia or pain management
to promote and sponsor courses and
workshops
to encourage teaching of regional anaesthesia
in anaesthesiology training programmes
to help anaesthesiologists in under­resourced
countries
Application deadline – 31 December 2016
Applicants should be ESRA members and be in at
least their third year of medical specialisation.
ESRA members from all over the world are
encouraged to apply. However, emphasis will be
placed on applications from anaesthesiologists
coming from countries that lack the financial
infrastructures needed to achieve education in
regional anaesthesia.
Click here for conditions of application
Specialist Clinical Masterships MSc in RA
ESRA has developed a partnership with the University of
East Anglia (UEA) for Specialist Clinical Masterships MSc
in Regional Anaesthesia with a 10% Discount for ESRA
Members!
Regional Anaesthesia has long been the most
popular specialisation for trainee anaesthetists and
now ESRA and SCM are bringing you the first higher
degree qualification in Regional Anaesthesia (RA) in
the UK.
The MSc offers a tangible qualification that is ideally
suited to practising anaesthesia trainees and
experienced practitioners wishing to progress in or
understand the deeper principals of RA. The highly
flexible (blended e-learning course) can be
undertaken while in full-time practice or whilst
undertaking a fellowship.
The deadline for applications for the
2017 course is 30 November 2016.
For more information and to apply, click here.
ESRA is going Strategic!
ESRA is constantly looking to improve and better
serve its community.
With this in mind we’d like to ask you to contribute to
our strategic plan.
By taking this 10 minute survey your voice will be
counted. And you will be helping to build your society
for the future.
Your contribution will form part of the 2-day strategic

7. workshop at the end of September between the Major
Officers and CEO, Florian Locatelli. This will be an
opportunity for the society to reflect on its future and
develop a strategic plan that more effectively serves
you.
We will keep you updated on the outcome of both the
survey and the strategic plan – we look forward to
hearing from you!
Access our survey
ESRA past Board members
Discover the history of ESRA through this unique
infographic ­ we want to pay tribute to
those who’ve contributed to bringing our Society so
far since 1982.
ESRA Meetings
The 1st ESRA Instructors Course took place in
Amsterdam, the Netherlands on 19 May 2016,
organised by Dr Jessica T. Wegener (NL) with the
support of Dr Geert J. Van Geffen (NL), Dr Clara
Lobo (P), Dr. Willem De Grave (NL) and the ESRA
Office.
This CME accredited course, free of charge, has
been entirely financed by ESRA.
Considering the extremely positive feedback from
participants, the 2nd ESRA Instructors Course should
be repeated in 2017 – more news in your next ESRA
newsletter!
We wish you a pleasant end of summer!
Your ESRA Team
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