Aotearoa NZ Anaesthesia ASM 2025
Article from NZ Anaesthesia Issue 71, April 2025.
Read the full magazine here.
This year’s local organising committee are a small and mighty team from Waikato who are making the final touches to an intriguing scientific and magical social programme for this year’s Aotearoa NZ Anaesthesia ASM in Kirikiriroa Hamilton.
The Scientific Programme
Our two international keynote speakers set the tone for a scientific programme featuring international and local experts covering a diverse range of topics.
Dr Michael Kristensen is a world-leading airways expert at the Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet – a referral centre for ear-nose-throat, maxillofacial, trauma, and cancer patients in the Capital Region of Denmark, who also holds numerous positions on International Airway Advisory Committees. His particular interests include upper airway ultrasonography, front of neck access, and difficult airway predictors. He is widely published and offers free resources on airway management. Michael is co-editor of the Society for Airway Management textbook, Core Topics in Airway Management.
Professor Fred Mihm is Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Stanford University Medical. He’s a regional anaesthesia expert and has a series of over 300 patients with pheochromocytoma, as well as numerous overseas volunteer missions. Aside from his routine academic duties, he has assisted in providing anaesthesia to rare and exotic animal species at San Francisco and San Diego zoos.
Plus, we’ll be hearing from speakers based a little closer to home including:
- Alan Merry Orator: Prof Jamie Sleigh, Professor of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Waikato Clinical School, University of Auckland.
- NZSA Invited Speaker: Iris Reuvecamp, Barrister and Solicitor, High Court of New Zealand. Solicitor of the Senior Courts, England and Wales.
- ANZCA Invited Speaker: Dr Mark Hamilton, Clinical Lead Vascular Surgery, Northern Territory Australia.
- Professor Guy Ludbrook, Professor of Anaesthesia, University of Adelaide and Royal Adelaide Hospital.
- Dr Louise Ellard, President, Safe Airways Society
Coupled with a workshop programme that aims to cover key areas of CPD. There will be a thoracic workshop on Wednesday 12th, the day before the NZ ASM starts. Then during the meeting an acute severe behavioural disturbance ER workshop to help meet the required CPD Emergency Response category.
The Social Programme
Coming together for events like the NZ ASM is just as much about being able to connect with our Aotearoa community. The Social programme will showcase some of the best of the region with live music at the Welcome Function, and a trip to Hobbiton for a unique event on the Friday night.
Our Friday evening will start with a guided tour at sunset, winding through the iconic Hobbiton movie set, including the recently opened Hobbit Holes. We will have the place to ourselves to see the Marketplace and Green Dragon Inn come to life after the tours. Offering food stalls right on the edge of the water, overlooking the Hobbiton set. It’s an idyllic setting no matter your level of Tolkien or Lord of the Rings fandom.
Convenors Drs Tania Bailey and Ewa Johannsen look forward to welcoming everyone to the region later this year.
“The committee have been working hard to shape the programme and build a meeting that offers a wide variety of topics. The numerous workshops have been chosen to add value to your practice, whilst simultaneously satisfying several CPD requirements, including some of the new topics. We really hope you will be able to take away something specific to your practice – ‘what will I do differently next week?’”
“We’re lucky to have somewhere as unique as Hobbiton on our doorstep too. It will be a magical night in a special setting. We hope you’ll join us and help make it a successful event.”
Hobbiton image supplied.
