History and Future directions of ASCA
History
The formation of ASCA was mooted by the collective vision of Dr Yasu OKA (New York), Dr Takao SAITO (Tokushima), the late Dr Osamu KEMMOTSU (Hokkaido), the late Dr Say Wan LIM (Kuala Lumpur), and Dr Merle F. De la Cruz-ODI (Manila). With the support from Dr Yong Woo HONG (Seoul), Dr Peter TAN (Taipei), Dr Ungkab PHAKANRATTANA (Bangkok), Dr Hassan ARIFF (Kuala Lumpur), Dr Ashok KUMAR (Singapore) and Dr Tat Leang LEE (Singapore), and Dr Merle F. De la Cruz-ODI (Manila) the Founding Committee of the Asian Society of Cardiac Anesthesia (ASCA) was formed in the year 1994. The late Dr KEMMOTSU was the Founding President of ASCA (1994 – 2001).
The inaugural ASCA Scientific Meeting 1995 was held as a one-day event in Singapore, before the ASEAN Congress of Anesthesiologists (ACA) Singapore. During ASCA Singapore, Dr Yong-Woo HONG was appointed Vice President of ASCA. By ASCA Chiang Mai 1997, two more committee members (the late Dr Erwin SIREGAR (Jakarta) and Dr Hassan ARIFF (Kuala Lumpur) were appointed as Vice Presidents of ASCA to assist in various administrative tasks. In 2007, Dr Florian NUEVO (Manila) was appointed Vice President. Both Dr Hassan ARIFF and Dr Florian NUEVO were tasked to draft the Bylaws for ASCA.
Until ASCA 2001, the biennial ASCA meetings were held as pre-congress events with the ASEAN Congress of Anaesthesiologists (ACA). ASCA Seoul 2003 was held as an independent meeting. After Dr Yong-Woo HONG assumed the role of President of ASCA to oversee the organization of ASCA Seoul 2003, Dr Minoru NOMURA (Tokyo) was appointed as Vice President. Dr Erwin SIREGAR, Dr Minoru NOMURA, Dr Florian NUEVO and Dr Jae Hyon BAHK were the subsequent Presidents of ASCA between 2005 and 2022. Dr Erwin SIREGAR and Dr Osamu KEMMOTSU passed on in 2007 and 2013, respectively.
From 2013, the name ASCA was modified to Asian Society of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologists to include thoracic anesthesia practice. In 2017, the position of Vice President was replaced with President-elect to facilitate succession planning. Dr Nian Chih HWANG was the first President-elect of ASCA in 2017. He assumed the role of the President of ASCA from December 2022. Table 1 lists the country representatives, Presidents, Vice Presidents, and President-elects from inception of ASCA.
ASCA Meetings
Since 1995, the ASCA Meetings have been organized as biennial events, hosted in turns by different committee members of ASCA, until COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the biennial rhythm. Between 1997 to 2001, ASCA Meetings were held as pre-congress events in conjunction with ACA. From 2003 onward, ASCA Meetings were organized either as independent events or in conjunction with the Annual Scientific Meeting of the country. The faculty members for these Meetings included international and regional experts in the field of cardiovascular surgery and anesthesia.
In 2011, The Philippine Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesia hosted a one-day ASCA workshop on basic transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and ventilator management as part of the ACA Manila 2011. Workshops for learning TEE and problem-based learning and discussions were added to the program since ASCA Singapore 2013. In 2019, ASCA Seoul was held in conjunction with the International Congress of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesiologists (ICCVA), Seoul.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic which disrupted planning for ASCA Chiang Mai 2021, the Meeting was postponed to December of 2022. A one-day hybrid ASCA Symposium was held in Seoul in 2021, organized by (Yun-Seok JEON) in lieu of the formal ASCA Meeting. An online ASCA CME series was started in 2023, in lieu of ASCA Meetings for 2023 and 2024. ASCA 2025 will be held in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia.
Country representations in ASCA
From the first ASCA Meeting in Singapore, committee membership representing more Asian countries expanded, and renewal process and handoffs saw the introduction of next generations of country representatives. In 2019, Dr Jae-Hyon BAHK introduced the concept of Executive committee members (President, Immediate Past President, President-elect, and Secretary General), Board members and country delegates.
Future Directions
- Joint research projects (Lian Kah TI and Florian NUEVO) Leverage on existing resources within the large hospitals in Asia with large patient loads, such as Fu Wai Hospital in China, to educate, perform research and share experiences with the world.
- Education. To share best practices and clinical practice guidelines in patient care.
- Satellite symposiums (WCA pre-congress symposium in 2024, and with regional societies in 2023 and 2024)
- Online CME in between ASCA meetings. To allow junior faculty opportunities to present in English at an International level.
- Fellowship attachments and scholarly visits. Include training in intraoperative TEE.
- Enhance visibility of ASCA (use of website for education and sharing of best practices). CME topics are available online.
A list of country representatives and ASCA Presidents from inception of ASCA
|
Yasu OKA (New York)
Takao SAITO (Tokushima) |
Advisors |
Founding Committee 1994 |
Osamu KEMMOTSU (Hokkaido)
Ashok KUMAR (Singapore, SSA)
Hassan ARIFF (Kuala Lumpur)
Merle F. De la Cruz-ODI (Manila)
Peter TAN (Taipei)
Say Wan LIM (Kuala Lumpur)
Tat Leang LEE (Singapore, SSA)
Ungkab PHAKANRATTANA (Bangkok)
Yong-Woo HONG (Seoul) |
President 1994 - 2001
Vice President 1995 – 2009
Vice President 1995 – 2001
President 2001 - 2005 |
From ASCA Singapore 1995 |
Erwin SIREGAR (Jakarta) |
Vice President 1995 – 2005
President 2005 -2007 |
From ASCA ChiangMai 1999 |
Florian Nuevo (Manila, PhilSCA) |
Vice President 1995 - 2011 President 2011 - 2017 |
From ASCA Seoul 2003 |
Jin LIU (Beijing, CSA)
Wei Peng WANG (Beijing, CSCTVA)
Minoru NOMURA (Tokyo, JSCVA) |
Vice President 2003 - 2007
President 2007 - 2011 |
From ASCA Bali 2005 |
Nian Chih HWANG (Singapore, SSA)
Yatin MEHTA (New Delhi, IACTA)
Samir GIROTRA (New Delhi, IACTA)
A.T.M. Khalilur RAHMAN (Dhaka, BACTA) |
President-elect 2017
President 2023 - 2025 |
From ASCA Delhi 2007 |
Mohammad HAMID (Karachi, PACTA)
Cindy BOOM (Jakarta, ISCTVA)
Rick WU (Taichung, TSCTVA) |
President-elect 2023 - |
From ASCA Tokyo 2009 |
Jae Hyon BAHK (Seoul, KSCTVA)
Suhaini KADIMAN (Kuala Lumpur) |
President 2017 - 2022 |
From ASCA Singapore 2013 |
Yee Eot CHEE (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China) |
|
From ASCA HangZhou 2015 |
Suraphong LORSOMRADEE (ChiangMai, SCAT) |
|
From ASCA Hong Kong 2017 |
Yun Seok JEON (Seoul, KSCTVA) |
|
From ASCA Seoul 2019 |
Sheng WANG (Beijing, CSCTVA) |
|
From ASCA Chiang Mai 2022 |
Aldy HERIWARDITO (Jakarta, ISCTVA)
Okamoto HIROTSUGU (Tokyo, JSCVA)
Lian Kah TI (Singapore, SSA)
Hasmizy Muhamad (Sarawak, MASCAP) |
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