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

1. 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.
2. Education. To share best practices and clinical practice guidelines in patient care.
1. Satellite symposiums (WCA pre-congress symposium in 2024, and with regional societies in 2023 and 2024)
2. Online CME in between ASCA meetings. To allow junior faculty opportunities to present in English at an International level.
3. Fellowship attachments and scholarly visits. Include training in intraoperative TEE.
3. Enhance visibility of ASCA (use of website for education and sharing of best practices). CME topics are available online.