A difficult neuraxial procedure workshop was debuted by the University of Florida Department of Anesthesiology at the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) annual meeting in New Orleans in October 2022. Barys Ihnatsenka, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology, led the workshop which featured two human models, two thoracic anesthesia simulators and a challenging spinal simulator. The challenging spinal simulator, built by the Center for Safety, Simulation and Advanced Learning Technologies (CSSALT) in 2022, was used in public for the first time and includes a 3D print of a scoliotic spine and a tracking sensor. In addition, the thoracic regional anesthesia simulators, also built by CSSALT, included deeper ultrasound views and add-on adipose tissue to simulate obese patients.
Ihnatsenka was assisted in the workshop by members of the Department of Anesthesiology’s Acute Pain Medicine Division. Yury Zasimovich, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology and chief of the Acute Pain Medicine Division; Linda Le-Wendling, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology; Kiki Nin, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology; Cameron Smith, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of anesthesiology; and Isaac Luria, M.D., assistant professor of anesthesiology; as well as colleagues from Duke University, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic and Dalhousie University aided in training workshop attendees.
Overall, four simulators built by CSSALT were used in eight workshops at the ASA 2022 annual meeting, including a pterygopalatine fossa block simulator used by Smith. Yahya Acar, M.D., CSSALT fellow, and Dave Lizdas, M.S., simulation engineer, provided logistical support in checking, transporting and setting up the simulators between ASA workshops.
Ihnatsenka intends to offer the workshop again at the 2023 ASA annual meeting in San Francisco, CA, October 13-17.
Funding for some of these simulators was provided by the Donn M. Dennis Endowment in Anesthetic Innovation, the University of Florida Department of Anesthesiology Acute Pain Medicine Division and an I. Heermann Anesthesia Foundation grant.