THE OCCASION OF THE OPENING OF THE EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF REGIONAL ANAESTHESIA AT THE R.D.S., DUBLIN
9TH SEPTEMBER, 1993.
- I am very pleased to be here this morning to perform the official opening of the 12th Annual Congress of the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia. The international character of the Congress is clear from the fact that there are delegates in attendance from all over the world. It is indeed a great honour for Ireland to host this Congress.
- This is the 12th annual meeting of the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia since it was founded in 1980. In that short period is has become the most popular European society for anaesthetists with more than 1,000 delegates at annual meetings. The functions of the E.S.R.A. include promoting research into Regional Anaesthesia, its publication in scientific journals and organising national and regional meetings.
- I extend to all of you my warmest greetings. I hope that you will not only enjoy your participation at the Congress, but that you will also savour the traditional welcome which the people of Dublin and Ireland have given to visitors over the years. A "céad míle fáilte" to you all.
- Regional Anaesthesia (or local anaesthesia of regions of the body) is generally accepted to have been discovered by Dr. Karl Koller (who will be commemorated today with the Karl Koller Lecture) who presented his milestone paper to the Vienna Society of Physicians on "The Use of Cocaine for producing Anaesthesia of the Eye". Cocaine was then used to anaesthetise other parts of the body and many of its enthusiastic supporters substituted this drug for Chloroform and Ether entirely.
- As the years passed, the popularity of the different types of regional anaesthesia fluctuated and there is no doubt that the greatest advance was the discovery of Lignocaine fifty years ago. This drug is effective, lasts a reasonable length of time, is relatively non-toxic and it is a great honour to have two of the pioneers here at this Congress to describe the events surrounding its discovery and introduction into clinical practice. This drug greatly increased the popularity of regional anaesthesia.
- Since then, other agents and techniques have been discovered and great advances have been made in recent years all of which are of enormous benefit to the patient. Many women, for example, have become acutely aware of the importance and benefits of regional techniques through contact in maternity hospitals with doctors who provide pain relieving epidurals. The anaesthetist is now in a position to offer patients pain free surgery and post operative care, pain free obstetrics and full relief of acute and chronic pain whatever its cause. Success depends in a large part on the ability of the anaesthetist to apply good regional anaesthesia techniques.
- Here in Ireland, the development of anaesthesia went hand in hand with its development in Great Britain. In the early days most anaesthetists were self trained and also supplemented their income by running a general practice. Later, many anaesthetists received their training in England or in the United States, and more recently, two anaesthetists who trained in France have been appointed.
- Thanks to the efforts of three of our most distinguished anaesthetists, Ireland now has its own training programme - I speak of Professor Thomas Gilmartin who founded the Faculty of Anaesthetists of Ireland in 1959, thereby uniting anaesthetists North and South and setting standards for postgraduate academic excellence. Professor John Dundes of Belfast, another pioneer, founded the first academic Department of Anaesthesia in Ireland. The third is Dr. William Wren who initiated the first local training programme for young doctors to become anaesthetists - previously all anaesthetists had to go abroad for training. Dr. Wren has also undertaken some excellent research and has become an international authority in his field.
- Among the distinguished anaesthetists who are with us today are Professor Keane in Galway, Professors Cunningham and Moriarty in Dublin, Professors Clarke and Moore from Belfast. All are renowned figures in the world of academic anaesthesia and their contribution to the Conference will be invaluable.
- Health technology continues to develop at a fast rate, bringing more conditions within the scope of diagnosis and treatment or improving existing treatment methods, all of which have yielded considerable benefits to patient care.
- It is particularly important therefore that, in an era of change, you have the opportunity to exchange information, present research and discuss the issue of the day in your specialty of anaesthetics. Congresses such as this have played a vital role in building up a network of accredited specialists throughout the world who are now well known to one another, both professionally and personally. These links have played an increasingly important role in establishing and defending standards of clinical practice.
- There is a growing awareness that this aspect of international congress has been of very considerable value and importance to all doctors, particularly those practising in some of the developing countries. Thus, for example, the European Academy of Anaesthesiology has already established a Diploma (in Anaesthesiology), which is awarded by examination only and which has already become the object of aspiration on the part of anaesthetists in countries East and West.
- Basic research is critical to the continued development of all branches of medicine, including the important field of anaesthetics. We owe a lot to the researchers of the past for the many improvements in lifestyle and health which we enjoy today. However, despite the great advances already made, we still need the continued commitment of resources and the skills of research scientists to develop new methods of treatment.
- International fora such as this play a vital role in keeping the anaesthetist abreast of current developments, which are essential for the continuing improvement of anaesthetic care of patients. This Congress will undoubtedly prove to be of major importance and will provide an excellent opportunity for discussing techniques, sharing knowledge and exchanging ideas on all aspects of the sciences of anaesthesia. I hope that you will have an interesting and enjoyable time here and that your stay will indeed be a memorable one.