President’s Message
AmSECT’s 45th International Conference
April 25-28, 2006 • Omni Hotel at the CNN Center • Atlanta, GA

By Alfred H.  Stammers, MSA, CCP
AmSECT President

This year, AmSECT will conduct the 45th International Conference, which continues to be the largest gathering of individuals concerned with the conduct and application of perfusion technologies in the world. It is also the longest continuously conducted meeting on perfusion techniques; a record few would argue could be surpassed. Such a history could only be sustained by the diligence and work of a large group of volunteers, who have spent over a year organizing the meeting.

Congratulations go out to Joe Deptula, who is the Chairman of the Conference Organizing Committee. There are few who possess the energy and commitment to detail that Joe has consistently shown. The Conference Organizing Committee has worked just as hard in developing a program that is outstanding and full of useful sessions that will improve the knowledge of perfusion. Committee members include Craig Vocelka, Bill DuBois, Suzanne Osborne, Suzanne Mick, Kirti Patel, and myself.  Each committee member was tasked with
organizing one or more sessions for the conference that looks to be one of the best that AmSECT has ever conducted. We also express our thanks to our managing firm, Ruggles Service Corporation, and the hard work of Donna Pendarvis, Matt van Wie and Kevin Johns who have been involved in every aspect of the meeting coordination. And finally, the meeting could not continue to receive the accolade as the finest venue for the distribution of new technologies and interventions if it were not for the efforts of the speakers and abstract submitters who truly make the meeting what it is.

The sessions of particular interest include the Virtual Operating Room that will highlight innovative technologies that are being used at several progressive cardiac centers throughout North America. The abstract submissions this year were brisk and have resulted in sessions titled Wound Healing, Perioperative Blood Management, Surgical and Perfusion Techniques, and a diverse plenary session. Specialt sessions include Government Relations, Pediatric Perfusion, Evidenced-based Medicine, Electronic Database Management, and Perfusion without Boundaries. We are especially thankful to both Bayer Pharmaceuticals and The Medicines Company, who will be sponsoring sessions on Hemostasis and Inflammation of Cardiac Surgery and on Coagulation Issues and Heparin Alternatives. Two new venues this year are Career Advancement and a Student Session addressing areas of practice and education. We are also very thankful to the Perfusion Program Directors Council, who will once again improve our knowledge in the area of pedagogical and clinical instructing techniques.

For the first time, the AmSECT Board of Directors has decided to expand the offering to perfusionists by developing a special one-day symposium, entitled Techniques and Modalities of Ventricular Assistance. This educational offering will be held in conjunction with the International Conference and will be conducted on April 25, 2007. The symposium has been designed to support AmSECT’s continuing effort to expand practical knowledge in the techniques and practices of long-term ventricular support, and to the role of perfusionists in the treatment of patients in heart failure. Craig Vocelka has served as the session co-organizer and has done a wonderful job in communicating with the various ventricular assist companies throughout the world.

All in all, this will be my 21st consecutively attended AmSECT International Conference. Each year, it seems that the AmSECT organizers have continued to improve the offerings to attendees, which go far in enhancing the quality of care we administer to our patients. Words of thanks cannot express the true gratitude I have for all the individuals involved in making the 45th International Conference one of the best yet.