How these changes impact perioperative patient management.
Keynote Speaker: Prof David Story, University of Melbourne
March 29, 2025
Professor Mueller is co-founder and director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute Basel (CRIB), and a Professor of Cardiology at the University Hospital in Basel Switzerland. He is a member of several European Society of Cardiology (ESC) expert committees, including an author of the 2022 ESC guidelines on cardiovascular assessment and management of patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery, as well an accompanying paper on quality indicators for the cardiovascular pre-operative assessment and management of patients considered for non-cardiac surgery (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36069905/). Professor Mueller’s research aims to improve the early diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disorders, particularly heart failure and myocardial infarction, authoring more than 1000 peer-reviewed publications. He has an impressive record for mentoring young researchers, is president of the GREAT network, and has been a reviewer for many prestigious journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine, the Lancet, Nature, European Heart Journal, and several granting bodies.
Dr MacDonell started her career as a professional ballet dancer before completing her BSN at UVIC followed by medical school and Anesthesiology residency at UBC. Following residency, Dr MacDonell had additional training in Perioperative Vascular Medicine in Hamilton, Ontario, Critical Care Ultrasound Certification through the American College of CHEST physicians, a MSc in Perioperative Medicine, through the University College of London and a Certification in Inclusive leadership through Centennial College. She is an active member of the research group at PHC and has a research interest in noise in the operating room. As a staff Anesthesiologist at St. Paul’s Hospital, she is the physician lead of Perioperative Medicine and the Anesthesia Perioperative Medicine Fellowship. In May 2022, Dr MacDonell was appointed the Division Head of Perioperative Medicine within the Department of UBC Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics. She is currently both an executive and planning committee member for the Society for Perioperative Care and Research in addition to being the co-creator of a Perioperative Medicine educational site: sphpom.com. She is the Co-Chair of the annual Whistler Anesthesiology Summit.
Cardiovascular risk assessment and perioperative management for non-cardiac surgery (NCS) is a core component of every adult anaesthetist’s practice. It is also an aspect of perioperative medicine where we have real value to add, in terms of the prevalence of disease, and contributors to morbidity and mortality after surgery.
For ACS 2024 ‘At the heart of the matter’ we will explore cardiovascular assessment and management of patients undergoing NCS. A key focus will be the latest ESC guidelines, so we are very excited to have Professor Christian Mueller as a keynote speaker to talk us through the evidence, highlight new recommendations and the points of difference with other current guidelines. A standardised and patient-centred approach that ‘chooses wisely’ will be a focus of discussion. Contentious issues around the role of biomarkers post-operatively will be explored, and Dr Su-Yin MacDonell will present the evidence as well as a model of an anaesthesia led out-reach service that she has helped establish in St. Paul’s Vancouver Canada. Coronary artery disease will be the primary focus, but there will also be updates on broader cardiovascular topics such as pulmonary hypertension, arrhythmias and heart failure, with an impressive line up of local cardiac specialists.
ACS 2024 is revisiting the same topic of the inaugural ACS 15 years ago. We look forward to exploring the advances in evidence and practice, as well as celebrating the success of what Auckland City Symposium has become with another highly rewarding meeting.
Drs Helen Lindsay, Sara Allen, Dan Cochrane & Neil MacLennan, Co-Convenors ACS 2024
| 0800 - 0825 | Opening and welcome | |
| Session 1 - Diagnosing prognostic coronary disease | ||
| 0825 - 0855 | The ESC Guidelines | Prof Christian Mueller |
| 0855 - 0915 | Non-invasive testing | Dr Anthony Kueh |
| 0915 - 0935 | Medical optimisation | Dr Fiona Stewart |
| 0935 - 1005 | Revascularisation | Dr Jonathan White |
| 1005 - 1025 | Panel discussion | |
| 1025 - 1055 | MORNING TEA | |
| Session 2 - Post-operative events | ||
| 1055 - 1125 | Postoperative complications - what is the evidence? | Dr Su-Yin MacDonell |
| 1125 - 1145 | Where do biomarkers fit in? | Prof Christian Mueller |
| 1145 - 1215 | Perioperative surveillance - outreach team, a Canadian model | Dr Su-Yin MacDonell |
| 1215 - 1245 | Panel discussion | |
| 1245 - 1330 | LUNCH | |
| Session 3 - Anaesthesia for the cardiac patient | ||
| 1330 - 1405 | Heart failure | Dr Cara Wasywich |
| 1405 - 1435 | Pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure | Dr Sara Allen |
| 1435 - 1500 | Arrhythmia management | Dr Andrew Martin |
| 1500 - 1525 | The management of cardiac problems in pregnancy | Dr Allan Brown |
| 1525 - 1545 | AFTERNOON TEA | |
| Session 4 - Outcomes & Case Series | ||
| 1545 - 1610 | The winner's curse | Dr David Sidebotham |
| 1610 - 1635 | Quality measures vs perioperative outcomes | Prof Christian Mueller |
| 1635 - 1655 | Wrap-up questions & answers | |
| 1655 - 1700 | Closing comment and future meetings | |
| 1700 - 1800 | DRINKS & NIBBLES | |
| 0800 - 0825 | Opening and welcome | |
| Session 1 - Diagnosing prognostic coronary disease | ||
| 0825 - 0855 | The ESC Guidelines | Prof Christian Mueller |
| 0855 - 0915 | Non-invasive testing | Dr Anthony Kueh |
| 0915 - 0935 | Medical optimisation | Dr Fiona Stewart |
| 0935 - 1005 | Revascularisation | Dr Jonathan White |
| 1005 - 1025 | Panel discussion | |
| 1025 - 1055 | MORNING TEA | |
| Session 2 - Post-operative events | ||
| 1055 - 1125 | Postoperative complications - what is the evidence? | Dr Su-Yin MacDonell |
| 1125 - 1145 | Where do biomarkers fit in? | Prof Christian Mueller |
| 1145 - 1215 | Perioperative surveillance - outreach team, a Canadian model | Dr Su-Yin MacDonell |
| 1215 - 1245 | Panel discussion | |
| 1245 - 1330 | LUNCH | |
| Session 3 - Anaesthesia for the cardiac patient | ||
| 1330 - 1405 | Heart failure | Dr Cara Wasywich |
| 1405 - 1435 | Pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure | Dr Sara Allen |
| 1435 - 1500 | Arrhythmia management | Dr Andrew Martin |
| 1500 - 1525 | The management of cardiac problems in pregnancy | Dr Allan Brown |
| 1525 - 1545 | AFTERNOON TEA | |
| Session 4 - Outcomes & Case Series | ||
| 1545 - 1610 | The winner's curse | Dr David Sidebotham |
| 1610 - 1635 | Quality measures vs perioperative outcomes | Prof Christian Mueller |
| 1635 - 1655 | Wrap-up questions & answers | |
| 1655 - 1700 | Closing comment and future meetings | |
| 1700 - 1800 | DRINKS & NIBBLES | |
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