This year, the largest educational and scientific meeting in the specialty has been re-envisioned to fit onto your laptop or mobile device. We’ve been working non-stop to make your virtual experience as efficient and enjoyable as possible.

Like many other aspects of ANESTHESIOLOGY 2020, the exhibitor activities planned for this year will be unlike any other—not just because they are all virtual, but because they offer more opportunity for engagement than any meeting before it.

According to 2020 Pierce Lecturer Matthew B. Weinger, MD, MS, patient safety is being threatened by competing pressures within health care to deliver more and better care at lower cost.

As physician anesthesiologists, you make a difference in the moments that matter most to your patients. This is more evident than ever as the country battles an unprecedented pandemic—and you have been leaders, innovators, and lifesavers. And just as you were made for this moment, you are made for the ones that happen every day as you safeguard patients and advocate for quality care.

The transition from medical school to a residency in anesthesiology is a well-deserved honor. But it comes with a number of future considerations, from ranking residency programs to student loans. Saturday’s Medical Student Program explores a wide spectrum of decision-making.

Postoperative delirium and cognitive decline following heart surgery are valid concerns among patients and physicians alike. Efforts to reduce postoperative neurocognitive complications, which include preoperative screening for risk factors and leveraging optimal anesthetic techniques, may reduce postoperative mortality, shorten hospital stays, and decrease the need for long-term care.

As in previous years, Anesthesiology is sponsoring several sessions during ANESTHESIOLOGY 2020. Take advantage of this outstanding opportunity to join Anesthesiology for all the great content planned.

Smoking and vaping come with a long list of warnings. Among them, the not-so-secret increased risk of heart disease and lung cancer. But it’s the surgical risks that should concern anesthesiologists, who are obligated to encourage patients to quit smoking or vaping before surgery.