2025 CAS Pinnacle Rounds: Celebrating National Anesthesia Education
Our member-exclusive education program – CAS Pinnacle Rounds: Celebrating National Anesthesia Education continues in 2025, featuring new anesthesia teaching rounds from the country, submitted by Canadian universities. As a CAS member, you have access to new ideas and perspectives covering a diversity of topics to help enhance your knowledge.
The CAS Pinnacle Rounds is a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Each round is eligible for 1 hour of Section 1 credit.
Note - Your CAS Membership must be in good standing for the event date in order to access the member discount. You will be able to register as soon as you receive the renewal confirmation. Click here to renew.
Click on each event below for details on the upcoming rounds. All events are listed chronologically. For information on our past rounds, please check the events archive page.
Where the Rubber meets the Road. Stroke Ambulance, Stroke Care, and the Anesthesiologist
September 3, 2025
8 pm ET
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This joint presentation will review important information regarding acute stroke and the anesthesiologist. It will focus on both neuroanatomy and physiology of stroke and include the effects of drugs we use everyday in the Operating Room. Attendees will have the pleasure of learning about the Edmonton Stroke Ambulance Project, a unique prehospital treatment model for stroke which is the first of its kind in Canada and arguably the world.
Moderator: Dr Melinda Davis
Dr Melinda Davis is a neuroanesthesiologist at the University of Calgary. She completed medical school and anesthesiology training at the University of Newcastle, Australia. A fellow of the Australia and New Zealand College of Anesthetists, Dr Davis went on to complete a fellowship in Neuroanesthesiology at the University of Calgary in 2004. Dr Davis balances her clinical work with a career in medical education where she has taught at all levels from Undergraduate Medical Education through to Faculty Development. She has served as the Program Director for the Anesthesiology Residency program and is currently the Associate Dean for Postgraduate Medical Education at the University of Calgary.
Presenter: Dr Kieran Ganton
Kieran Ganton is a fourth-year anesthesia resident at the University of Alberta. He obtained his undergraduate degree in nursing and medical degree both at the University of Alberta. When not in the OR or trying to recover from call he enjoys camping, campfires, and cards with his family and friends.
Presenter: Dr Thomas Jeerakathil
Dr Jeerakathil did his medical training at the University of Saskatchewan, and his neurology residency in Edmonton, Alberta. He completed an MSc in Epidemiology from Boston University School of Public Health, and a Stroke Fellowship with Boston City Hospital and the Framingham Heart Study. He is currently Stroke Medical Lead of the Edmonton Stroke Program, Professor of Neurology at the University of Alberta, and a general neurology, stroke and telestroke neurologist within Alberta. He is involved in research, teaching, and is the lead or co-lead for a number of quality improvement and health services research projects. He is medical lead and co-principal investigator of the Edmonton Stroke Ambulance project which means he finally got an expensive big truck after nearly 16 years in Alberta.
Learning Objectives:
After attending this round, the participants will be able to:
- Review the overall impact of stroke and why timely access to stroke care is vital.
- Recall key information about prehospital acute neurological treatment and the success of the Edmonton Stroke Ambulance Project (Achieve).
- Outline the critical role that the Anesthesiologist can play in the treatment of acute stroke.
perioperative management of the patient with liver disease
November 5, 2025
8 pm ET
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Chronic liver disease is an escalating healthcare crisis in Canada, with an estimated 1 in 4 Canadians living with liver disease. Regardless of geographical location or breadth of clinical practice, anesthesiologists practicing in Canada will be involved in the care for these patients. Patients with liver disease present unique perioperative challenges for the multidisciplinary team. As knowledge in the field of chronic liver disease grows, nomenclature and risk stratification evolve. Equipped with the up-to-date knowledge and decision-making tools, the anesthesiologist can act as a leader in perioperative planning.
Presenter: Dr Sonja Payne
Dr Sonja Payne was awarded her medical degree from Western University in 2004. She subsequently relocated to the United Kingdom where she completed a Master’s of Science degree in Evidence-Based Practice from York University. Dr Payne pursued her postgraduate anesthetic medical training in Bristol, UK where she became a Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists in 2012. She subsequently completed clinical fellowships in Transplant Anesthesia at the London Health Sciences Centre and Neuroanesthesia at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK. Dr Payne is the current Director of Transplant Anesthesia at the London Health Sciences Centre.
Learning Objectives:
After attending this round, the participants will be able to:
- Clarify the terminology commonly used to describe liver disease including a review of updated nomenclature
- Identify risk stratification tools available to guide clinical decision-making and evaluate their utility
- Formulate a general approach to perioperative planning for patients with chronic liver disease