Welcome Message from the Organising Chairpersons
Peter Tan, MD, MMed
Organising Chairperson
Consultant Neuroanaesthesiologist, Sarawak General Hospital
President, MSNACC
Dear friends and colleagues,
Warmest welcome to the second edition of Anaesthesia Patient Safety Symposium combined with Regional Obesity and Bariatric Anaesthesia Conference 2025 (APSS-ROBAC 2025), 20-22 June jointly organised by the Malaysian Society of Neuroanaesthesiology and Neurocritical Care (MSNACC), Persatuan Kakitangan Anestesiologi Hospital Umum Sarawak- PEKA-HUS (The Association of Staffs in Anaesthesiology of Sarawak General Hospital), Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), International Society for the Perioperative Care of Patients with Obesity (ISPCOP), Society for Obesity and Bariatric Anaesthesia (SOBA), UK; Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care (SNACC) and Singapore Society of Anaesthesiologists (SSA).
Following the successful organisation of the inaugural virtual APSS 2023, the physical APSS 2025 will continue to deliver general and essential topics related to anaesthesia patient safety with a highlight on ‘Safety and Quality in Neuroanaesthesia and Neurocritical Care’. The combined meeting will also have a two-day concurrent track focusing on obesity, sleep medicine and bariatric anaesthesia. To our knowledge, ROBAC 2025 is the only conference to be held in the country and possibly in this region dedicated to promoting excellence in the perioperative care of patients with obesity presenting for bariatric and non-bariatric surgeries.
APSS-ROBAC 2025 will bring together global and local leaders and practitioners in their respective fields which will promise a great platform for academic discussion as well as networking. I look forward to your participation in this joint meeting. Don’t forget to explore the sights, sounds and tastes of Kuching too, as Kuching has so much to offer to its guests. Thank you!
Arney Abcejo MD
Organising Co-Chair
Scientific Chair for the APSS 2025
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
Division Chair Neuroanesthesia and Radiology, Mayo Clinic, United States of America
Welcome to the APSS-ROBAC 2025 Programme!
We are incredibly proud and excited to welcome our attendees, prospective attendees, enthusiastic experts, learners and supporters. As we gather against the beautiful backdrop of Kuching, Malaysia, we extend a warm invitation to gather, learn and collaborate with some of the world leaders in perioperative patient safety, neuroanesthesia and bariatric anesthesia.
Nestled in the heart of Kuching, Malaysia, our in-person meeting will offer a unique opportunity to explore the rich cultural tapestry of this enchanting city while delving into the latest advancements in neuroanesthesia and perioperative patient safety.
Our goal is to gather the world’s experts in traumatic brain injury, optimal perioperative brain health, stroke and neuro-critical care as well as the leading voices in medication safety, challenges in innovative patient safety, and patient safety culture. These dynamic speakers should provide engaging discussions, guide best practices and invigorate new ways of delivering the best care. We envision an energetic platform to help us forge connections, drive innovation and cement a sustainable patient safety culture across diverse backgrounds and specialities.
Welcome to Kuching, Malaysia, and welcome to a transformative experience where knowledge meets excitement, and collaboration knows no bounds!
Naveen Eipe, MD
@NaveenEipe
Organising Co-Chair
Scientific Chair for the ROBAC 2025
Associate Professor and Clinical Lead Bariatric
Anesthesia, University of Ottawa, Canada
As the Co-Chair and Programme Lead for the Regional Obesity and Bariatric Anesthesia Conference (ROBAC 2025), it is my privilege to invite you to attend this meeting in Kuching, Sarawak on the weekend of 20 – 22 June 2025.
In addition to faculty from the Asia-Pacific, ROBAC 2025 is being planned as an opportunity to listen to some great talks and interact with our dynamic speakers coming to you all the way from North America, Europe, UK and Australia. We hope to see our delegates use this opportunity to meet old friends and former colleagues and make new connections and acquaintances.
The theme of ROBAC 2025 revolves around recent advances in Obesity, Sleep Medicine and Bariatric Anesthesia. We have put together a programme with a nice mix of topics – all contemporary, most cutting edge and some even controversial!
The scientific content for this meeting has been developed in collaboration with a highly experienced group of educators, content experts and speakers- it is almost entirely based on previous delegate feedback from similar Obesity Anesthesia meetings around the world. We hope that you will find the conference content thought-provoking, clinically relevant, stimulating and rewarding.
ROBAC 2025 also brings together three of the premier Obesity Anesthesia associations- ISPCOP (International Society for the Perioperative Care of the Obese Patient), the UK-based SOBA (Society for Obesity and Bariatric Anaesthesia) and ESPCOP (European Society for the Perioperative Care of the Obese Patient). We envision that ROBAC 2025 will be the continuation of long-standing global partnerships between these Societies that share a common goal- improving the perioperative outcomes and safety of patients living with obesity.
I hope you will attend ROBAC 2025 and look forward to meeting you all in the beautiful city of Kuching, Sarawak.
Thank you and Welcome!