SAGA: A Young Society Looks at Some ‘Old’ Problems

he population is rapidly aging, and the oldest (>85 years) in our society represent the most rapidly growing section of the U.S. population. As this group of individuals continues to expand, we as anesthesiologists will need to understand the consequences of aging to provide the type of care patients expect from our profession.

Dedicated to Improved Care
The Society for the Advancement of Geriatric Anesthesia (SAGA) <www.sagahq.org> is dedicated to promoting improved care of the elderly patient through research, education and clinical expertise. This Society continues to grow and thrive in our aging world, and its seventh Annual Meeting was held in Chicago on Sunday, October 15, 2006. The meeting featured a special presentation and discussion with Arnold J. Berry, M.D., Chair of the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) Geriatrics Research Council, on the topic of “The Geriatric Anesthesiology Fellowship — Coming of Age?”

The FAER council is formulating a proposal, cosponsored with SAGA and the ASA Committee on Geriatric Anesthesia, to facilitate the development of geriatric anesthesiology fellowships at institutions that have the faculty and resources to prepare anesthesiologists committed to pursuing careers as practitioners, teachers and researchers in the field of geriatric anesthesiology. The plan is to train anesthesiologists during a postresidency fellowship, and FAER will be seeking to partner with outside foundations to fund these fellowships. It is envisioned that the fellowship awards would provide salary and research support for one to two years for the recipient to pursue research in an area related to aging and anesthesia. In addition to research and clinical geriatric anesthesia experience, the fellow would be expected to spend time with his/her institution’s geriatric medicine department and thus truly develop expertise in the management of the elderly surgical patient.

Following the fellowship, these individuals would be qualified to be competitive for further research funding opportunities in geriatric anesthesiology. The ultimate goal of this unique fellowship is to develop future leaders in geriatric anesthesiology who will have both clinical and research expertise in the perioperative care of the elderly patient. Stay posted on this one!

Teaching the Young to Care for the Old
Education of our younger anesthesiologists and trainees in geriatrics also is critical if we are to successfully take care of the explosion of elderly patients we are facing, and the ASA Committee on Geriatric Anesthesia has been instrumental in promoting geriatric education in anesthesiology. Working together with SAGA and the American Geriatrics Society, the committee is currently putting together a new Geriatric Anesthesia Curriculum. The goal of this curriculum is to provide a comprehensive list of topics for the consultant in geriatric anesthesiology. Each section will contain one or more broad goals accompanied by corresponding objectives. A select bibliography will be included, with a brief statement of relevance for each article. It is understood that the depth of knowledge and expertise will vary depending on the interest and practice of the practitioner. The curriculum will ultimately be posted on both the ASA and SAGA Web sites.

Geriatric Issues at ASA Annual Meeting
Although the aging of our society may not be news to anyone, there was plenty of news about the elderly at the ASA 2006 Annual Meeting in Chicago. It was evident that aging issues in anesthesiology are gaining recognition, especially around postoperative cognitive disorders. The geriatric influence was present throughout the meeting in panels, Problem-Based Learning Discussions, Refresher Course Lectures, clinical forums and scientific presentations. Several SAGA officers presented and spoke on panels, including Deborah J. Culley, M.D., the newly elected SAGA treasurer; Jeffrey H. Silverstein, M.D., former president and board member; Terri G. Monk, M.D., immediate past president; Christopher J. Jankowski, M.D., president-elect; Frederick E. Sieber, M.D., our newly elected secretary; and Leanne Groban, M.D., a new board of directors member. Many others also contributed to the meeting and to SAGA.

For those interested in geriatric anesthesiology, please visit the SAGA Web site at <www.sagahq.org> for information about the Society. There also are unique funding opportunities through the American Geriatrics Society. The Dennis W. Jahnigen Career Development Scholars Award is a two-year grant given to subspecialty faculty pursuing research in age-related issues. This grant provides an excellent opportunity for young faculty interested in pursuing careers in aging, and more information can be found at <www.healthinaging.org/hartford/>.

Although our Society is young, we have tremendous opportunities to address head-on the challenges facing our profession in the coming years. Stay tuned!

Sheila R. Barnett, M.D., is Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.