TopMedTalk
TopMedTalk for the latest medical news surrounding Anaesthesia, Perioperative Care and Enhanced Recovery. Live updates from conferences; Journal Club; Techno Talk and Hot-Topic podcasts. Continuing Medical Education (CME) on the go
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Cardio-Obstetric Anesthesia at SOAP: Hemodynamics, Monitoring, and Preeclampsia
06/04/2026
Cardio-Obstetric Anesthesia at SOAP: Hemodynamics, Monitoring, and Preeclampsia
At the SOAP meeting in Montreal, Desiree Chappell and Monty Mythen interview Dr. Marie Louise Meng, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at Duke University Department of Anesthesiology and her former cardio-obstetric fellow Liliane Ernst, assistant professor in the Obstetric and Gynecologic Anesthesia section Wake Forest University. The conversation focuses on cardio-obstetric anesthesia, hemodynamics, monitoring, and patient-centered care. Meng describes building multidisciplinary “pregnancy heart teams” to plan management for complex cardiac disease in pregnancy and reduce birth trauma. Ernst discusses research using the Premier database on preexisting atrial fibrillation in pregnancy (about 25 per 100,000 deliveries) and associated management and outcomes. They review cases including mechanical circulatory support with an Impella to prolong pregnancy and highlight knowledge gaps about placental perfusion and pulsatility, including Fontan physiology. Meng outlines individualized hemodynamic monitoring for labor and C-sections, emphasizes recognizing hypertensive instability, and details preeclampsia with severe features, its end-organ criteria, incidence, disparities, postpartum follow-up challenges, and potential use of remote monitoring and noninvasive cardiac output/SVR monitoring to guide therapy. Monty Mythen, founding editor-in-chief of TopMedTalk, is now Senior Vice President, Scientific Liaison, BD Advanced Patient Monitoring. He is also Emeritus Professor of Anaesthesia and Critical Care, University College London, UK. Desirée Chappell, former co-editor-in-chief of TopMedTalk, is now Director of Medical Affairs and Medical Science Liaison, BD Advanced Patient Monitoring. She is also a CRNA at NorthStar Anesthesia, USA. -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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Sir Bruce Keogh on the NHS at 70, TopMedTalk Classics
06/01/2026
Sir Bruce Keogh on the NHS at 70, TopMedTalk Classics
TopMedTalk introduces our new “TopMedTalk Classics” series with a classic TopMedTalk episode from 2018 that is still prescient today. This lecture, given by Sir Bruce Keogh marked the NHS’s 70th birthday, a time framed by political volatility, financial constraint, rising demand, and shifting public expectations. Keogh argues healthcare systems must adapt, highlighting the UK’s strengths in medical science, innovation, life sciences, and the scale and complexity of the NHS. He describes quality improvement efforts since 2008, including defining quality as effectiveness, safety, and patient experience, developing outcomes measures, and using aligned clinical and managerial leadership to drive change. Examples include major reductions in MRSA, rapid increases in VTE assessment, improved survival from major trauma networks, better hip-fracture care, strong heart-attack and sepsis performance, stroke centralization benefits, and increased dementia diagnosis for support. He emphasizes future pressures from ageing, prevention, the health–social care split, Brexit workforce and drug costs, and emerging forces like mobile tech, AI, genomics, and gene therapy, arguing the NHS’s pooled, universal model is well suited to a genomics-enabled future. -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here - 00:00 TopMed Talk Intro 00:18 Classics Episode Setup 01:31 Introducing Sir Bruce 02:23 Politics And Adaptation 04:41 Global Pressures On Healthcare 05:48 Hard Times Build NHS 07:35 UK Innovation Advantage 10:33 NHS Scale And Complexity 12:27 Darzi Review Quality Drive 16:10 Outcomes Framework Explained 17:20 Safety And High Level Metrics 18:09 MRSA Turnaround Lesson 20:11 Mandating VTE Prevention 22:58 Trauma Networks Results 24:08 Hip Fracture Best Practice 25:21 Heart Attack Care Wins 26:17 Sepsis And Early Warning 28:01 Stroke Centralization Success 28:45 Dementia Targets Debate 30:31 Leadership And Brexit Risks 32:35 Health And Social Care Split 36:01 Tech Disruption Ahead 36:49 Genomics And NHS Values 38:00 Closing And Congress Promo
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AOA Meeting: Shaping AI for Anaesthesia
05/28/2026
AOA Meeting: Shaping AI for Anaesthesia
The Association of Anaesthetists meeting in London was the perfect spot for us to launch our new series on Artificial Intelligence. Here, Andy Cumpstey and James Bowness discuss the new monthly series and the UK-Ireland “demand signaling” project on AI in anaesthesia, perioperative medicine and acute pain, supported by The Association. They are joined by their guest Nicky De Beer, The Association’s chief executive. She explains that their members want problems defined in advance before technology solutions are imposed from above. She highlights key clinical themes—enhanced monitoring and decision support, personalized anaesthesia, and automation of routine tasks—and nonclinical impacts such as operational efficiency and data-driven decision making. The conversation stresses embracing AI with caution, addressing basic IT shortcomings, developing CPD/training, multidisciplinary research, ethical and safety-focused policy, international collaboration, grant funding, and progressing toward practical AI guidelines and advocacy with policymakers. -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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Perioperative Profile: Vanessa Beavis
05/25/2026
Perioperative Profile: Vanessa Beavis
Settle yourself in for another fascinating glimpse behind the curtain as TopMedTalk’s perioperative profiles focus upon the incredible journey of Vanessa Beavis. Recorded at ANZCA’s recent annual scientific meeting in Auckland, TopMedTalk host Andy Cumpsty interviews anesthetist and former ANZCA President Vanessa Beavis about her path from growing up in South Africa to moving to Auckland in 1993. We discuss her early work in obstetrics, solo general practice, and training in anesthesia before emigrating. She describes becoming involved in departmental leadership, navigating hospital governance to implement safety changes, and progressing through examiner roles, national committees, council, and ultimately ANZCA presidency. A role which coincided with COVID-19, when the College focused on maintaining robust training and examinations and producing clear PPE and clinical guidance across changing state rules. She also recounts helping develop ANZCA’s perioperative medicine work from the 2004 task force to the SIG, qualifications, the Australian New Zealand Perioperative Patient Pathway, and the new chapter, and reflects on receiving the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. -- Previous Perioperative Profiles you may also enjoy: Also, remember you can join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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Cardiac Biomarkers and Perioperative Management of Right Ventricular Failure
05/21/2026
Cardiac Biomarkers and Perioperative Management of Right Ventricular Failure
From the World Congress of Anesthesiologists in Marrakech, TopMedTalk hosts Mike Grocott and Kate Leslie discuss perioperative cardiac risk assessment with Hilary Grocott, Professor and Head of, The Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics (University of British Columbia) and Michelle Chew Professor of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, and editor for the British Journal of Anaesthesia. The conversation reviews perioperative cardiac biomarkers, noting abundant prognostic data but limited evidence for biomarker-led management. The discussion emphasizes that elevated troponins can reflect non-cardiac complications (AKI, PE, sepsis) as well as myocardial injury or heart failure, requiring context-specific follow-up pathways. The group highlights NT-proBNP as a specific marker for heart failure and useful for screening and optimization. The podcast then focuses on pulmonary hypertension and failing right ventricle: detect via history, exam, echo, and biomarkers; prioritize preemptive preparation, arterial beat-to-beat monitoring, modest fluids, early vasopressors/inotropes (norepinephrine, low-dose epinephrine), ventilatory optimization, and vigilant, rapid intervention. If you enjoyed this piece there’s a fantastic Perioperative Profile with Michelle Chew you can hear here: -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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SOAP: Research Frontiers and Translating Obstetric Anesthesia Evidence to Bedside
05/18/2026
SOAP: Research Frontiers and Translating Obstetric Anesthesia Evidence to Bedside
At the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) meeting in Montreal, TopMedTalk hosts Desiree Chappell and Mike Grocott interview SOAP board member Dr. Dan Katz, an obstetric anesthesiologist at Mount Sinai, outgoing annual meeting chair and incoming vice president. Katz reports record attendance—over 900 preregistrations and nearly 1,100 total—plus standing-room sessions and review of 600+ abstracts. He highlights opening with research presentations (magnesium and postpartum hemorrhage, gestational thrombocytopenia and hemorrhage, and potential immunotherapies tied to uterine atony), a translational theme on how guidelines evolve, public health/advocacy, and a maternal mortality panel. Programming includes split research and clinical tracks, updates on postpartum hemorrhage, and an emerging focus on fetal surgery. More here: -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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SOAP: Leadership, Population Health, Patient-Centered Obstetric Anesthesia, and Monitoring Innovation with Grace Lim
05/16/2026
SOAP: Leadership, Population Health, Patient-Centered Obstetric Anesthesia, and Monitoring Innovation with Grace Lim
At the 58th Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) meeting in Montreal, TopMedTalk guest host Desiree Chappell and co-editor-in-chief Mike Grocott interview Dr. Grace Lim, SOAP vice president/president-elect and new University of Utah department chair. They discuss her priorities for her upcoming presidency, healthcare’s shifting challenges, highlighting the Frederick W. Hehre Lecture_,_ from Valerie A. Arkoosh about a systems-focused career from obstetric anesthesiology to leading public health roles in Pennsylvania. Lim emphasizes anesthesiologists as systems thinkers linking perioperative and perinatal care with population health and social determinants, and describes SOAP goals to improve representation, support community and rural sites lacking subspecialists, and ensure scalable, culturally sensitive care. She also cites sustainable funding and philanthropy efforts, including “Party With a Purpose.” Lim outlines SOAP’s ELEVATE Project on patient-centered cesarean anesthesia choices and notes maternal mental health as a key mortality driver. She summarizes a pilot study using Hemosphere monitoring during labor epidurals to detect hypotension trends and assess patient and nurse acceptability. -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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WCA: Shared Decision-Making and Communicating Risk for High-Risk Surgical Patients
05/11/2026
WCA: Shared Decision-Making and Communicating Risk for High-Risk Surgical Patients
Our coverage of The World Congress of Anesthesiologists (WCA) in Marrakesh continues. Andy Cumpstey and Kate Leslie discuss high-risk surgical patients with anesthesiologists Debra Leung (The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne) and Duminda Wijeysundera (St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto). They explore how “high risk” extends beyond mortality (noting ~2% elective major surgery mortality in middle/high-income countries) to complications, medical morbidity, cognitive and functional decline, return to independence, and psychosocial factors such as social support. They describe a structured shared decision-making clinic: triage and preparation before visits, explaining surgery as an explicit choice, eliciting patient values and goals, and matching them to clinical information; she notes training needs and barriers, especially surgical engagement, overcome via surgical champions and formalizing “corridor conversations.”They outline practical risk communication (natural frequencies, meaningful language, focusing on major events, ranking vs average, and what’s modifiable) and highlights evidence that patients may refuse interventions sooner for functional/cognitive decline than for mortality risk. The conversation emphasizes linking risk prediction to actionable care pathways, prehabilitation/posthabilitation, and frameworks for both modifiable and non-modifiable risk amid aging, increasingly complex surgical populations. -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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ANZCA ASM: Incoming President Dr Tanya Selak and FPM Dean, Prof Michael Veltman
05/07/2026
ANZCA ASM: Incoming President Dr Tanya Selak and FPM Dean, Prof Michael Veltman
At the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) and Faculty of Pain Medicine (FPM) held in Auckland, New Zealand, Kate Leslie and Andy Cumpstey interview incoming ANZCA president Tanya Selak and incoming FPM Dean Michael Veltman about their goals in the next two years and the challenges ahead, and their appreciation of the hard work and commitment of fellows and trainees at the coalface. Dr Tanya Selak is a consultant anaesthetist in Woolongong, Australia. Professor Michael Veltman is consultant pain medicine physician in Perth, Australia. -- -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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Improving Maternal Safety with Continuous Noninvasive Blood Pressure Monitoring in Obstetrics
05/04/2026
Improving Maternal Safety with Continuous Noninvasive Blood Pressure Monitoring in Obstetrics
At the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) meeting in Montreal, Desiree Chappell and Mike Grocott interview Meghan MacCleary, Obstetrician-Gynaecologist with Banner Health in Phoenix, about multidisciplinary collaboration to improve maternal outcomes. Dr MacCleary describes her high-risk tertiary practice (about 4,000 deliveries/year; 25–26% C-sections) and decision-making for C-section based on safest delivery for mother or baby, amid rising maternal comorbidities, obesity, and older maternal age. She highlights concerns during C-section including patient comfort, hypotension, nausea/vomiting, bleeding, and postpartum haemorrhage, noting U.S. maternal mortality concerns. The conversation advocates for continuous noninvasive blood pressure monitoring (finger cuff) to detect instability earlier, reporting reduced hemorrhage and ICU transfers in a 90-day quality project and discussing related advocacy at an Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) Capitol Hill briefing. -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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WFSA World Congress Scholars Share Lessons and Leadership Insights from Marrakesh
04/30/2026
WFSA World Congress Scholars Share Lessons and Leadership Insights from Marrakesh
New Presenter Amy Gomes and Andy Cumpstey interview this year’s WFSA scholars. We speak with Drs Gabriela Queiroz Do Amaral, Emyedu Andrew, Jedniphat Intrapongpan, and Loreen Sharma. The WFSA Scholarship Programme offers valuable opportunities for early-career anaesthesiologists from low- and middle-income countries to attend international and regional meetings. Find out more now about this exciting opportunity here: -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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Perioperative Profiles, Denny Levett.
04/27/2026
Perioperative Profiles, Denny Levett.
Perioperative Profiles, a popular monthly series on TopMedTalk in which we speak with the giants of perioperative medicine. This month Kate Leslie speaks with Denny Levett, Professor in Perioperative Medicine and Critical Care at the University of Southampton and a Consultant in Perioperative Medicine at Southampton University Hospital NHS Foundation trust (UHS). She discusses her roles in Southampton in perioperative medicine and adult intensive care, and as director of the UK Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC). Denny recounts growing up in Rye, East Sussex, studying medicine at Cambridge, and how a transformative ICU post (just after the Soho pub bombing) led her into anaesthesia as a route to critical care. Then, with mentorship from TopMedTalk’s founder, Monty Mythen, co-led the Extreme Everest project, which informed her PhD and later work using cardiopulmonary exercise testing to predict surgical outcomes and develop prehabilitation; she also reflects on balancing a clinical-academic career with family life. More on Xtreme Everest here: -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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Hemodynamic Effects of Spinal Anesthesia in HIV-Positive Pregnant Women
04/23/2026
Hemodynamic Effects of Spinal Anesthesia in HIV-Positive Pregnant Women
At the 19th World Congress of the Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WCSA 2026) in Marrakesh, TopMedTalk welcomes Desiree Chappell back alongside Kate Leslie to interview Professor Palesa Motshabi-Chakane, Associate Professor and Head of Anaesthesiology at the University of the Witwatersrand and her colleague, Dr Mullai Slave a PhD candidate at University of the Witwatersrand. They discuss a study of 629 women undergoing cesarean section with spinal anesthesia at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, where 23–33% are HIV positive. Using standard monitoring plus BD APM noninvasive continuous hemodynamic monitoring, they compared HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients and found higher hypotension incidence in HIV-positive women (68% vs 64%), with lower heart rate and lower cardiac index over 60 minutes. Additional testing included echocardiography with speckle tracking, pro-BNP, and autonomic assessments, with HIV-positive patients showing stiffer ventricles; Apgar scores did not differ. They discuss replication, multicenter research, and potential machine-learning tools to predict hypotension risk, and describe BD Advanced Patient Monitoring grant support enabling equipment, sensors, staffing, and training (~200 staff) to complete data collection in about six months. Edwards Lifesciences is now known as Becton Dickinson Advanced Patient Monitoring (BD APM). Desiree Chappell, former Co Editor in Chief of TopMedTalk, is now Director, Medical Science Liaison, Medical Affairs, BD Advanced Patient Monitoring. The views expressed on this program are her own and not those of her employers. We mention Adrian Gelb, if you’d like to hear his recent conversation with us go here: -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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Professor Adrian Gelb on Patient Safety and Essential Medicines in Anaesthesia
04/23/2026
Professor Adrian Gelb on Patient Safety and Essential Medicines in Anaesthesia
Live from the 19th World Congress of Anaesthesiologists (WCA 2026) in Marrakesh with over 4,000 delegates from 150 countries, TopMedTalk’s Kate Leslie and Mike Grocott interview Professor Adrian Gelb, past World Federation of the Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) president, about his career from South Africa to Canada and UCSF and his focus on lower-resource settings, patient safety, and WHO engagement. Gelb argues patient safety improvements require system and workflow changes, not just guidelines. The comparison is drawn to road safety reforms and urging anesthesiologists to use their leverage in hospitals and governance. He reflects on the impact of Harvard monitoring standards and leadership that advanced safety, and calls for national societies to prioritize patient-centered advocacy and implementation support using human factors and knowledge translation expertise. He also describes work on WHO essential medicines lists and proposes a tiered, anesthesia-led WFSA essential medicines list by country income level via a global Delphi process, ending with a call for anesthesiologists to choose to lead again. More about the congress here: -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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The WFSA Blood Health Innovation Award Winners
04/20/2026
The WFSA Blood Health Innovation Award Winners
Our coverage of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists annual conference begins with an exclusive conversation with this year’s recipients of the WFSA Blood Health Innovation Award, Vijay Anand Ismavel and Ann Miriam Devarathnam. Andy Cumpstey finds out about their collaborative project with Kerala Digital University to develop an intraoperative auto-transfusion device, designed to recycle a patient's own blood during surgery in resource-constrained environments. For more information about this device, see: -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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TopMedTalk, Artifical Intelligence in 2026
04/16/2026
TopMedTalk, Artifical Intelligence in 2026
This piece sees the launch of a new series on TopMedTalk: we’re delving further into the world of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare and we’re going to do so at least once a month. Coming from the Association of Anaesthetists in London, Andy Cumpstey welcomes back former TopMedTalk Co-editor in Chief, Desiree Chappell, alongside editor-in-chief Professor Mike Grocott and Associate Professor James Bowness, Consultant in Anaesthesia at University College Hospitals London NHS Foundation Trust and Honorary Associate Professor of Anaesthesia at University College London and clinical scientist with G.E. Healthcare. As well as announcing the new series, featuring monthly AI-focused episodes with clinicians, policymakers, industry, and patient representatives. Specially recorded at the third stage of a UK and Ireland “demand signaling” exercise for AI in anesthesia, perioperative medicine, and pain management. It’s a process designed to focus on clinicians’ real-world needs rather than forcing unwanted technology use cases. The process includes surveying Royal College of Anaesthetists and Association members. -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025: Digest Part 2
04/13/2026
ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025: Digest Part 2
Part two of our retrospective on TopMedTalk’s coverage of last year’s fascinating ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 in San Antonio, Texas, USA. This is part two of a two part piece. Part 1 is here: This podcast contains clips and discussion from the following podcasts in our free archive: Exciting news from Desiree Chappell Innovations in Anesthesia: GE Healthcare's Advanced Solutions at ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 Exploring the Future of Perioperative Care: Insights from ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 Perioperative Profile, Steven Shafer Optimizing Pediatric Blood Health: Insights from ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 Exploring Viscoelastic Testing and Patient Blood Management at ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 Insights from ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025: Enhancing Research and Publishing in Obstetric Anesthesia Understanding Medical Errors: Cognitive Basis and Systemic Solutions at ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 Insights from ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025: Surgical Site Infections, Oxygen Therapy, and Thermoregulation Advancing Patient-Centered Monitoring Outcomes ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 Adrian Gelb on Neuroanesthesia, Global Patient Safety, and WFSA-WHO International Standards -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025: Digest Part 1
04/06/2026
ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025: Digest Part 1
A look back on the TopMedTalk coverage of last year’s incredible ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 in San Antonio, Texas, USA. This is part one of a two part piece. Featuring clips and discussion from the following podcasts: Pediatric Airway Management Advances: Insights from Annery Garcia-Marcinkiewicz The Center for Anesthesia Workforce Studies at ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 Understanding Anesthesia Information Management Systems with Dr. David Kennedy Transforming Pain Medicine: An Insight into the Pain Medicine Coalition Clinical Readiness and Training Affiliation in Army Anesthesiology Navigating Governance in Anesthesiology Groups: Insights from ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 Anesthesiology Economics: Current Trends and Future Directions Insights on the Future of Anesthesia Quality Improvement with AQI Insights from ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025: New Guidelines for Anesthesiology in Older Adults Nitrous Oxide as a Treatment for Severe Depression: Insights from ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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Perioperative Profile, Rupert Pearse
03/30/2026
Perioperative Profile, Rupert Pearse
TopMedTalk is proud to present Perioperative Profiles. This month we speak with Rupert Pearse, OBE, professor of intensive care medicine at Queen Mary University of London and a consultant at Royal London Hospital, known for his research on improving outcomes in high-risk surgical patients. In this fascinating piece we speak about his career in perioperative and critical care medicine. Raised in rural Bedfordshire as a farmer’s son, he switched late from plans to study agriculture to medicine, took a year out working as an auxiliary nurse and carer, and entered St George’s, London, where an intercalated BSc introduced him to research. He reflects on receiving an OBE, and outlines future priorities: growing his East London research group, global health collaborations, leadership, mentorship, and health equity. Like this? You may enjoy our interview with Bruce Biccard from 2024: -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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The difficult anatomical airway and the difficult physiology airway
03/23/2026
The difficult anatomical airway and the difficult physiology airway
TopMedTalk are proud to present The Siobhan Mythen Plenary Lecture, taken from our coverage of Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) Ireland 2025. Professor Ellen O’Sullivan trained in anaesthesiology and intensive care in UK and USA and is now a Consultant Anaesthesiologist at St James’s Hospital Dublin, Ireland, affiliated to Trinity College Dublin. She specializes in airway management and is Director of the Fellowship in Advanced Airway Management and Simulation. She is Past President of the Difficult Airway Society, DAS, and was appointed DAS Professor of Anaesthesia & Airway Management. She outlines the “The difficult anatomical airway” and introduces the Siobhan Mythen plenary lecturer Professor John Laffey. John Laffey is Professor of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine at the University of Galway (formerly National University of Ireland, Galway), where he also serves in clinical and research leadership roles. His work focuses on critical illnesses, particularly Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), sepsis, mechanical ventilation strategies, and translational research including cell/gene therapies for these conditions. He discusses, “The Difficult Physiology Airway” -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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Perioperative Medicine Policy, Regions, and Integrated Care Boards: Localising a National Strategy
03/16/2026
Perioperative Medicine Policy, Regions, and Integrated Care Boards: Localising a National Strategy
At the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC) Perioperative Leads Day in London, host Andy Cumpstey speaks with James White, a perioperative medicine clinician (and qualified general practitioner) working within the NHS in Cheshire and Merseyside, serving as Clinical Lead for Perioperative Medicine and contributing to national improvement work with the Centre for Perioperative Care, Simon Rang, consultant anaesthetist at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust who also contributes to national healthcare improvement work including with the Centre for Perioperative Care, and Denny Levett, Director of the Centre for Perioperative Care, and a Professor of Perioperative Medicine and Critical Care and Consultant at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Southampton. The conversation covers how UK perioperative medicine policy is implemented through evolving NHS structures. They explain the relationship between national policy (Department of Health, NHS England) and delivery via regions, integrated care boards (ICBs), and local trusts, emphasizing integrated pathways spanning primary and secondary care, particularly post-COVID. James outlines five core requirements: early perioperative screening, proactive optimization/prehabilitation, maintaining health while waiting, listing patients only when medically fit, and shared decision-making. The guests discuss how regional and ICB networks share solutions, address variation and barriers (including finances and culture), and use CPOC guidance and resources alongside initiatives like GIRFT to support consistent implementation. -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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Adrian Gelb on Neuroanesthesia, Global Patient Safety, and WFSA-WHO International Standards
03/09/2026
Adrian Gelb on Neuroanesthesia, Global Patient Safety, and WFSA-WHO International Standards
At the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 meeting in San Antonio, TopMedTalk hosts Andy Cumpstey and Kate Leslie interviewed Professor of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care at University of California, San Francisco, Adrian Gelb, this year’s Ellison Pierce Lecturer. Dr Gelb recounts training in South Africa, work in England and Canada, and how he was steered into neuroanesthesia at a high-volume cerebral aneurysm center, becoming engaged by understanding surgical outcomes and encouraging trainees to learn the operative field. He describes developing global health interests, joining the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) through Alan Merry and others, and progressing from the patient safety committee to WFSA president. Gelb outlines updating WFSA standards with WHO involvement, emphasizing additive “minimum” requirements (e.g., oxygenation and pulse oximetry) and clarifying differences among policies, guidelines, and legally binding standards, urging implementation-focused sequencing. He also highlights AI’s potential to advance decision-making, documentation, data, and feedback. -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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Postoperative Care, Communication, Failure to Rescue, AI Monitoring, and Robotics with ASGBI Leaders
03/05/2026
Postoperative Care, Communication, Failure to Rescue, AI Monitoring, and Robotics with ASGBI Leaders
Andy Cumpstey is joined by Christian Macutkiewicz Consultant General, HPB and Hernia Surgeon at Manchester Royal Infirmary, Director of The Gallstone Clinic and Manchester Hernia at Spire Manchester Hospital and the incoming President of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, and Dimitris Damaskos Consultant General Surgeon within the Department of Surgery at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (NHS Lothian), Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. They discuss the postoperative period as a critical part of the perioperative journey, emphasizing the importance of clear postoperative communication, reassurance even after “successful” operations, and explaining complications and expected recovery timelines. They highlight challenges in recognizing deterioration, including reduced reliance on clinical examination skills among junior doctors and the systems-based concept of “failure to rescue,” arguing that consistent ward-based recognition systems and high-volume units help detect complications earlier. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathways are cited, including using day-3 CRP thresholds to trigger CT imaging for early detection of anastomotic leak. They note post-COVID pressures to clear surgical backlogs have increased situations where patients are operated on by surgeons who did not initially see them, potentially weakening trust and continuity when complications occur, and they discuss flattening hierarchy so trainees can do ward rounds with consultant support. The conversation covers future technology, including AI for risk stratification and imaging interpretation, and remote continuous vital-sign monitoring, while acknowledging data governance challenges and potential deskilling. The episode closes with a discussion of robotic surgery: improved optics and precision and usefulness for more complex cases (including abdominal wall reconstruction), but with concerns about cost, rollout, training implications, and differing adoption between the UK, US, and New Zealand. -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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Addressing Drug Allergy Labels: Insights and Implications
03/02/2026
Addressing Drug Allergy Labels: Insights and Implications
In this episode of TopMedTalk, hosted by Andy Cumpstey at the anaesthesia research meeting in Birmingham, we dive into drug allergy and its mislabeling with Louise Savic, consultant anaesthetist and NIHR doctoral researcher at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK, who specialises in drug allergy and peri-operative anaphylaxis, and Tom Abbott, clinical senior lecturer in anaesthesia and peri-operative medicine at Queen Mary University of London, UK, and a consultant anaesthetist whose research uses clinical epidemiology and trials to improve surgical outcomes and reduce peri-operative complications. The discussion highlights the vast disparity between true drug allergies and mislabeling, emphasizing that around 90-95% of penicillin allergy labels are incorrect. Dr. Savic shares her journey in drug allergy research, focusing on the perioperative setting, while Dr. Abbott discusses the linkage between antimicrobial prescribing and resistance. The talk covers results from the Sapphire Project, revealing the high incidence of mislabeled drug allergies and their associated increased postoperative risks. The episode also explores potential strategies for 'de-labeling' patients, the role of multidisciplinary collaboration, and the next steps in research and practice change. -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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The Challenges of AI in Healthcare: A Conversation with Dr. Joe Alderman
02/26/2026
The Challenges of AI in Healthcare: A Conversation with Dr. Joe Alderman
Andy Cumpstey welcomes Joseph Alderman, a clinical lecturer in anaesthesia at the University of Birmingham, to discuss the hurdles AI faces in the healthcare sector. Dr. Alderman, who has a background in cell biology and immunometabolism, shares his insights into why AI technologies often fail to reach patients. He identifies three primary challenges: misalignment between AI development and healthcare needs, inadequate resourcing, and premature solution-oriented thinking. The conversation also touches on the importance of involving patients and clinicians in the AI development process and an exciting new initiative by Dr. Alderman’s team to create a health chatbot user guide. The episode concludes with a look into regulatory challenges and the need for better patient empowerment and risk management in AI-driven healthcare. -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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Perioperative Profiles: Professor Michelle Chew on seizing opportunities in Anaesthesia, research, editing, and guideline work
02/23/2026
Perioperative Profiles: Professor Michelle Chew on seizing opportunities in Anaesthesia, research, editing, and guideline work
Michelle Chew is a Professor of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, and editor for the British Journal of Anaesthesia. Hear her sharing her Perioperative Profile on TopMedTalk with Andy Cumpstey. After initial anaesthesia training in Denmark, she moved to Lund University, Sweden, combining clinical work and research, later establishing her own experimental haemodynamics group studying septic and haemorrhagic shock and myocardial changes. She balances academic and family life by prioritizing rather than seeking “life balance,” noting challenges for women in academia despite Scandinavian support. She explains journal editing—from rapid assessment, literature checks, peer review coordination, to feedback synthesis—and entered the field via the European Journal of Anaesthesiology, later serving at BJA and other journals. She also describes developing clinical guidelines, emphasizing expert panels, systematic reviews, consensus, and local adaptation, with involvement in Scandinavian and European anesthesia societies. Throughout, she highlights lessons from mentors and family, especially her grandmother, stresses taking opportunities and putting in the work, and emphasizes that science and clinical medicine ultimately serve patients. -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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Advancing Patient-Centered Monitoring Outcomes ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025
02/19/2026
Advancing Patient-Centered Monitoring Outcomes ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025
ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025, the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), and Desiree Chappell hosts Professor Michael Scott from the University of Rochester and Dr Wael Saasouh, director of research for NorthStar Anesthesia. The discussion centers on the evolution of patient-centered monitoring, the importance of continuous hemodynamic monitoring, and the broader implications of hemodynamic instability. The guests delve into their recent consensus paper with the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation and highlight the need for more comprehensive monitoring technologies that are accessible and cost-effective. The conversation also explores international collaborations, differences in practice settings (academic vs. private), and the future of enhanced recovery and post-operative care. -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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Insights from ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025: Surgical Site Infections, Oxygen Therapy, and Thermoregulation
02/16/2026
Insights from ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025: Surgical Site Infections, Oxygen Therapy, and Thermoregulation
Desiree Chappell, Kate Leslie, and Mike Grocott welcome Harriet W. Hopf, a physician-scientist and professor of anesthesiology and adjunct professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Utah, UK. Dr Hopf is known for her leadership in academic governance, medical education, and healthcare research. She shares insights on her distinguished career focusing on surgical site infections and faculty development. We discuss pivotal research on the importance of oxygen in wound healing, mechanisms behind surgical site infections, and the significance of maintaining normothermia during surgery. The conversation also touches on the impact of thermoregulation, volume status, and the use of oxygen in improving patient outcomes. Dr. Hopf emphasizes the necessity of hand hygiene and proper surgical practices to mitigate infections. -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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Understanding Medical Errors: Cognitive Basis and Systemic Solutions at ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025
02/12/2026
Understanding Medical Errors: Cognitive Basis and Systemic Solutions at ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025
This piece takes us to The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) annual meeting in San Antonio, ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2025 where Andy Cumpstey is joined by co-host Desiree Chappell and guest Dr Joyce A. Wahr — Professor Emeritus of Anesthesiology at the University of Minnesota Medical School (Minneapolis, USA) and former Executive Medical Director of Perioperative Services at M Health Fairview and Vice-Chair for Quality & Safety. Joyce shares her journey from surgery residency to becoming a cardiac and thoracic anesthesiologist, and her involvement in patient safety. She discusses her Severinghaus Lecture titled 'It's Not Your Fault: The Cognitive Basis of Error,' discussing how subconscious processes generate errors beyond our control, and how we can implement barriers to prevent these errors from harming patients. The conversation delves into the cognitive mechanisms behind errors, the importance of system-level protections, and the role of technology in enhancing patient safety. -- Join us at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) World Congress 2026 in London. Be part of a global conversation as clinicians from around the world gather between 7-9th July at the British Library in London. Three days of evidence-based perioperative medicine, global insights, and expert debate—featuring speakers including Michael Marmot and Ken Rockwood. Register here -
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The Impact and Intricacies of Peer Review: Insights from BJA Editorial Fellows
02/09/2026
The Impact and Intricacies of Peer Review: Insights from BJA Editorial Fellows
Kate Leslie and Andy Cumpstey join special guests at the British Journal of Anaesthesia’s annual meeting in Dublin, Ireland. The discussion focuses on the experiences and motivations of three BJA editorial fellows; Allison Janda, Anesthesiologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan; Brett Doleman, clinical academic and anaesthetist from the University of Nottingham; and Christina Boncyk, critical care anesthesiologist and Associate Professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The conversation delves into their roles, the peer review process, and the mentorship that shapes their contributions to medical science. They emphasize the importance of constructive feedback, scientific rigor, and encouraging participation from new reviewers. The episode underscores the professional growth afforded by editorial roles and highlights ways to enhance the author and reviewer experience in academic publishing.
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