Welcome to the 9^th Annual International Symposium of Ultrasound for Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ISURA) in Toronto. The symposium will be held in Hart House at the University of Toronto and we've put together a fantastic program for you.

Over the past 8 years, this meeting has become a dynamic forum for leaders and practitioners of ultrasound guided regional anesthesia and interventional pain procedures to increase their knowledge and to share with each other clinical experiences and challenges in this rapidly evolving field.

The new initiatives for the ISURA 2012 program are as follows:

* Ultrasound for musculoskeletal imaging for 1.5 days
* Focused transthoracic echocardiography workshop for 1 day
* Gastric ultrasound workshop for 1/2 day
* Needle tracking and insertion technique workshop for 1/2 day

By the end of the conference, the participants will be able to:

* Describe the basic principles of ultrasound guided regional anesthesia
   and interventional pain procedures.
* Identify proper approaches to image nerve and musculoskeletal
   structures and insert needle.
* Critically interpret images of nerve, vessels and musculoskeletal
   structures including anatomical variants and artifacts.
* Develop the cognitive and practical skills on the use of ultrasound
   for regional anesthesia and interventional pain procedures.

All in all, this conference is designed to provide anesthesiologists and pain practitioners a comprehensive review of ultrasound imaging for regional anesthesia and interventional procedures for surgery and chronic pain treatment. Our panel of international and national renowned faculty will provide you with the latest developments and state-of-the-art information in the world of ultrasound guided procedures.

Please join us in Toronto for a rewarding educational experience in June 2012.

Sincerely,

Richard Brull,   Vincent Chan,   Ki Jinn Chin,   Thomas Grau,

Samer Narouze,   Philip Peng,    and   Anahi Perlas      

Program Committee Members