European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy (ESRA)

History and Goals

The European Society of Regional Anaesthesia & Pain Therapy (ESRA) is a specialized, non – profit, scientific association that brings together anesthesiologists or other physicians and scientists who are engaged in the techniques of regional anaesthesia for surgery, obstetrics and acute or chronic pain management.

To learn more about ESRA and its history, click here and here.

ESRA Basic Goals include Patients’ Safety, and Continuous Education of anaesthesiologists and physicians who apply regional anaesthetic – analgesic techniques. ESRA strives to develop & further the knowledge of safe techniques for providing surgical and obstetrical anaesthesia with local anaesthetics and for performing diagnostic and therapeutic blocks with local and lytic agents for the management of pain.

ESRA was founded in Heidelberg, Germany, in 1980, on the suggestion of the late Professor John Bonica, to further Regional Anaesthesia in Europe. The first congress was held in Edinburgh in 1982 and since that year the society has gone from strength to strength, with a current membership of over 4.800 throughout Europe. The society is still growing, and has now established a strong track record with a 37th Annual Congress in 2018, as well as with its forthcoming 38th, taking place in Bilbao, in Spain, in September 2019.

ESRA provides a forum for the discussion of new innovations in the field, targets in Advancing Regional Anaesthesia in Europe and has made great strides in encouraging specialization and research in this field; promoting and sponsoring courses and workshops, publishing articles in related subjects and generally working to develop and further the knowledge of safe techniques for the management of pain.

The Scientific Standard at the annual ESRA congress is now recognised as one of the best in Europe, and as a result carries a high rating with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, which has now assigned credit hours to all ESRA congresses and scientific events.

The ESRA Annual Congress has taken place in a different European city each year, with Prague hosting it the first year in an Central – Eastern European city, in 1995. The Board of ESRA plans to expand membership in Eastern Europe in line with its aims of improving and standardizing the level of Regional Anaesthesia throughout Europe.

ESRA is a dynamic organization, whose work extends throughout the year and apart from the annual ESRA Congress, the society currently holds more than ten Zonal Meetings each year, has established the European Day of Regional Anaesthesia (the last Saturday of every January), has launched the ESRA E – Congress for the 1st time in March 2018, as well as offers grants and educational material through its brand new ESRA Academy online platform.

The European Diploma in Regional Anaesthesia & Acute Pain Management (EDRA), was created in 2005 with the goal of establishing standards in regional anaesthesia in Europe. The Diploma is intended to widen the activity spectrum of those specialists in anaesthesia, who are already in clinical practice and are interested in acquiring additional knowledge in the entire field of regional anaesthesia.

In parallel, in 2017, the first exams for the European Diploma of Pain Medicine took place (EDPM – European Diploma of Pain Medicine), with the fundamental goal of creation of unified standards for pain management and the harmonization of pain physicians according to them.

ESRA is a dynamic scientific society and its Activities expand throughout each years, including:

• The ESRA Annual Congress, which attracts the top clinicians in the field of Regional Anaesthesia
• Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Journal, which is published jointly by the American, European, Asian – Oceanic and Latin American Societies of Regional Anesthesia
• Reduced Subscription Rate for the Journal British Journal of Anaesthesia (BJA)
• ESRA Zonal Meetings which take place in European cities throughout the year and include a range of Symposia, Video Presentations and Cadaver Workshops on specific chosen topics. Apart from the Annual ESRA Congress, the Society holds eight to ten zonal meetings each year, focusing on the scientific needs of the particular zone.
• Certified ESRA Diploma on Regional Anaesthesia
• ESRA Learning Zone (ELZ) and brand new ESRA Academy Online Platform, which are dedicated to further the knowledge of Regional Anaesthesia and provide an open forum for the discussion of new techniques.
• European Day of Regional Anaesthesia, ESRA E- Day, which was first launched in January 2018 and will take place on an annual basis, the last Saturday of January every year
• ESRA E – Congress, which took place for the first time in March 2018 and will continue to be organized on an annual basis, every March
• ESRA Monothematic Courses, in Portugal and on an anuual basis, on topics such as Obstetric Anaesthesia, ERAS Programs, Chronic Pain Management

ESRA Goals have as follows:

• To associate and affiliate into one organization all anaesthesiologists and other physicians and scientists who are engaged in, or interested in the techniques of regional anaesthesia and pain management
• To encourage specialization and research in Regional Anaesthesia areas
• To promote and sponsor courses and workshops
• To promote information on Regional Anaesthetic procedures
• To encourage the teaching of Regional Anaesthetic procedures in all Anaesthesiology Training Programmes
• To edit and publish articles on these and related subjects
• To develop and further the knowledge of safe techniques for providing surgical and obstetrical anaesthesia with local anaesthetic agents, and for producing diagnostic and therapeutic blocks with local and lytic agents for the management of pain

The European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy invites you to join this exciting and scientifically progressive organization and enjoy the benefits such a membership offers you. Meet old friends and greet new ones at the annual ESRA Congress, enhance your knowledge in the various aspects of Anaesthesia, and assist the aims of ESRA in furthering knowledge and standards in Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy.

To learn more about ESRA and its history, click here.