Mike Poullis will explore the development of an alternative risk prediction tool based upon the Microsoft® software platform. He will discuss how by embracing information technology and moving away from current risk prediction modelling may enable a better, cheaper and more versatile risk assessment system to be introduced.

Low oxygen delivery to tissues leads to anaerobic metabolism, cell dysfunction, and shock. The length of time a tissue or organisms spends below critical oxygen delivery ever increases the chance of death. Understanding the physics and biochemistry of critical oxygen delivery is fundamental to what we do every day. The physiology of blood flow, microcirculation regulation of oxygen delivery is not only fascinating but key if we are to understand the manipulations we do to achieve good outcomes in cardiopulmonary bypass. This lecture will feature cutting edge video captures of the microcirculation and discuss future research directions to challenge us all.

Session 2 - 18:15

Professor Merry will deal with the topic of organ donation, including the controversial non-beating heart donations, the withdrawal of treatment that has become futile and the withholding or rationing of treatment that might prolong or even save life. The framework will be a consideration of why we consider life to be of value, what constitutes death, and how this manifests in practical considerations in clinical practice. He will touch on the parallel decisions made in the community, but the focus will be the high tech end of the spectrum, notably in relation to ECMO. He will deal with the legal aspects of these questions in some detail and touch on how other jurisdictions deal with them, notably the Netherlands. The ending will be upbeat, with an affirmation of the contribution perfusionists have made to complicating an already very difficult subject!

Darryl McMillan will explore the often controversial concept of a multidiscplinery approach to transfusion, the use of transfusion algorithms based on point of care or lab tests rather than clinical decision and the Royal North Shore initiatives to adopting such a team approach.

A glimpse into the future of blood transfusion treatment options.

Session 8    - 10:00-11:30

All registrants are invited to participate is this exciting workshop which will develop our draft manuscript Benchmarks in Perfusion: A Report of the Perfusion Downunder Collaboration into its final format. Attendees at this session will be acknowledged in the final manuscript.

Perfusion is vital to a good outcome after technically successful aortic surgery. We present the concepts of patient directed bypass with regard to blood pressure, flow during cardiopulmonary bypass, oxygen delivery, cooling and carbon dioxide levels on bypass. We then explore the role of perfusion with regard to quality improvement in aortic surgery on a case by case basis, a case series or a scientific publication. A concept from engineering called Lissajous figures is then utilised to assess the effects of ischemia during aortic surgery.

Parma Nand will discuss new techniques of open / hybrid procedures for repair of arch and proximal descending aortic pathologies