The European Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Therapy (ESRA) was founded in 1980 to further regional Anesthesia 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 2000 throughout Europe. The scientific standard at the annual ESRA congress is now recognized as one of the best in Europe, and as a result carries a high rating with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, who now assigns credit hours to all ESRA congresses.

A multi-disciplinary international group of 1500 healthcare providers who specialize in regional anesthesia for surgery, obstetrics, and pediatrics attended the 30th Annual European Society for Regional Anesthesia Congress that took place in Dresden, Germany from September 7 to September 10, 2011.

The agenda of the forum included issues of ambulatory anesthesia, anesthesia in obstetrics, oncology, pediatrics, peripheral nerve blocks, neuraxial blockade, and complications of regional anesthesia, treatment of acute and chronic pain. Participants had an opportunity to gain practical experience, share and explore the latest clinical evidence, best practices and industry updates.

The Russian delegation consisted of 32 doctors, scientists and representatives of medical industry. It should be said that representative of Tver State Medical Academy Professor S.I. Sitkin, Head of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Therapy Department of TverSMA was the first Russian specialist to present his research at the ESRA congresses. His report on “Using prolonged epidural analgesia in preparation to operative treatment of patients having chronic pancreatitis with severe pain syndrome” in the section "Chronic pain" caused strong interest of the international community of colleagues.