{"id":62,"date":"2025-05-21T08:55:18","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T22:55:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/escope.ages.com.au\/november-2025\/?p=62"},"modified":"2025-10-22T20:57:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T10:57:19","slug":"reflecting-on-a-milestone-the-inaugural-perioperative-surgical-meeting-psm-melbourne-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/escope.ages.com.au\/october-2025\/reflecting-on-a-milestone-the-inaugural-perioperative-surgical-meeting-psm-melbourne-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflecting on a Milestone: The Inaugural Perioperative Surgical Meeting (PSM), Melbourne 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\n\t\t\tReflecting on a Milestone: The Inaugural Perioperative Surgical Meeting (PSM), Melbourne 2025\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\"PSM\n\t\t\t\t

What an event! Held from the 28th-30th of August in Melbourne, the inaugural\u00a0Perioperative Surgical Meeting<\/strong> (PSM) <\/em>marked a major milestone for AGES, as its first truly interdisciplinary surgical meeting. With a diverse program that brought together urologists, colorectal surgeons, theatre nurses, anaesthetists, practice managers, human factor researchers and leadership experts, the PSM expanded our collective understanding of what defines surgical success – not just for the surgeon, but for the entire team and, most importantly, the patient.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

Workshops: A Strong Foundation<\/h3>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

A cornerstone of this new conference format was the extensive range of pre-conference workshops. Covering essential and emerging topics, from\u00a0Gender Affirming Care<\/em>\u00a0to\u00a0vNOTES for MIGS<\/em>,\u00a0Pain & the Gynaecologist<\/em>,\u00a0Day Case Hysterectomy<\/em>, and\u00a0Robotics<\/em>, these workshops provided invaluable opportunities for members to dive deep into areas of interest. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, reflecting the value of shared knowledge, updated techniques, and hands-on skill development. As a result, the AGES Board is excited to announce that pre-conference workshops will now be an annual feature for AGES conferences.<\/p>\n

A heartfelt thank you to the AGES members and industry partners who led and supported these sessions, your expertise and generosity made them possible.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

Conference Highlights: Teams, Tools and Techniques<\/h3>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

Day one launched with an inspiring keynote from Professor Amy Park of the Cleveland Clinic, who explored\u00a0The Art & Science of the Surgical Set-Up<\/em>. Her address set the tone for the conference, encouraging attendees to appreciate the economic and clinical benefits of meticulous planning and collaboration.<\/p>\n

The morning continued with powerful discussions on the “humanness of surgery”, including psychological safety and the concept of\u00a0ferocious warmth<\/em>\u00a0as key ingredients for surgical team performance. Attendees were challenged to reflect:\u00a0Who in your team fosters, or hinders, psychological safety?<\/em><\/p>\n

The rest of the day offered a wealth of insights through case-based presentations, surgical innovations, and discussions around recovery strategies and navigating complications. A standout moment came with Dr Lenore Ellett’s deeply personal talk on\u00a0imposter syndrome<\/em>, where she shared her journey and the strategies she’s developed to not just survive, but thrive.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

Day Two: Mastery and Meaningful Conversations<\/h3>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t

Day two began with a superb session on ‘expert moves’ for complex hysterectomies, both laparoscopic and vaginal. Attendees then faced a difficult decision between two outstanding concurrent sessions:<\/p>\n