Charles-Marc Samama, MD, PHD, FCCP, is Chair of the Scientific Committee of the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA). ESA’s annual congress, Euroanaesthesia 2015, meets in Berlin from 30 May to 2 June. Dr. Samama is Professor and Chairman in the Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Cochin University Hospital, Paris, France. He heads a laboratory in the INSERM UMR_S1140 research unit, and for many years he has developed an experimental model of arterial thrombosis and bleeding in the rabbit.
Prof. Samama is concomitantly Chair of the Scientific Committee of NATA, the network for the advancement of patient blood management, haemostasis and thrombosis. He also co-chairs the Scientific Standardization Committee on Predictive Variables in Cardiovascular Disease of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH), and is co-chairing the ISTH’s new Perioperative Thrombosis and Hemostasis Working Group.
We asked Prof. Samama our 7 questions:
1. What are your key areas of interest and research?
Perioperative haemostasis and thrombosis. I have been carrying out research and writing publications on antithrombotic agents, massive bleeding, haemostatic treatments, coagulation monitoring and venous thromboembolism prophylaxis for 25 years.
2. What are the major challenges in your field?
Most recently, the arrival of new oral anticoagulant agents has changed the daily landscape, raising questions on monitoring, care of the bleeding patient and reversal. Care of massive bleeding has also moved forward with the ongoing debate on 1/1/1 ratios and the use of fibrinogen and goal-directed therapies.
3. What is your top management tip?
Listen, listen, listen…and never decide immediately.
4. What would you single out as a career highlight?
I had the great honour of being part of the panel of experts writing the 8th and 9th American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) antithrombotic guidelines. The other most important highlight is of course being the Chair of the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) Scientific Committee.
5. If you had not chosen this career path you would have become a…?
I don’t know. When I was young, like lots of little boys, I wanted to be a pilot; however this job called for talents I didn’t have.
6. What are your personal interests outside of work?
Biking, reading.
7. Your favourite quote?
“If you can't make it, teach it. If you can't teach, write. If you can't write, be an expert.”
(Anonymous)
Prof. Samama has published more than 160 peer-reviewed articles and reviews. He directed the French Guidelines on Perioperative Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) Prophylaxis. He co-authored the VTE prevention section of Antithrombotic and Thrombolytic Therapy: American College of Chest Physicians Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines 8th edition (“Prevention of venous thromboembolism”) and 9th edition (“Prevention in VTE in non-orthopaedic surgical patients”). He co-authored the 2013 ESA Guidelines on Management of severe perioperative bleeding. He also chairs the ESA Task Force for the prevention of perioperative venous thromboembolism.
