President's Message of Dr. Laura Cavallone

Dear Head and Neck Anesthesia Friends and SHANA Members,

The Society for Head and Neck Anesthesia (SHANA) offers free membership for everyone with an interest in Anesthesia for Head and Neck surgery so please follow this link to join!!

https://www.shanahq.com/main/content/membership-request

SHANA is an international society of physicians and other healthcare professionals dedicated to improving the perioperative care of patients undergoing head and neck surgery. Since SHANA’s inception in 2011, it has welcomed members from over 30 Countries.

We believe that the recognition of the field of anesthesia for head and neck surgery as an official subspecialty of anesthesia is long overdue and we are committed to ensure that patients with head and neck pathologies receive the specialized perioperative care they deserve.

The contributions of Anesthesia to the perioperative management of head and neck pathologies are innumerable: from sedation techniques for drug-induced sleep endoscopy in the diagnostic process of obstructive sleep apnea, to difficult airway management and anesthetic planning for complex head and neck cancer resections and free tissue transfer reconstructions, anesthesiologists work side by side with otolaryngologists and head and neck surgeons.

SHANA’s website and forum are a great resource for the latest techniques and approaches in head and neck anesthesia.

Our society strongly encourages and supports collaborations with surgeons both as joining members or as collaborators external to the society and emphasizes the importance of engaging teams who manage head and neck surgical patients to optimize clinical pathways, innovate approaches, and disseminate knowledge and experience.

SHANA-sponsored activities include collaborations with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) and the North American Skull Base Surgeon Society. Shared initiatives with these organizations have included guideline drafting and development of educational material such as questions for the ABA maintenance of certification program, podcasts and expert panels and lectures at scientific meetings.

Our leaders work collaboratively with members on all projects. The opportunities are tremendous to get involved at all levels and make a name for yourself and your work! We are excited to grow our society and enhance our impact and immensely privileged to work with our members from all corners of the world.

SHANA is grateful to our sponsors who have provided and continue to provide invaluable support for our educational mission, provide the technology that we use to care for our patients, and support our Annual Meeting.

I sincerely hope all of you will engage frequently with the Society and decide to remain or get involved!

See you in San Diego for the 2026 SHANA Annual Meeting on Sunday, October 18 during the 2026 ASA meeting!

Laura F. Cavallone, MD, MSc, FASA
President, Society for Head and Neck Anesthesia