Innovation in Anesthesiology and Pain Management
The group's research agenda for the next three years builds on its consolidated track record in chronic pain, perioperative medicine and clinical simulation, in collaboration with the Universitat de Lleida (UdL) and the Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida (IRBLleida).
- Line 1 - Perioperative medicine: ERAS and prehabilitation. Prospective clinical research on the implementation and outcomes of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathways and structured prehabilitation programmes in major surgery at HUAV. This line integrates the DCPQ-Género HUAV project on chronification of post-surgical pain in patients followed by the Acute Postoperative Pain Unit (UDAP), with a sex- and gender-stratified analysis and structured follow-up at 3, 6 and 12 months post-surgery.
- Line 2 - Innovation in anaesthesia and pain interventional techniques. Prospective clinical studies on ultrasound-guided infiltration in chronic pain (cervicalgia, myofascial pain syndromes), peripheral nerve blocks in major ambulatory surgery, and neuromodulation techniques developed at the Pain Unit of Hospital Montserrat. This line builds directly on the group's recent work on myofascial trigger-point infiltration recognised by the Premi Fernando Vidal 2025.
- Line 3 - Patient safety and clinical simulation. Continuity and expansion of the HUAV-UdL clinical simulation programme directed by Dr. Sistac Ballarín, with research on the impact of structured simulation training on adverse-event prevention (medication errors, local anaesthetic systemic toxicity, difficult airway management). A specific sub-line will assess anxiety levels in ICS healthcare workers participating in simulation training, using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in a pre-/post-intervention design. Collaboration with the obstetric simulation school is foreseen.
- Line 4 - Doctoral training and consolidation of the research career. Co-supervision of the doctoral thesis of Adriana M. Buriticá Aguirre within the UdL PhD programme in Health Sciences, progressive incorporation of additiona staff anaesthesiologists into structured research activity through IRBLleida, and PhD attainment for group members who have not yet completed doctoral training. In the process of starting; Solé. Ruiz y Lahoz.
- Line 5 - Competitive funding capture. Application to competitive calls during the triennium, including the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII - Acción Estratégica en Salud / FIS), Marató de TV3, scientific society grants (SEDAR, SED) and translational partnerships, with the objective of securing active competitive funding for the group.
- Line 6 - Scientific output and group positioning. Sustained dissemination of the group's research through peer-reviewed publication and presence at national and international scientific meetings (SEDAR, SED, ESRA, ESAIC), with the strategic objective of consolidating the group within IRBLleida over the course of the triennium. Also coordinated by Dr. Sistac are annual exchange programs for Ecuadorian postgraduate students from the following universities: Central University of Ecuador, Catholic University of Ecuador, and Indoamerica University in Quito.
