Newswise — ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. (November 5, 2012) — Members of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) can now register for the organization’s 81st Annual Scientific Meeting, which will take place April 27-May 1, 2013, at New Orleans’ Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The theme of the 2013 program is “Changing Our Culture to Advance Patient Safety,” with many of the programs, presentations and other events tied into how neurosurgery can lead the way to improving patient safety.

Following up on the tremendous success of the 2012 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting in Miami — which saw more than 900 scientific abstracts and nearly 6,900 attendees — a record-breaking 1,003 scientific abstracts were submitted for the 2013 event in New Orleans. In addition to an incredible array of oral and electronic poster presentations, those attending the 2013 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting also will see several new program additions and enhancements, as well as an amazing lineup of speakers.

Author and Former CNN Chairman Walter Isaacson to Address Attendees During New Sunday Opening Ceremonies Program; “Miracle on the Hudson” Pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III Is Cushing OratorAANS is introducing an Opening Ceremonies program to the 81st AANS Annual Scientific Meeting, and attendees will see both scientific programming and unique entertainment in a different light on Sunday, April 28, 2013, at the Morial Convention Center. New Orleans native and former CNN Chairman/CEO Walter Isaacson, author of the bestselling biography “Steve Jobs,” will address attendees and discuss the impact that Jobs’ vision and ideas had on today’s society. AANS will honor former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords by presenting her the AANS Medal of Courage. Giffords’ husband, former U.S. Navy pilot and N.A.S.A. astronaut Captain Mark Kelly will accept the award on her behalf, and speak to attendees about her perseverance and resiliency, as well as the critical part that neurosurgery had in her survival. G. Michael Lemole Jr., MD, FAANS — one of the practitioners who helped save Giffords’ life — also will address the audience. The Opening Ceremonies will conclude with a performance by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, followed by a Mardi Gras-style parade to the Opening Reception, which will take place at Mardi Gras World.

During the Plenary Session taking place on Tuesday, April 30, 2012, former U.S. Air Force and US Airways Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III — who safely landed US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River following a bird strike and saved the lives of all 155 passengers onboard the aircraft — will address attendees as the Cushing Orator. Sullenberger will discuss the parallels between the airline industry and medicine in regards to improvement of safety practices, and discuss how these types of improvements can benefit industries as a whole as well as individual practitioners.

More information about the 81st AANS Annual Scientific Meeting, including new offerings and programs such as Neurosurgical Faceoffs — sessions where two neurosurgeons explore the pros and cons of a particular procedure or subject, and then debate the topic along with questions and answers from the audience — the addition of a second program utilizing 3-D video to review surgical techniques and procedures, and more is available at the 2013 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting website, which can be accessed at http://www.aans.org/Annual%20Meeting/2013/Main/Home.aspx.

AANS members can go to http://www.aans.org/Annual%20Meeting/2013/Main/Registration.aspx to sign up for the 2013 Annual Scientific Meeting, and will receive $100 off their registration fee by signing up in advance. Registration opens to AANS non-members on Nov. 19, 2012 (non-members also will receive $100 off registration fees by signing up during the advanced registration period).

Attended by neurosurgeons, neurosurgical residents, medical students, neuroscience nurses, clinical specialists, physician assistants, allied health professionals and other medical professionals, the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting is the largest gathering of neurosurgeons in the nation, with an emphasis on the field’s latest research and technological advances.

Media Representatives: If you would like to cover the meeting, have interest in a topic related to neurosurgery or would like to interview a neurosurgeon — either on-site or via telephone — please contact John Iwanski, AANS Director of Member and Public Outreach, at (847) 378-0517 or e-mail him at [email protected].

Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with nearly 8,200 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. All active members of the AANS are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system including the spinal column, spinal cord, brain and peripheral nerves. For more information, visit www.AANS.org.