About Us
Promoting Excellence
The European Society for the Peri-operative Care of the Obese Patient (ESPCOP) aims to promote excellence in all aspects of the management of the surgical patient with obesity.
ESPCOP is a sub-society of the ESAIC
ESPCOP is a sub-society of the ESAIC and we are grateful for the support offered by the ESAIC to organize sessions, workshops and pre-congress events.
International Experts
ESPCOP organises two pre-congress events at Euroanaesthesia every year: International experts teach on the Key Issues daytime course, then discuss controversies and best practice at the evening Research Forum.
Member Exclusive Educational Materials
ESPCOP members have access to a regularly changing library of short videos created by leading experts around the world.
Upcoming Events
ESPCOP
Winter Scientific Meeting 2024
Current challenges in Obesity Anaesthesia
- a synthesis of evidence and clinical experience
19th of December
Online (Zoom)
Activities & Membership
Meet the Committee
Luc De Baerdemaeker
President
Luc is President of ESPCOP, director of anaesthesia at the University Hospital Gent and an expert in Anaesthesia for Bariatric and Liver Surgery. His PhD was in the field of pharmacokinetics in obese patients. His excellent english and dry humour have made him a highly sought-after speaker at international conferences.
Michael Margarson
Vice-President
​Mike trained in London, Oxford, Munich and Sydney, is Vice-President of ESPCOP and a founding member of SOBA-UK. He was a long-term consultant in Anaesthesia & Intensive Care in Chichester, UK, but is currently taking a break and working in Hobart, Tasmania (loving it). His MD was in microvascular permeability and recent interests have focussed on Airways and Sleep Apnoea in Severe Obesity. He has co-ordinated the Key Issues in Obesity Anaesthesia course in seven countries - so far.
Sarah Saxena
Board Member
​Sarah is an anaesthesiology specialist from Brugge, Belgium, with academic links to the Université Libre de Bruxelles. Her PhD and primary research interests were in peri-operative neurocognitive decline, and she already has more than twenty publications to her name. On a personal level, Sarah is actively involved in improving equity, diversity, and inclusion in anesthesiology.
Educational Materials
ESPCOP members have access to a regularly changing library of short videos created by leading experts around the world.