2027 Annual International MIS and Surgical Innovation in Infants & Children Conference

Vail, CO US
January 10, 2027 to January 13, 2027

IN-PERSON ONLY - Two Part Registration Required

The 19th annual International MIS and Innovation Conference has been planned and designed for Pediatric Surgeons and Allied Healthcare Personnel who are involved in the advanced surgical care of infants and children. The objectives of the course are to discuss the latest breakthroughs in the care of the fetus, neonates, infants and children using MIS techniques and innovation. This conference will address crucial professional practice gaps in minimally invasive, robotic, and endoscopic surgical techniques within pediatric care.

Target Audience

The target audience for this symposium includes Minimally Invasive Surgeons and Surgeons in Training, Internists, Primary Care Physicians and other Physicians who care for patients requiring surgery.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:

  • Describe the latest developments in minimally invasive surgery
  • Evaluate new technology in minimally invasive surgery and compare to current standards
  • Identify the risks and benefits of minimally invasive therapeutics for patients.

Course summary

Available credit: 
  • 15.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    HCA Healthcare Continental Division is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

    HCA Healthcare Continental Division designates this for a maximum of 15.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • 15.50 Attendance
Course opens: 
06/19/2026
Course expires: 
06/30/2027
Event starts: 
01/10/2027 - 2:30pm MST
Event ends: 
01/13/2027 - 12:00pm MST
Add to calendar: 
The Hythe, Vail, CO

All agenda session times are listed in Mountain Standard Time (MST)

Day 1

Day 1, Sunday, January 10, 2027

TIMESAGENDAEVENT/TOPICSPEAKER(S)
12:00 pm - 7:00 pmArrivals & Registration  
1:30 pm - 3:30 pmSunday Afternoon Pre-SessionAI for Dummies Part 2Todd Ponsky MD, FACS
4:00 pm - 7:00 pmSunday Evening Session | 1
Abstracts / Keynote Session		Welcome & Opening RemarksSteven Rothenberg, MD
  Resident Papers (8 Speakers)
  Panel - Update on Advanced Training in Resource Challenged CountriesCarolina Millán, MD; Maria Marcela Baiez, MD, PhD; Cecilia Gigena Heitsman, MD
5:45 pm - 6:00 pmBreak  
 Dinner on Own  

Day 2

Day 2, Monday, January 11, 2027

TIMESAGENDAEVENT/TOPICSPEAKER(S)
7:00 am - 8:00 amBreakfast  
7:00 am - 8:00 amMonday Morning Session | 2MIS in Trauma Harold "Bo" N. Lovvorn, III, MD, FACS, FAAP; Bethany Slater, MD, MBA; Mark Wulkan, MD
  Laparoscopic Evaluation as a Primary Screening Tool- TBA
  Management of Solid Organ Injury Laparoscopically- TBA
  Management of Penetrating Trauma - TBA
7:45 am - 8:00 amBreak  
  Making the Best High-Def Models. Do The Skills Translate?Karen Diefenbach, MD
  How To Set Up a Training / Sim CenterKaren Diefenbach, MD
  What's New in Colorectal Surgery Richard Wood, MD
12:30 am - 3:30 pmHands-on Lab Karen Diefenbach, MD; Katherine Barsness, MD, MS, MBA; Aaron Garrison, MD; Saundra Kay, MD
4:00 pm - 7:00 pmMonday Afternoon Session | 3Liver / Biliary- Panel
  How I Do a Laparoscopic KasaiMark Davenport
  Biliary Atresia in Asia: Is it Different? Kenneth KY Wong, PhD, FRCSEd, FHKAM
  Update on Liver Reactions; Advanced Imaging and 3D ModelsAlexander Bondoc, MD
  Update on Portal Venous ReconstructionDavid F. Grabski, MD, PhD
5:30 pm - 5:45 pmBreak  
  Thoracic / Chest - Panel
  Cardio Pectus and The Birth of a New SpecialtyMarcelo Martinez-Ferro, MD
  The Sandwich Technique and Hybrid Techniques for the Correction of Complex Chest Wall Deformities Marcelo Martinez-Ferro, MD
  New Minimally Invasive Approaches to Breast CancerPaula Escobar, MD
  Do We Need to Re-evaluate How We Use Chest TubesNate Rubalcava, MD
7:00 pm - 9:00 pmOpening Reception, Dinner on Own  

Day 3

Day 3, Tuesday, January 12, 2027

TIMESAGENDAEVENT/TOPICSPEAKER(S)
7:00 am - 8:00 amBreakfast  
7:00 am - 9:15 amTuesday Morning Session | 4Update on Fetal Surgery: Myelomenigocele, Tracheal Occlusion, Gastroschesis & MoreSundeep Keswani, MD; Timothy Lee, MD
  Updates on the Fetal Repair of Gastroschisis TrialSundeep Keswani, MD
8:00 am - 8:15 amBreak  
  Advanced Imaging in Cancer CareTimothy Lautz, MD
  Broadband Optical Spectroscopy for Evaluation and Diagnosis of NEC in the NewbornSeth Goldstein, MD, Mphil
  Update on Bariatric SurgeryThomas Inge, MD, PhD; Marc Michalsky, MD, MBA; Jason D. Fraser, MD, MHM
9:15 am - 4:00 pmBreak & Lunch on Own & Labs  
4:00 pm - 7:00 pmTuesday Afternoon Session | 5  
  Gastroesophageal Reflux "Why Has the Fundo Gotten Such a Bad Wrap"?Steven Rothenberg, MD
  GERD; The Current Thoughts on Medical Management and TreatmentTim Hadley, DO
  The KC Experience Shawn St. Peter, MD
  The Denver Experience Steven Rothenberg, MD
  The European ExperienceArnaud Bonnard, MD, PhD
5:15 pm - 5:30 pmBreak  
  The Aerodigestive Team: Does It Make a Difference?Shawn St. Peter, MD; Tim Hadley, DO; Daniel Ostlie, MD
  Advanced Imaging ICG and BeyondMiguel Guelfand, MD; Philipp Szavay, MD, PhD; Timothy Lautz, MD; Seth Goldstien, MD, MPhil; Santiago Horan, MD
7:00 pm - 9:30 pmDinner  

Day 4

Day 4, Wednesday January 13, 2027

TIMESAGENDAEVENT/TOPICSPEAKER(S)
7:00 am - 8:00 amBreakfast  
8:00 am - 10:00 amWednesday Morning Session | 6  
  Robotics UpdateKaren Diefenbach, MD; Marc Michalsky, MD, MBA; James Wall, MD
  Advanced Thoracoscopic Robotic ProceduresArnaud Bonnard, MD, PhD
  Update on VBTJaren Riley, MD
  How Can The General Surgeon HelpNate Rubalcava, MD
9:05 am - 9:15 amBreak  
  Building a New Children's Hospital: Dream Come True or NightmarePhilipp Szavay MD, PhD
  Starting a New Children's HospitalMatias Bruzoni, MD, FACS
  Closing RemarksSteven Rothenberg, MD
10:00 am - 11:00 amDepartures  
The Hythe
715 W. Lionshead Cir
Vail, CO 81657
United States

Course Faculty

Portrait of Maria Marcela Bailez, MD

Maria Marcela Bailez, MD

Speaker

Honorary Consultant Garrahan Children’s Hospital,
Chief of Pediatric Surgery,
Guemes Foundation,
University of Buenos Aires

Portrait of Katherine A. Barsness, MD, MBA, MS

Katherine A. Barsness, MD, MBA, MS

Speaker

Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery,
Baylor College of Medicine,
and the Chair of Pediatric Surgery at CHRISTUS Children’s in San Antonio, Texas

Portrait of Alexander Bondoc, MD

Alexander Bondoc, MD

Speaker

Pediatric Surgeon,
Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery,
Associate Professor of Clinical-Affiliate,
Surgery | College of Medicine Cincinnati Children’s Hospital / University of Cincinnati

Portrait of Arnaud Bonnard, MD, PhD

Arnaud Bonnard, MD, PhD

Speaker

University Professor, Hospital Chief of Surgery,
Chief of the General and Urology Pediatric Surgery Department
Hopital Robert Debré in Pediatric Surgery,
Director of Pediatric Courses IRCAD

Portrait of Matias Bruzoni, MD, FACS

Matias Bruzoni, MD, FACS

Speaker

Chief of Surgery,
Texas Children’s Hospital Austin,
Professor of Surgery,
Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery,
Baylor College of Medicine

Portrait of Mark Davenport, ChM, FRCS

Mark Davenport, ChM, FRCS

Speaker

Kings College London,
Professorial Chair in Paediatric Surgery,
Editor of the Journal of Pediatric Surgery

Portrait of Karen Diefenbach, MD, FACS, FAAP

Karen Diefenbach, MD, FACS, FAAP

Speaker

Nationwide Children's Hospital,
Director of The Hands-On Lab,
Director for Minimally Invasive Surgery at Nationwide Children's Hospital,
Associate Professor in the Division of Pediatric Surgery at The Ohio State University College of Medicine

Portrait of Paula Escobar, MD

Paula Escobar, MD

Speaker

Cleveland Clinic,
Breast Surgical Oncology,
Breast Surgery

Portrait of Jason D. Fraser, MD, FACS, FAAP

Jason D. Fraser, MD, FACS, FAAP

Speaker

Division Chief of Pediatric Surgery at Phoenix Children’s,
Professor at Mayo Clinic Arizona,
Creighton University School of Medicine and University of Arizona College of Medicine — Phoenix

Portrait of Aaron Garrison, MD

Aaron Garrison, MD

Speaker

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital / University of Cincinnati,
Associate Program Director of Cincinnati Children’s Pediatric Surgery Fellowship

Portrait of Cecilia Gigena Heitsman, MD

Cecilia Gigena Heitsman, MD

Speaker

Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY,
Academic Coordinator and MIS Instructor at WeTrain

Portrait of Seth D. Goldstein, MD, Mphil

Seth D. Goldstein, MD, Mphil

Speaker

Attending Physician, Pediatric Surgery;
Director, Surgical Simulation Program;
Program Director, Fellowship in Pediatric Surgery Associate Professor of Surgery (Pediatric General Surgery),
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Portrait of David Grabski, MD, PhD

David Grabski, MD, PhD

Speaker

Attending Physician,
Pediatric Surgery. Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Portrait of Miguel Guelfand, MD, FACS

Miguel Guelfand, MD, FACS

Speaker

Section Head,
Pediatric General & Thoracic Surgery

Portrait of Tim Hadley, DO, MPH

Tim Hadley, DO, MPH

Speaker

HealthOne Rocky Mountain Children's

Portrait of Santiago Horgan, MD, FACS

Santiago Horgan, MD, FACS

Speaker

UC San Diego School of Medicine,
Vice President Medical and Surgical Advancement,
Vice President Medical and Surgical Advancement Stryker Endoscopy,
Vice Chair, Business Development, Department of Surgery,
Director, Bariatric and Metabolic Institute,
Director, Center for the Future of Surgery

Portrait of Thomas Inge, MD, PhD, FACS, FAAP

Thomas Inge, MD, PhD, FACS, FAAP

Speaker

Surgeon-in-Chief and Chair, Department of Surgery,
Lydia J. Fredrickson Board Designated Professorship in Pediatric Surgery,
Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago,
Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics,
Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine

Portrait of Saundra Kay, MD

Saundra Kay, MD

Speaker

Rocky Mountain Pediatric Surgery,
Harvard Medical School Pediatric Surgery

Portrait of Sundeep G. Keswani, MD. MBA, FACS

Sundeep G. Keswani, MD. MBA, FACS

Speaker

Professor of Surgery (Tenured),
Associate Surgeon-in-Chief,
Clayton Endowed Chair in Surgical Research,
Attending Fetal Surgeon

Portrait of Timothy Lautz, MD

Timothy Lautz, MD

Speaker

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago,
Attending Physician, Pediatric Surgery;
Director, Surgical Oncology;
Vice Chair, Clinical Operations, Department of Surgery,
Associate Professor of Surgery,
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Portrait of Timothy Lee, MD

Timothy Lee, MD

Speaker

William Pokorny Endowed Professor,
Chief of Pediatric Surgery,
Texas Children’s Hospital,
Baylor College of Medicine

Portrait of Harold 'Bo' N. Lovvorn, III, MD, FACS, FAAP

Harold "Bo" N. Lovvorn, III, MD, FACS, FAAP

Speaker

Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt,
Professor of Pediatric Surgery,
Program Director,
Pediatric Surgery Residency,
Medical Director,
Pediatric Trauma Program

Portrait of Marcelo Martinez-Ferro, MD

Marcelo Martinez-Ferro, MD

Speaker

Fundacion Hospitalaria Children´s Hospital,
Buenos Aires Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics,
Chief Division of Pediatric Surgery, Fundacion Hospitalaria Children´s Hospital,
Buenos Aires

Portrait of Marc Michalsky, MD, MBA

Marc Michalsky, MD, MBA

Speaker

Surgical Director
Center for Healthy Weight & Nutrition and Director
Center for Robotic Surgery - Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Professor of Clinical Surgery and Pediatrics
The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio

Portrait of Carolina Millán, MD

Carolina Millán, MD

Speaker

Pediatric Surgeon, Chief of Pediatric Surgery and Surgical Services,
Fundación Hospitalaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina;
President-Elect, International Pediatric Endosurgery Group (IPEG)

Portrait of Daniel J. Ostlie, MD

Daniel J. Ostlie, MD

Speaker

Cincinnati Children’s Surgeon in Chief and Senior VP of Surgical

Portrait of Todd Ponsky, MD, FACS

Todd Ponsky, MD, FACS

Speaker

Chief Innovation Officer,
Professor of Surgery/Pediatric Surgery,
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital,
University of Cincinnati

Portrait of Jaren Riley, MD

Jaren Riley, MD

Speaker

Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery
OrthoONE

Portrait of Steven S. Rothenberg, MD

Steven S. Rothenberg, MD

Course Director & Founder

Chief of Pediatric Surgery,
HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children,
Rocky Mountain Pediatric Surgery Denver, CO,
Clinical Professor of Surgery,
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

Portrait of Nate Rubalcava, MD

Nate Rubalcava, MD

Speaker

Rocky Mountain Pediatric Surgery,
HCA HealthOne Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children

Portrait of Bethany Slater, MD, MBA

Bethany Slater, MD, MBA

Speaker

Division Chief of Pediatric Surgery,
Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital in New York

Portrait of Shawn St. Peter, MD

Shawn St. Peter, MD

Speaker

Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Senior Vice President and Chair, Department of Surgery

Portrait of Philipp O. Szavay, MD, FACS

Philipp O. Szavay, MD, FACS

Speaker

Professor of Pediatric Surgery, Head, Surgeon-in-Chief,
Dept. of Pediatric Surgery,
Past President IPEG I Vice President Swiss Society of Pediatric Surgery,
Children's Hospital Central Switzerland &
Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine,
University of Lucerne

Portrait of James Wall, MD

James Wall, MD

Speaker

Stanford Health Care,
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health,
Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery and Bioengineering

Portrait of Kenneth KY Wong, MBChB(Edin), PhD(Lond), FRCSEd(Paed), FHKAM(Surgery)

Kenneth KY Wong, PhD, FRCSEd, FHKAM

Speaker

Li Shu-Pui Professor in Surgery Chief
Division of Paediatric Surgery
Honorary Consultant Queen Mary Hospital
HKU Shenzhen Hospital & Hong Kong Children’s Hospital

Portrait of Richard Wood, MBChB, FCPS(SA)

Richard J. Wood, MBChB, FCPS(SA)

Speaker

Chief, Department of Pediatric Colorectal & Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery
Nationwide Children's Hospital

Portrait of Mark Wulkan, MD

Mark Wulkan, MD

Speaker

Attending Pediatric Surgeon, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Professor of Surgery, Emory University
President, Intero Health, LLC

Speaker(s)

Cecilia Gigena Heitsman, MD

has no relevant financial relationships to disclose at this time.

Belinda Hsi Dickie, MD, PhD

has no relevant financial relationships to disclose at this time.

Timothy Lautz, MD

has a financial relationship (Independent contractor) with Stryker Endoscopy;.
has a financial relationship (Grant Or Contract) with OnTarget Pharmaceuticals;.

Alexander Peters, Attending Pediatric Surgeon, Children's Hospital at Montefiore; Assistant Professor of Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

has a financial relationship (Independent contractor) with Freyja Healthcare;.

Adil Shah

has no relevant financial relationships to disclose at this time.

Richard Wood

has no relevant financial relationships to disclose at this time.

Irving Zamora, MD, MPH, FACS, FAAP

has no relevant financial relationships to disclose at this time.

Accreditation:

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). HCA Healthcare Continental Division is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians

Credit Designation:

The HCA Healthcare Continental Division designates this live activity for a maximum of 15.5 AMA PRA Category 1TM.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Commercial Support:  

This Activity was developed without support from any ineligible company.*The ACCME defines ineligible companies as those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. Note: The ACCME does not consider providers of clinical service directly to patients to be commercial interests – unless the provider of clinical services is owned, or controlled by, and ACCME defined ineligible company.

Disclosure: 

The HCA Healthcare Continental Division is committed to providing CME that is balanced, objective, and evidenced-based. In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education Standards for Integrity and Independence all parties involved in content development are required to disclose all conflicts of interest with ACCME defined ineligible companies. The HCA Healthcare Continental Division has identified, reviewed, and mitigated all conflicts of interest that speakers, authors, course directors, planners, peer reviewers, or relevant staff disclose prior to the delivery of any educational activity. All of the relevant financial relationships listed for this individual have been mitigated. None of the planners, faculty, and those in control of this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. 

Available Credit

  • 15.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    HCA Healthcare Continental Division is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

    HCA Healthcare Continental Division designates this for a maximum of 15.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • 15.50 Attendance
Please login or register to take this course.

Two-Part Registration Instruction Process: 

Thank you for your interest in attending the 2027 International MIS and Surgical Innovation Conference 

To complete your registration, please note our two-part process:

1. Register: Complete the initial CME registration through the CME portal.

2. Purchase Your Ticket: https://www.eventdesignusa.com/rsvp.html

  • Immediately after registering, use the link on the confirmation page or in your confirmation email to purchase your conference ticket and finalize your enrollment

If you have any questions, contact us at [email protected] 

 

 

Activity Credit Requirements

To earn credit for this activity, all participants must have an active CME.HealthONEcares.com account and complete the following:

  1. Participate in the activity.
  2. Mark your attendance via SMS code.
  3. Complete the Activity Evaluation.

Important: If you are seeking CME credit, please ensure your profession is accurately listed in your profile to verify your eligibility.

 

Required Hardware/software

We recommend the following hardware/software to successfully view and complete the contents of this course:

For ease of use, we strongly recommend using a desktop computer to complete this course. The following desktop web browsers are compatible with our system:

Desktop: Chrome, Internet Explorer, MS Edge, Safari

While not recommended, if you are familiar with completing courses online you may complete this course using a mobile device. For those wishing to complete this activity on Mobile, the following systems are recommended:

Apple iPhones and iPad devices on iOS 10 or later
Android phones and tablets on Android OS 4.4 or later using the supported web browsers listed above.

If you encounter any issues while accessing our courses, please contact [email protected]