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Forward2027 Annual International MIS and Surgical Innovation in Infants & Children Conference
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.
All agenda session times are listed in Mountain Standard Time (MST)
Day 1
Day 1, Sunday, January 10, 2027
| TIMES | AGENDA | EVENT/TOPIC | SPEAKER(S) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Arrivals & Registration | ||
| 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm | Sunday Afternoon Pre-Session | AI for Dummies | Todd Ponsky MD, FACS |
| 4:00 pm - 6:30 pm | Sunday Evening Session | 1 Abstracts / Keynote Session | Welcome | Steven Rothenberg, MD |
| Integrating Artificial Intelligence in Pediatric Surgical Practice: Improving Family Education, Team Coordination, and Quality of Care | Jorge Colin, MD | ||
| Laparoscopic Diaphragmatic Pacemaker Placement in Children | Paula Castro, MD | ||
| Evaluation of a Miniaturized Endoscopic Camera for Neonatal Minimally Invasive Surgery Simulation | Ines Lariguet, MD | ||
| Development of a Pediatric Robotic Training Curriculum Using the MT-Box Simulator | Mariano Bosich, MD | ||
| Is There a Limit for Minimally Invasive Surgery in the Treatment of Thoracic Neurogenic Tumors in Children? | Ulgen Celtik, MD | ||
| Initial Outcomes of Pediatric Pilonidal Sinus Treatment: Open Surgery Compared to P.E.P. | Soledad Heredia, MD | ||
| 5:15 pm - 5:25 pm | Break | Training The World, The IRCAD Experience, Lessons Learned | Arnaud Bonnard, MD, PhD |
| Entrustable Professional Activities: What does this mean to pediatric surgeons? | Harold "Bo" N. Lovvorn, III, MD, FACS, FAAP | ||
| Fifty five years of Tech transfer at Stanford: Scorecard | Tom Krummel, MD | ||
| Q&A | Panel | ||
| 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm | Dinner on Own |
Day 2
Day 2, Monday, January 11, 2027
| TIMES | AGENDA | EVENT/TOPIC | SPEAKER(S) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 am - 7:00 am | Breakfast | ||
| 7:00 am - 9:00 am | Monday Morning Session | 2 | Update On Pediatric Gynecology/Urology | Panel |
| Anorectal Malformations: From Above or Below? | Maria Marcela Baiez, MD, PhD | ||
| Cecostomy vs Appendicostomy vs Enema | Rebecca Rentea, MD, MS, MBA, FAAP, FACS | ||
| Sigmoid Resection For Chronic Constipation: Aggressive or Underused | Rebecca Rentea, MD, MS, MBA, FAAP, FACS | ||
| Pull Through For Hirschsprung’s Disease: Lap vs Transanal. Is There Really a Debate? | Maria Marcela Baiez MD, PhD; Belinda Hsi Dickie, MD PhD Harold "Bo" N. Lovvorn, III, MD, FACS, FAAP Rebecca Rentea MD, MS, MBA, FAAP, FACS | ||
| 8:00 am - 8:10 am | Break | Laparoscopic Approaches to Cloaca and Mullein Ducts | Belinda Hsi Dickie, MD, PhD |
| Ovarian Sparing Surgery | Harold "Bo" N. Lovvorn, III, MD, FACS, FAAP | ||
| Urology Update | Philipp Szavay MD, PhD | ||
| 9:00 am - 12:30 pm | Break & Lunch on Own | ||
| 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm | Monday Afternoon Session | 3 | Hands-on Lab | Karen Diefenbach, MD; Saundra Kay, MD; Kristin E. Shipman, MD; Bethany Slater, MD |
| 3:30 pm - 4:00 pm | Break | ||
| 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Monday Afternoon Session | 4 | Sim Training | Panel |
| Housekeeping | Steven Rothenberg MD | ||
| How To Make High-Performance Training Possible In Institutions with Residents and Fellows | Maria Marcela Baiez, MD, PhD | ||
| Bridge The Gap In Clinical Approach and Continuous Medical Education to All Staff Members and Surgeons In Training Simultaneously | Maria Marcela Baiez, MD, PhD | ||
| The Cardio-Pectus and Cryoanalgesia Simulators - 100% Synthetic | Carolina Millan, MD | ||
| Making The Best High-Def Models. Do The Skills Translate? | Karen Diefenbach, MD | ||
| 5:00 pm - 5:10 pm | Break | Pre-Operative Planning: Do Models Help | Kathy Barsnes MD, MS, MBA; Samir Pandya, MD |
| How To Set Up a Training/ Sim Center | Karen Diefenbach, MD | ||
| Global Simulation Experience | Maria Marcela Baiez, MD, PhD | ||
| Q&A | Panel | ||
| 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm | Opening Reception, Dinner on Own |
Day 3
Day 3, Tuesday, January 12, 2027
| TIMES | AGENDA | EVENT/TOPIC | SPEAKER(S) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 am - 7:00 am | Breakfast | ||
| 7:00 am - 9:00 am | Tuesday Morning Session | 5 | Robotics | Panel |
| Current Status of Robotics Around the World | Yury Koslov, MD, PhD | ||
| How Do We Train Residents, Or Older Surgeons On The Robot | Arnaud Bonnard, MD, PhD; Marc P. Michalsky, MD, MBA | ||
| 7:45 am - 7:55 am | Break | Developing a Pediatric Robotic Surgery Curriculum and Pediatric Robotic Surgery Research Consortium | Irving Zamora, MD, MPH |
| Advanced Thoracoscopic Robotic Procedures | Arnaud Bonnard, MD, PhD | ||
| Complex Robotic Thoracic Cases Part 2 | Irving Zamora, MD, MPH | ||
| Initial Experience with a 5 and 3mm Platform | Kristin E. Shipman, MD | ||
| Robotics in Ped Surgery : Yes/No/ Maybe! | Steven Rothenberg, MD & Panel | ||
| 9:00 am - 4:00 pm | Break & Lunch on Own | ||
| 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm | Tuesday Afternoon Session | 6 New Realities of Advanced Pediatric Care | Will The Changes in Medicaid Change Everything? | Shawn St. Peter, MD; Daniel J. Ostlie, MD; Thomas Inge, MD, PhD |
| Contemporary Outcomes of Lap Hernia | Benjamin E. Padilla, MD | ||
| Congenital Lung Lesions, Current State of the Art | Steven Rothenberg, MD | ||
| Does/Should Tumor Biology Affect the Procedure We Do? | Kathy Barsnes, MD, MS, MBA | ||
| 5:00 pm - 5:10 pm | Break | Complex Segmentectomy, Anatomic Considerations, Should We Or Should We Not? | Arnaud Bonnard, MD, PhD |
| How Do We Train Residents to Do Complex Lung Surgery? | Shawn St. Peter, MD | ||
| Role Of Inhaled ICG and Other Advanced Imaging | Miguel Guelfand, MD | ||
| Do We Need to Know How to Sew Anymore? Magnets/Staplers/Glue? | Tom Krummel, MD | ||
| Q&A | Panel | ||
| 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm | Faculty Dinner |
Day 4
Day 4, Wednesday January 13, 2027
| TIMES | AGENDA | EVENT/TOPIC | SPEAKER(S) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 am - 9:30 am | Wednesday Morning Session | 7 | Update On AI | |
| 4th and Goal: Rethinking the Playbook for Innovation | Todd A. Ponsky, MD, FACS | ||
| What’s Beyond ICG: Advanced Imaging | Alexander Bondic, MD; Seth Goldstein, MD; Miguel Guelfand, MD; Santiago Horgan. MD; Timothy Lautz, MD; Philipp Szavay, MD, PhD | ||
| 8:00 am - 8:10 am | Break | Use of a spatial computing device to create a virtual 3D 4K monitor, for performing laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures | Pat Reardon, MD |
| My Coolest Case of the Last 12 Months | All Faculty | ||
| 9:30 am - 11:30 am | Departures |
Course Faculty
Maria Marcela Bailez, MD
Speaker
Honorary Consultant Garrahan Children’s Hospital,
Chief of Pediatric Surgery,
Guemes Foundation,
University of Buenos Aires
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
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
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
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
Mark Davenport, ChM, FRCS
Speaker
Kings College London,
Professorial Chair in Paediatric Surgery,
Editor of the Journal of Pediatric Surgery
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
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
Aaron Garrison, MD
Speaker
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital / University of Cincinnati,
Associate Program Director of Cincinnati Children’s Pediatric Surgery Fellowship
Cecilia Gigena Heitsman, MD
Speaker
Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY,
Academic Coordinator and MIS Instructor at WeTrain
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
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
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
Sundeep G. Keswani, MD. MBA, FACS
Speaker
Professor of Surgery (Tenured),
Associate Surgeon-in-Chief,
Clayton Endowed Chair in Surgical Research,
Attending Fetal Surgeon
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
Timothy Lee, MD
Speaker
William Pokorny Endowed Professor,
Chief of Pediatric Surgery,
Texas Children’s Hospital,
Baylor College of Medicine
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
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
Marc Michalsky, MD, MBA
Speaker
Nationwide Children's Hospital,
Professor of Clinical Surgery and Pediatrics,
Vice Chair, Strategic Operations - Department of Pediatric Surgery,
Vice Chair, Strategic Operations - Department of Pediatric Surgery,
Director, Center For Robotic Surgery
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)
Todd Ponsky, MD, FACS
Speaker
Chief Innovation Officer,
Professor of Surgery/Pediatric Surgery,
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital,
University of Cincinnati
Rebecca M. Rentea, MD, MS, MBA, FACS, FAAP
Speaker
Section Chief, Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery;
Medical Director, Colorectal Surgery and the Comprehensive Colorectal Center;
Program Director, Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Program,
Professor of Surgery,
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine
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
Nate Rubalcava, MD
Speaker
Rocky Mountain Pediatric Surgery,
HCA HealthOne Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children
Bethany Slater, MD, MBA
Speaker
Division Chief of Pediatric Surgery,
Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital,
Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics,
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Shawn St. Peter, MD
Speaker
Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Senior Vice President and Chair, Department of Surgery
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
James Wall, MD
Speaker
Stanford Health Care,
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health,
Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery and Bioengineering
Kenneth KY Wong, MBChB(Edin), PhD(Lond), FRCSEd(Paed), FHKAM(Surgery)
Speaker
Li Shu-Pui Professor in Surgery Chief,
Division of Paediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery,
The University of Hong Kong,
Honorary Consultant Queen Mary Hospital,
HKU Shenzhen Hospital, & Hong Kong Children’s Hospital,
Editor-in-Chief Journal of Paediatric Surgery Open,
Past President Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons,
Past President Asian Association of Pediatric Surgeons
Richard Wood, MBChB, FCPS(SA)
Speaker
Chief, Department of Pediatric Colorectal & Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery,
Nationwide Children's Hospital
Mark Wulkan, MD
Speaker
Surgeon in Chief, Chief, General Pediatric Surgery,
Egleston Hospital
Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery,
Emory Children’s Center,
Emory University School of Medicine, Professor of Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics,
Emory Children’s Center, Emory University School of Medicine
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
Two-Part Registration Instruction Process:
Thank you for your interest in attending the 2026 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.
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:
- Participate in the activity.
- Mark your attendance via SMS code.
- 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:
| Recommended Desktop Parameters | 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 |
| Recommended Mobile Parameters | 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 |
If you encounter any issues while accessing our courses, please contact [email protected]