Houston Methodist Minimally Invasive Surgery Symposium (03.18.2026-03.20.2026)

Houston, TX US
March 18, 2026 to March 20, 2026

This three-day course provides focused education in advanced foregut, hernia, and hepatopancreatobiliary surgery with an emphasis on minimally invasive and robotic techniques. The program combines expert-led didactic lectures, video-based case discussions, and hands-on procedural training. Participants will engage in evidence-based discussions on complex surgical decision-making, operative strategies, and technical nuances across foregut, abdominal wall, transplant-related, and revisional procedures. The course concludes with immersive hands-on training at MITIE, where select, invited learners will rotate through faculty-guided robotic, laparoscopic, and open surgery stations using cadaveric and simulation-based models to reinforce operative workflows and technical skills.

Course summary
Course opens: 
01/27/2026
Course expires: 
04/10/2026
Event starts: 
03/18/2026 - 7:00am CDT
Event ends: 
03/20/2026 - 4:00pm CDT
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DAY 1 - Wednesday, March 18th, 2026
TimeSessionFaculty
7:30 AMRegistration & Breakfast 
8:00 AMWelcome & IntroductionsPatrick Reardon, MD & Dr. A. Osama Gaber, MD
8:30 AMRobotic Whipple ProcedureSharona Ross, MD
9:00 AMRobotic Liver Harvest for TransplantCaroline Simon, MD
9:30 AMRobotic Distal PancreatectomySharona Ross, MD
10:00 AMDiscussion / Break 
10:30 AMEndoflip in Hiatal Hernia Repair & FundoplicationLee Morris, MD
11:00 AMLaparoscopic Treatment of MALSPatrick Reardon, MD
11:30 AMIPOM vs eTEP for Midline HerniasGabriel Arevalo, MD
12:00 PMLunch & Video Session 
1:00 PMHiatal Hernia Repair with No FundoplicationChristy Dunst, MD
1:30 PMRobotic Hiatal Hernia & Anti-refluxCaitlin Houghton, MD
2:00 PMReproducible Techniques for FundoplicationSumeet Mittal, MD
2:30 PMNon-hiatal Diaphragmatic HerniasPatrick Reardon, MD
3:00 PMDiscussion / Break 
3:30 PMVideo Session 
4:00 PMAdjourn 
DAY 2 - Thursday, March 19th, 2026
TimeSessionFaculty
8:30 AMCheck-In & Breakfast 
9:00 AMDealing with the Dissatisfied Patient After Anti-Reflux SurgerySumeet Mittal, MD
9:30 AMRobotic Approach to Redo Hiatal Hernias & FundoplicationCaitlin Houghton, MD
10:00 AMTIF vs Nissen Fundoplication: Randomized Trial ResultsChristy Dunst, MD
10:30 AMRobotic EsophagectomyRay Chihara, MD
11:00 AMRobotic eTEPConrad Ballecer, MD
11:30 AMDiscussion / Break 
12:00 PMLunch & Learn – Video Case DiscussionSharona Ross, MD
1:00 PMSupercharged Jejunal GraftsRay Chihara, MD
1:30 PMOpen Surgery Is Still a Cornerstone of Abdominal Wall ReconstructionTodd Heniford, MD
2:00 PMRobotic Treatment of Transplant HerniasConrad Ballecer, MD
2:30 PMLaparoscopic Repair of Lumbar HerniasPatrick Reardon, MD
3:00 PMOpen Approach to Difficult/Atypical HerniasTodd Heniford, MD
3:30 PMDiscussion / Break 
4:00 PMAdjourn 
MITIE [Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education]
6670 Bertner Ave. 2nd-floor
Houston Methodist Research Institute Building
Houston, TX 77030
United States
+1 (713) 441-7912
MITIE [Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education]
Please login or register to take this course.

For Houston Methodist Employees:

  1. If you have previously created a profile, you may proceed to register for your activity, using the information you used to set up your account/profile.
  2. If you are an employee of Houston Methodist and this is your first time accessing this site, please login by clicking the "Houston Methodist" login button. You will need to use your HM login information to get started. Once you are logged in, please complete the following to create your profile:
  • Set up an account by creating a username and password.
  • Update your profile.
  • Provide and confirm your mobile number.
  • Then proceed to register for your activity.

For Non-Houston Methodist Employees:

  1. If you have previously created a profile, you may proceed to register for your activity, by clicking the “Visitor Login” button.
  2. If you have not already done so, please create an account, by clicking the “Create New Visitor Account” button.
  • Set up an account by creating a username and password.
  • Update your profile.
  • Provide and confirm your mobile number.
  • Then proceed to register for your activity.

[You do not have to set up an account profile to attend the activity. However, it is highly recommended that you create a profile in case you need to keep track of your educational history, while attending activities at MITIE or Houston Methodist.]