Pacific Rim Master Class 2026

Overview

Pacific Rim Master Class in Endoscopic Endonasal and Keyhole Surgery

FOR BRAIN, SKULL BASE AND PITUITARY TUMORS WITH HANDS-ON MICRODISSECTION

A collaboration between Pacific Neuroscience Institute & University of Colorado

March 27-29^th, 2026 | Santa Monica, California, USA

This 3-day course experience will provide an extensive immersion in advanced endonasal and transcranial keyhole surgical techniques using didactic and anatomical lectures, cadaveric dissections, and live surgery on Day 1.

The course faculty are highly experienced and recognized world-experts in minimally invasive endoscopic and keyhole surgery.

The course emphasis will be on:

Patient and approach selection
Surgical judgment
Anatomical awareness
Technical nuances
Complication avoidance
Maintaining quality of life
Optimizing clinical outcomes

Specific approaches discussed and performed in the lab will include:

Endoscopic endonasal route including extended approach variations
Supraorbital eyebrow craniotomy
Mini-pterional craniotomy
Gravity-assisted transfalcine and transtentorial endoscopic approaches
Retromastoid route

A team approach involving neurosurgery, otolaryngology and neuro-ophthalmology will be stressed as well as collaboration with neuro-oncology, endocrinology and radiation oncology.

The course will have sessions on keyhole surgery for neurosurgeons, and endonasal approaches for ENTs/ophthalmologists.

Audience

Neurosurgeons, otolaryngologists/ENT/rhinologists, plastic surgeons, and neuroophthalmologists/ ophthalmologists with some prior experience in endoscopic and keyhole surgery who want to expand their repertoire and capabilities.

Pricing

$1,000 individual
Free for residents & fellows

CME Certification

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of AAMS and Pacific Neuroscience Institute. The AAMS is accredited by the California Medical Association (CMA) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The AAMS designates this educational activity for a maximum of 16 hour(s) AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in this live activity.

Download Agenda

Course Directors

Pacific Neuroscience Institute

Faculty Speakers

PNI Faculty

In alphabetical order by last name

Garni Barkhoudarian, MD
- Co-Director, Pituitary Disorders Center
- Director, Adult Hydrocephalus Center
- Director, Facial Pain Center
- Director, SJCI/PNI Neuroanatomy
Chester F. Griffiths, MD, FACS
- Head & Neck Surgery
- Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery
- Director, Facial Pain Center Director, Pacific
- Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center
Adi Iyer, MD, MS
- Neurosurgery & Neurointerventional Surgery
- Director, Stroke & Neurovascular Center
Daniel F. Kelly, MD
- Director, Brain Tumor Center
- Director, Pituitary Disorders Program
- Director & Co-Founder, Pacific Neuroscience Institute
Amit Kochhar, MD
- Director, Facial Nerve Disorders Program
Howard Krauss, MD
- Director, Eye, Ear & Skull Base Center
- Co-Founder, Pacific Neuroscience Institute
Brandon Liang, MD
- Neurosurgery Fellow
Walavan Sivakumar, MD
- Director, Neurovascular Surgery
- Director, Neurosurgery PNI South Bay
Alex Solomon, MD
- Neuro-ophthalmology
Noa Tal, MD
- Endocrinology
Michael Yong, MD, MPH, MBA
- Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery;
- Neurorhinology – Advanced Sinus & Skull Base Surgery
Lab Manager: Josh Emerson, BS, MFA

CU Faculty

In alphabetical order by last name

Maria Catalina Espinosa, MD
- Otolaryngology
- Head & Neck Surgery
- University of Colorado Medicine
Prem Subramanian, MD, PhD
- Chief, Neuro-ophthalmology
- UCHealth Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center
A. Samy Youssef, MD, PhD
- Director, Skull Base Surgery
- Professor of Neurosurgery & Otolaryngology
- University of Colorado Medicine

Invited Faculty

In alphabetical order by last name

Nikolai Hopf, MD
- Neurosurgeon, Endomin Center, Switzerland
Doo-Sik Kong, MD
- Samsung Medical Center
- Seoul, South Korea
Peter Nakaji, MD
- Founder and Director
- Scottsdale Neurosurgery Specialists
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Jai Thakur, MD
- Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery,
- Director of Minimally Invasive Cranial & Skull Base Neurosurgery, Director of Neurosurgery Education, University of South Alabama