Pituitary Endonasal endoscopy illustration

Pacific Rim Master Class 2025

Pacific Rim Master Class in Endoscopic Endonasal and Keyhole Surgery

FOR BRAIN, SKULL BASE AND PITUITARY TUMORS WITH HANDS-ON MICRODISSECTION
A collaboration between University of Colorado & Pacific Neuroscience Institute

March 28-30th, 2025 | 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 judgement
  • 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

$1,500 individual

  • Didactic & hands-on

Free for residents / fellows

$500 observers / didactic only

 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.

Course Directors

Pacific Neuroscience Institute

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

Walavan Sivakumar, MD
Director, Neurovascular Surgery
Director, Neurosurgery PNI South Bay

Alex Solomon, MD
Neuro-ophthalmology

Noa Tal, MD
Endocrinology

Andrew Wong, MD
Neurosurgery Fellow 2024-25

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

Ash Khanwalkar, 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

Visiting Faculty

In alphabetical order by last name


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

Gabriel Zada, MD
Director, USC Brain Tumor Center
Professor of Neurological Surgery (Clinical Sch)
Otolaryngology and Internal Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC
Co-Director, USC Pituitary Center
Los Angeles, CA

Course Overview

Friday, March 28th
12 – 5pm – Live surgery, short lectures, and evening reception

Saturday, March 29th
All-day lectures & dissection & course dinner

Sunday, March 30th
All-day lectures & dissection
6pm – Adjourn


For more information, please contact: Delbar Ehfad