TED 2026 Agenda

3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

TED Congress Registration – Royal Palms

5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Welcome Dinner – Non CME

Rise of “The Endovascular SFA Bypass”

PTAB | DETOUR

Mastro’s City Hall 
6991 E Camelback Rd 
Scottsdale AZ 85251

Moderator: Venkatesh Ramaiah, MD FACS

Panelists:

Nelson Bernardo, MD
Sonya Noor, MD
Jaafer Golzar, MD
Karthik Kasirajan, MD
Jim McKinsey, MD 

7:00 – 8:00 AM: Breakfast

Session 1

7:50 – 10:00 AM: From Procedure To Platform: How PAD Care Is Being Re-engineered To Outside the Hospital

Session Moderators: Craig Walker, MD and Sonya Noor, MD

Session Panelists: Nilesh Balar MD, Krishna Jain MD, Georges Nseir MD, Chris Kwolek MD, Eric Dippel MD

8:00 – 8:10 AM

• Introduction to TED – Course Directors’ Message – Venkatesh Ramaiah, MD

8:10 – 8:18 AM

• Historical Perspective and Current Status of Peripheral Interventions: “Outpatient Endovascular 2.0: Building a ‘Smart OBL’ With Real-Time Safety, Cost, and Outcome Dashboards”
• Speaker: Craig Walker, MD

8:18 – 8:26 AM

• Wound Care in PAD: Is this the Domain of Vascular Surgeons? What are the Latest New Products and How Do We Stay Compliant?
• Speaker: Krishna Jain, MD

8:26 – 8:34 AM

• DVA: Physiology Before Plumbing: Microvascular Recruitment and Disciplined Use of DVAR in No-Option Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia, how to Avoid DVAR Storm
• Speaker: Sherif Sultan MD

8:34 – 8:42 AM

• Pedal and BTK Interventions: My choice in BTK Revascularization
• Speaker: Nelson Bernardo, MD

8:42 – 9:00 AM

• CTO Crossing in PAD: Choice of Wires and Techniques
• Speaker: Steve Henao MD

Panel Discussions: Challenging Cases

9:00 – 9:08 AM

• Case 1: Limb Salvage Case
• Speaker: Georges Nseir, MD

9:08 – 9:16 AM

• Case 2: Complex SFA CTO Cases
• Speaker: Craig Walker, MD

Debate 1:

“Is Vessel Biology Now Modifiable – or Are We Still Just Buying Time?”

9:16 – 9:24 AM

• Drug-based technologies meaningfully modify vessel biology, reducing restenosis trajectories and repeat interventions
• Speaker: Eric Dippel, MD

9:24 – 9:32 AM

• Most drug technologies delay failure without altering the underlying disease, creating false confidence and serial reintervention.
• Speaker: Nilesh Balar, MD

9:32 – 10:00 AM

• Live Case Presentation by Laiq Raja, MD

10:00 – 10:15 AM: Break

Session 2 

10:15 – 12:15 PM: PAD Is a Systems Disease: Why Revascularization Alone Is Not Enough

Session Moderators: Nelson Bernardo, MD and Chris Kwolek, MD

Session Panelists: Steve Henao MD, Eric Dippel MD, Craig Walker MD, Jaafer Golzar MD, Sonya Noor MD

10:15 – 10:23 AM

• “Choosing the First Domino: When Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease Demands Durability—and When It Doesn’t”
• “Aortoiliac disease forces us to decide not just how to revascularize – but how much failure we’re willing to accept later. This talk is about choosing the first domino wisely.”
• Speaker: Sonya Noor, MD

10:23 – 10:31 AM

• “Vascular Digital Twin for PAD: Merging LE Revascularization, Coronary Plaque Analytics, and 5-Year Survival Prediction”
• The term ‘digital twin’ is aspirational, but the underlying concept – integrating limb anatomy, coronary disease, and survival risk into a single patient-specific framework – is real, useful, and overdue in PAD care.
• Is FFRct ready to replace routine stress testing or angiography for clearance?
• Speaker: Christopher Zarins, MD

10:31 – 10:39 AM

• “How I Decide in Complex SFA Occlusions: A Practical Framework for Long Lesions and CTOs”
• Incorporating PTAB into a structured approach for complex SFA occlusions
• Speaker: Nelson Bernardo, MD

10:39 – 10:47 AM

• “When ‘Successful’ SFA Interventions Still Cost the Limb: The Role of Delayed Recognition and Response”
• We often judge success by patency, but limbs are lost when runoff quietly deteriorates after serial interventions. This talk examines where that happens – and why.
• Speaker: Jaafer Golzar, MD

10:47 – 10:55 AM

• “Vessel Preparation with Intent: Matching Atherectomy Strategy to Lesion Biology in the SFA and Popliteal Artery”
• Practical selection of atherectomy strategies based on lesion morphology, calcium burden, runoff preservation, and planned adjunctive therapy.
• Speaker: Eric Dippel, MD

10:55 – 11:03 AM

• “Beyond Permanent Metal: Do Drug-Eluting and Bioresorbable Stents Change the Future of SFA and Popliteal Intervention?”
• Examining current evidence, emerging resorbable scaffold technologies, and where temporary support may improve durability, flexibility, and long-term vessel health.
• Speaker: Craig Walker, MD

Panel Discussions: Challenging Cases

11:03 – 11:11 AM

• Case 1: PTAB Limb Salvage
• Speaker: Venkatesh Ramaiah, MD 

11:11 – 11:19 AM

• Case 2: Aortoiliac CTO Case
• Speaker: Thomas Bernik, MD

Debate 2:

“The CLTI Trial Court: What Are We Optimizing For?”

11:19 – 11:28 AM

• CLTI is a disease of biology and time.
• Procedures that fail early or require serial reintervention ultimately cost limbs and lives, making durability (bypass) the only ethically defensible benchmark.
• Speaker: Chris Kwolek, MD

11:28 – 11:36 AM

• In CLTI, the primary endpoint should be ‘time-in-therapeutic-state’ (limb perfused, wound progressing, ambulatory) – not ‘durability of the index procedure.
• Speaker: Jaafer Golzar, MD

11:36 – 12:15 PM

• Live Cases Presentations by Laiq Raja, MD and Venkatesh Ramaiah, MD

12:15 – 1:00 PM: Lunch

Session 3 

1:00 – 3:00 PM: The Ethics of Expanding Endovascular AAA Care

1:00 – 3:00 PM: The Ethics of Expanding Endovascular AAA Care

Session Moderators: Jim McKinsey, MD and Sherif Sultan, MD

Session Panelists: Karthik Kasirajan MD, Michael Stoner MD, Sonya Noor MD, Frank Criado MD, Steve Henao, MD

1:00 – 1:08 PM

• “Not All AAAs Are Equal: Matching Patients, Devices, and Aortic Centers”
• Why anatomy, device selection, and institutional experience must align for durable outcomes.
• Speaker: Steve Henao, MD

1:08 – 1:16 PM

• Patient Selection Is the Procedure: Knowing When to Proceed, When to Stop, and When to Convert in TAMBE
• Experience-based lessons on patient selection, intraoperative abort criteria, and the necessity of open rescue planning in complex aortic repair.
• Speaker: Michael Stoner, MD

1:16 – 1:24 PM

• Radiation as an Occupational Hazard: Redesigning the Cath Lab and Hybrid OR for Operator and Patient Safety
• How workflow, imaging strategy, room design, and emerging technologies are reshaping radiation protection in complex interventions.
• Speaker: David Rizik, MD

1:24 – 1:32 PM

• Redesigning Vascular Surgery for Modern Complexity
• Aligning Workforce, Training, and Technology with Reality
• Speaker: Sherif Sultan, MD

1:32 – 1:40 PM

• PMEGs in 2026: Making the Complex Reproducible
• Standardizing Planning, Documentation, and Execution – Without Crossing Regulatory Lines
• Speaker: Jim McKinsey, MD 

1:40 – 1:48 PM

• Endograft Failure Is No Longer Rare: Building an Institutional Playbook for Open Aortic Rescue
• What high-volume centers do differently when endovascular solutions are no longer viable.
• Speaker: Karthik Kasirajan, MD 

1:48 – 1:56 PM

• Faculty Discussion

Debate 3:

Current Endograft Capabilities for AAA with Short Necks

1:56 –  2:04 PM

• “Sub-Centimeter Necks Are No Longer a Contraindication”
• Expanding Endovascular indications reduces total aneurysm related mortality by treating
  patients who would otherwise remain untreated.
• Speaker: Sonya Noor, MD

2:04 – 2:12 PM

• “Sub-Centimeter Necks Are Still a Liability: Why Technique Cannot Fully Offset Hostile Aortic Biology”
• While contemporary techniques improve early seal, sub-centimeter necks remain biologically unstable over time, making late failure a structural—not technical—risk.
• Speaker: Frank Criado, MD

Panel Discussions: Challenging Cases

2:12 – 2:20 PM

• Case 1: Laser Fenestration Case
• Speaker: Karthik Kasirajan, MD 

2:20 – 2:30 PM

• Case 2: Complex Branched/Fenestration Case from Korea
• Speaker: Jangyong Kim, MD

2:30 – 3:00 PM

• Live Case Presentation by Venkatesh Ramaiah, MD from HonorHealth Osborn Hospital

3:00 – 3:15 PM: Break

Session 4 

3:15 – 5:30 PM: The Unfinished Business of Venous Disease When “Successful” Procedures Fail Patients – and How to Do Better

Session Moderators: Craig Walker, MD and Brooke Spencer, MD

Session Panelists: Vinay Kumar MD, Mohsen Sharifi MD, Ali Golshan MD, Nachiket Patel MD, Sateesh Babu MD

3:15 – 3:23 PM

• “When Iliac Stents Aren’t the Answer”
• Positive outcomes in POTS and pelvic pain are seen in young patients with iliac vein stenting: What is needed to protect young patients from stent complications.
• Speaker: Brooke Spencer, MD

3:23 – 3:31 PM

• “The Myth of the “Durable” Venouskl Stent”
• What long-term surveillance reveals after iliofemoral interventions
• Speaker: Rahul Malhotra, MD

3:31 – 3:39 PM

• Nutcracker Syndrome Beyond the CTA – Patient Selection, Timing, and When Not to Intervene.
• Nutcracker anatomy is common; true disease is not. This talk focuses on how to tell the difference.
• Speaker: Sateesh Babu, MD

3:39 – 3:57 PM

• Acute PE Thrombectomy: Who Actually Benefits -and Who Doesn’t
• Devices, trials, and real-world selection pitfalls
• Speaker: Nachiket Patel, MD

3:57 – 4:05 PM

• Why Venous Ulcers Don’t Heal
• What we miss upstream – and why local treatment keeps failing
• Speaker: Sundaram Ravikumar, MD

4:05 – 4:13 PM

• Venous Stent Migration Is Not a Freak Event
• Predictable mechanisms, preventable mistakes, and rescue strategies
• Speaker: Jangyong Kim, MD

4:13 – 4:21 PM

• Why Good Vein Procedures Still Fail Patients – Persistence, Neovascularization, and the Myth of Durable Ablation
• Hemodynamic redistribution, resistance normalization, and the limits of endovenous ablation
• Speaker: Nilesh Balar, MD

 4:21 – 4:29 PM

• Foam Is Not a Shortcut
• Where polidocanol injectable foam works, where it doesn’t, and why technique matters
• Speaker: Craig Walker, MD

4:29 – 4:37 PM

• When Innovation Waits for Authorization
• The WISeR Model, CPT 36475, and How Medicare Prior Authorization Is Reshaping Venous Ablation
• Speaker: Vinay Kumar, MD

4:37 – 4:45 PM

• Failing Dialysis Access Before It Fails, Predictive Signals We Are Ignoring
• Speaker: Sateesh Babu, MD

Panel Discussions: Challenging Cases

4:55 – 5:05 PM

• Challenging Case – Lifesaving PE Intervention
• Speaker: Nachiket Patel, MD

5:05 – 5:15 PM

• Iliofemoral and Caval DVT
• Speaker: Mohsen Sharifi, MD

END OF DAY 1: 6:00 – 9:00 PM Non CME

• 6:00 PM: SPECIAL KEYNOTE ADDRESS | Congressman David Schweikert | U.S. House of Representatives, Arizona’s 1st Congressional District | The Future of Healthcare Innovation in Arizona – Policy, Technology, and the Endovascular Frontier: A powerhouse voice on healthcare policy delivers a provocative look at where legislation, technology, and physician-led disruption collide – and what it means for the future of medicine.

•  6:30 – 9:00 PM: Gala Dinner & Lifetime Achievement Awards

7:00 – 8:00 AM: Breakfast

Session 5

7:50 – 9:30 AM: After CREST-2 – What the Data Actually Mean for Modern Carotid Practice

Session Moderators: Wei Zhou, MD and Ali AbuRahma, MD

Session Panelists: Karthik Kasirajan MD, Frank Arko MD, Zvonimir Krajcer MD, Sherif Sultan MD, and Michael Stoner MD

8:00 – 8:08 AM

• TCAR: Has This Stood the Test of Time? Long-Term Results & Implications after CREST 2
• Speaker: Michael Stoner, MD

8:08 – 8:16 AM

• CREST 2 Study: CAS and Medical Management: Is This Data Believable and Relevant?
• Speaker: Zvonimir Krajcer, MD

8:16 – 8:24 AM

• Carotid 2030 – Integrated AI/Machine Learning: Stroke Risk Scores and What is the Preferred Intervention? CEA, TCAR, or TFCAS.
• Speaker: Ali AbuRahma, MD

8:24 – 8:32 AM

• Emergency Awake CEA: Real-World Protocol for Emergency Awake CEA With Triple Neuroprotection
• Speaker: Sherif Sultan, MD

8:32 – 8:40 AM

• Value of Lithotripsy for CAS in Heavily Calcified Lesions: How to Do It Safely and Technical Tips, Limitations, and Precautions: Will “SKYWARD STUDY” Give Us the Answer
• Speaker: Frank Arko, MD

8:40 – 8:48 AM

• Integrated Embolic Protection Carotid Stent System and Update on the PERFORMANCE III Trial: Is There a Challenge to Transcarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR)?
• Speaker: Wei Zhou, MD

8:48 AM – 8:56 AM

• LDL Cholesterol (LDL-C) Lowering and Statins for Prophylaxis of Vascular Events Are Dangerous and Not Helpful: What Does the Latest Evidence Show?
• Speaker: Sherif Sultan, MD

Debate 4:

CEA vs. TCAR/CAS

8:56 – 9:04 AM

• TCAR and Stenting Are the Future – Surgery Is Obsolete.
• Speaker: Sherif Sultan, MD

9:04 – 9:12 AM

• Counter-Argument: CEA Still Reigns Supreme: TCAR and Stents Are for the Brave, Not the Wise.
• Speaker: Karthik Kasirajan, MD

Panel Discussions: Challenging Cases

9:12 – 9:20 AM

• Case 1: Percutaneous Direct Carotid Access is a Disaster Waiting to Happen Even with Closure Devices
• Speaker: Wei Zhou, MD

9:20 – 9:28 AM

• Case 2: Current Status of Zone 0 TEVAR
• Speaker: Zvonimir Krajcer, MD

9:28 – 9:35 AM

• Final Thoughts
• CREST-2: Facts, Flaws, Limitations, and Reality; The SVS Position
• Speaker: Ali AbuRahama, MD

9:35 – 10:00 AM

• Live Case Presentation by Venkatesh Ramaiah, MD from Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital

10:00 – 10:15 AM: Break

Session 6 

10:15 – 12:00 PM: The Modern Aorta: Precision, Rescue, and the Limits of Endovascular Dominance: Arch and Thoracoabdominal Disease at the Edge of Innovation

Session Moderators: Joseph Coselli, MD and Rodney White, MD

Session Panelists: Frank Criado MD, Frank Arko MD, Ourania Preventza MD, Jim McKinsey MD, Sherif Sultan MD

10:15 – 10:23 AM

• Techniques to Optimize Dissection Stent Deployment, Prevent Aortic Injury, and Promote Aortic Remodeling
• Speaker: Rodney White, MD

10:23 – 10:31 AM

• Proximal Decisions, Distal Consequences How Arch Strategy Determines Long-Term Aortic Fate
• Speaker: Ourania Preventza, MD

10:31 – 10:39 AM

• Intramural Hematoma: The Most Misunderstood Aortic Pathology
• Who benefits from TEVAR, how much coverage is enough, and when observation is safer
• Speaker: Frank Criado, MD

10:39 – 10:47 AM

• Autonomous AI Agents in Cardiovascular Surgery from Simulation to Intraoperative Guidance
• Speaker: Zain Khalpey, MD

10:47 – 10:55 AM

• The Next Generation of Arch Endografts
• What Clinical Trial Data Teach Us About Promise, Limitations, and Real-World Adoption
• Speaker: Jim McKinsey, MD

10:55 – 11:03 AM

• When the First Repair Isn’t Enough
• Rescue Strategies for Failed and Incomplete Thoracoabdominal Repairs
• Speaker: Karthik Kasirajan, MD

11:03 – 11:11 AM

• The Hybrid Aorta in 2035
• Which aortic diseases must remain surgical – and why that still matters.
• Speaker: Joseph Coselli, MD

11:11 – 11:19 AM

• Precision Aortic Care: Where AI and Multiomics Improve Decisions – and Where They Don’t
• Separating actionable insight from technological optimism
• Speaker: Sherif Sultan, MD

Debate 5:

Are We Creating an Aortic Durability Debt? Early Endovascular Arch Repair vs. Deferred Definitive Surgery

11:20 – 11:30 AM

• Short-term safety is meaningless if it creates inevitable late catastrophe. Durability debt is unethical.
• Speaker: Joseph Coselli, MD

11:30 – 11:40 AM

• Deferring intervention ignores real-world patient risk. Staged endovascular care distributes risk over time.
• Speaker: Jim McKinsey, MD

11:40 – 12:00 PM

• Live Case Presentation by Venkatesh Ramaiah, MD from Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital

12:00 – 1:00 PM: Lunch

Session 7

1:00 – 2:00 PM: Beyond the Hype: Who Truly Benefits, Who Doesn’t, and What We Still Don’t Know

GAE Summit At TED 2026 Is Genicular Artery Embolization Ready for Prime Time? What the Data Say – and What They Don’t

At TED2026, Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE) is examined as a maturing therapy that requires more than technical execution. This focused program integrates functional genicular anatomy, contemporary embolization strategies, complication avoidance, and reimbursement realities to define what responsible GAE practice looks like today. Faculty explore anatomic variants, collateral pathways, and danger zones that directly influence outcomes, alongside evolving embolic agents and technique refinement. Sessions also address mechanisms of failure, predictable complication patterns, and how patient selection and documentation impact medical necessity, prior authorization, and denial prevention as payer scrutiny increases. Through case-based discussion and expert panels, this TED2026 GAE series moves beyond procedural hype – providing attendees with the insight needed to deliver safe, durable, and defensible GAE programs.

Session Moderators: Sid Rao MD, Christopher Kwolek MD, Nick Patel MD

Session Panelists: Krishna Jain MD, Eric Dippel MD, Nelson Bernardo MD, Craig Walker MD

1:00 – 1:08 PM

• Functional Genicular Anatomy for GAE: What the Operator Must Know Before the First Particle
• Collateral Paths and Danger Zones: Functional Anatomy at the Core of Safe GAE
• Speaker: Sid Rao, MD

1:08 – 1:16 PM

• Genicular Artery Embolization: Data Driven or Sham
• Speaker: Sid Rao, MD

• Starting a GAE Practice in 2026
• Building the Right Patients, Pathways, and Paperwork Before Your First Embolization
• My journey, experience, and learning curve 
• Speaker: Sid Rao, MD

1:24 – 1:32 PM

• Modern Embolic Technology in Genicular Artery Embolization
• Current Devices, Temporary vs Permanent Occlusion, and What’s Coming Next
• Speaker: Nick Patel, MD

1:32 – 1:40 PM

• GAE Is Not a Pain Procedure: Patient Selection, Medical Necessity, and How to Avoid Authorization Failure
• Aligning biology, imaging, and documentation to meet medical-necessity thresholds and prevent payer denials
• Speaker: Christopher Kwolek, MD

1:40 – 1:48 PM

• The Clean Final Run That Led to Skin Injury
• Functional Collaterals, Periosteal Crossovers, and Why “No Blush” Is Sometimes Too Far in GAEical Integration
• Speaker: Nick Patel, MD

2:00 – 3:00 PM: Fellows Competition: Challenging Cases

Session Moderators: Craig Walker MD, Christopher Zarins MD and Joseph Coselli, MD

Session Panelists: Nilesh Balar MD, Vinay Kumar MD, Jim McKinsey MD, Frank Arko MD

A competitive, case-based session featuring vascular and endovascular fellows presenting challenging real-world cases before an expert faculty panel. Selected fellows receive complimentary TED Congress 2026 registration, industry – supported travel stipend, and formal recognition and awards. This session highlights decision-making, anatomic complexity, and complication management in contemporary endovascular practice.

Pooja Balar MS IV

Dhruv Patel MD

Inderjeet Bharaj MD

Mariah Janowski MD

Youngje Woo MD

3:00 – 3:30 PM: Break

Session 8 Non CME

3:30 – 5:00 PM: Ideas and Innovations

Session Moderators: Joseph Coselli MD, Craig Walker MD and Robert Whirley PhD

Session Panelists: Frank Arko MD, Vinay Kumar MD, Rodney White MD, Nilesh Balar MD

3:30 – 3:40 PM

• NECTERO
• Presenter: Venkatesh Ramaiah, MD

3:40 – 3:50 PM

• MAJOR MEDICAL
• Presenter: Chris Kwolek, MD

3:50 – 4:00 PM

• ARTERICA
• Presenter: Robert Whirley, PhD

4:00 – 4:10 PM

• SOLVEIN
• Presenter: Ali Golshan, MD

4:10 – 4:20 PM

• ANGIOSAFE
• Presenter: Venkatesh Ramaiah, MD

4:20 – 5:00 PM

• Winner Announcement and Closing Remarks!