30th Annual Max R. Gaspar, MD Symposium

30th Annual Max R. Gaspar, MD Symposium is organized by Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) and will be held on Sep 10, 2026 at The Westin Pasadena, Pasadena, California, United States of America.

Description:
Every year the Gaspar Symposium explores a different topic, one chosen to be of interest to medical professionals at every level.

This year, the topic is "30 Years of Vascular Surgery in Southern California." Sukgu Han, MD, chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery, and Kenneth R. Ziegler, MD, chief of Vascular Surgery at Los Angeles General Medical Center, will kick off the conference with a tribute to Dr. Gaspar, who served as an attending surgeon at Los Angeles County Hospital for more than 50 years, and as a Senior Vascular Attending Surgeon for more than 25 years.

Drs. Ziegler and Han will moderate four sessions through the day that will delve into the history of vascular surgery over the last three decades, the impact of this history on our modern day practice, with an eye on how we will take these lessons into the next three decades. We will be highlighting the pivotal role of our institutions here in the development of modern vascular surgical practice. In this structure will be special sessions focused on transitioning phases of a surgeon's career over decades. The first half of the day will conclude with a lecture from Gaspar Visiting Professor Fred Weaver, MD, previous Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery at the University of Southern California.

Contributing speakers include the faculty of the Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and guest speakers from a wide cross-section of disciplines and institutions.

The program is presented by Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy in concert with the USC Office of Continuing Medical Education, and participants.

Objectives:
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

1. Discuss the fundamental changes and improvements in the treatment of carotid artery stenosis, including outcomes of major clinical trials over the last 30 years
2. Assess personal competence in the delivery of surgical and interventional treatment in the care of peripheral artery disease, with an eye on reducing high-level amputations.
3. Identify systems level, practice level, and personal level barriers in the establishment of vascular surgery practices in the community and academic settings.
4. Incorporate decision-making best practices in the treatment of complex aortopathy and vascular trauma in personal practice settings, including partnership opportunities for specialized care.