Name: Northwestern Medicine International Spine Symposium
Start: 2026-05-08
End: 2026-05-08
Location: Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile

OVERVIEW

Northwestern Medicine International Spine Symposium is organized by Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and will be held on May 08, 2026 at Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.

Overview:
Join us in downtown Chicago for an engaging CME program designed to elevate your expertise in spine surgery. This event brings together world-class surgeons and thought leaders to showcase the transformative power of enabling technologies—such as robotics, navigation systems, and advanced imaging—in modern surgical practice. Attendees will experience dynamic presentations and interactive discussions that highlight how these innovations are redefining precision, efficiency, and patient safety in the operating room.

Beyond technology demonstrations, this program offers a unique opportunity to connect with peers, share best practices, and gain actionable insights that can immediately enhance your clinical approach. Through real-world case studies and expert-led sessions, you will explore strategies for integrating cutting-edge tools into your workflow, improving outcomes, and staying ahead of emerging trends. Don’t miss this chance to be part of a collaborative learning experience that is shaping the future of spine surgery.

Program Objectives
After attending this educational activity, participants should be able to:

Comprehend the challenges and opportunities of enabling technology in spine surgery.
Identify procedures and techniques that can leverage enabling technology in the operating room.
Analyze how current and future innovations can impact patient care and research in spine surgery.
Integrate emerging technologies in spine surgery, including minimally invasive techniques, robotics, and AI.

AGENDA:

Friday, May 8, 2026
7:00 am	Breakfast and Registration
7:25 am	Course Directors Welcome Ali A. Baaj, MD, Nader S. Dahdaleh, MD, MS, Tyler R. Koski, MD, and Alpesh A. Patel MD, MBA
7:30 am	Is Enabling Technology Necessary for Craniovertebral Junction Surgery? Panel: Ali A. Baaj, MD, Nader S. Dahdaleh, MD, MS, and Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, MD, PhD
8:00 am	Cervical Arthroplasty: How, Why, and Why Not? Panel: Wellington K. Hsu, MD, Srikanth N. Divi, MD, and Alpesh A. Patel, MD, MBA
8:30 am	When a Cervical Degen Case is Actually Deformity Ali A. Baaj, MD
8:50 am	Cervical Laminoplasty vs Fusion: What Do the Data Show? Alpesh A. Patel, MD, MBA
9:10 am	Updates on Spinal Cord Injury: Innovative Treatments and Research Allison B. Kessler, MD, MS
9:30 am	Break
9:45 am	Thoracic Disc Disease Panel: Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, MD, PhD, Daipayan Guha, MD, PhD, Michael J. Lee, MD, and Ankit I. Mehta, MD
10:15 am	Metastatic Disease to the Spine: Evidence-Based Treatment Panel: Christopher S. Ahuja, MD, PhD, Nader S. Dahdaleh, MD, MS, and Daniel M. Sciubba, MD, MBA
10:45 am	Prehabilitation and Bone Optimization in Adult Deformity Surgery Tyler R. Koski, MD
11:05 am	Technology in Adult Degenerative Deformity Surgery Panel: Ali A. Baaj, MD, Omar Alnori, MD, Eric O. Klineberg, MD, MS, and Tyler R. Koski, MD
11:35 am	Minimally Invasive Deformity Surgery Panel: Najib El Tecle, MD, Omar Alnori, MD, Daipayan Guha, MD, PhD, Michael J. Lee, MD, and Matthew W. Colman, MD
12:05 pm	Posterior vs Anterior vs Lateral Approaches in the Lumbar Spine Panel: Ali A. Baaj, MD, Saleh S. Baeesa, MD, Avelino Parajón, MD, Ronjon Paul, MD, and Hanna Kemeny, MD, MBA
12:35 pm	Lunch Presentation: Innovation in Spine Surgery Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD
1:15 pm	Motion Preservation in the Lumbar Spine Panel: Matthew W. Colman, MD, Daipayan Guha, MD, PhD, Patrick W. Sugrue, MD, and Kevin N. Swong, MD
1:45 pm	TLIF Surgery: What it Can and Cannot Do Avelino Parajón, MD
2:05 pm	Innovations in Intradural Spine Surgery Saleh S. Baeesa, MD
2:25 pm	Break
2:40 pm	Navigation and Robotics in Spine Surgery Panel: Christopher S. Ahuja, MD, PhD, Ali A. Baaj, MD, Saleh S. Baeesa, MD, and Eric O. Klineberg, MD, MS
3:10 pm	Spine Endoscopy: Cutting Edge Indications and Techniques Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, MD, PhD
3:30 pm	AI-Driven Tools in Practice and in Surgery Panel: Najib El Tecle, MD, Daipayan Guha, MD, PhD, and Hanna Kemeny, MD, MBA
4:00 pm	Closing Remarks and Adjournment