2025 Canadian Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Conference
Bringing together Canadian minimally invasive cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists, and healthcare professionals to foster collaboration and learning
About the Conference
Promoting education and collaboration, our MICS conference brings together surgeons, anesthesiologists, intensivists, and trainees interested in minimally invasive cardiac surgery. This interactive conference will focus on the technical aspects of minimally invasive surgery, perioperative care, and strategies to integrate a MICS program as an important component of a comprehensive cardiac centre.
The MICS conference is supported by AHS, our industry partners, and the Libin Cardiovascular Institute.
Strong Commitment to Trainee Education
As always, the Canadian MICS Conference continues to support resident and fellow education:
- Open to cardiac surgery residents, fellows, and trainees from Canada and beyond
- Dedicated sessions for residents to present research and clinical cases, with faculty feedback
- Fellows encouraged to participate in both didactic and simulation components
Our goal is to provide an immersive experience that supports the next generation of cardiac surgeons through experiential learning, direct faculty engagement, and case-based education.
Learning Objectives
- Video-based review of the technical aspects of minimally invasive cardiac surgery
- Learning from simulation of minimally invasive techniques
- Implementation of perioperative strategies to reduce pain, facilitate early mobility, and shorten length of stay
- Case-based discussion of outcomes and experiences with minimally invasive techniques
- Establish collaborative research efforts between centers
Expanded Programming at the Canadian MICS Conference
Catheter-Based Valve Therapies
📍 Location: Holyrood Room, Malcolm Hotel, Canmore, Alberta
🕛 Date and Time: Friday, December 12,2025 from 12:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Join us for a dedicated Friday afternoon session focused on catheter-based treatments for mitral and tricuspid valve disease. This interactive, case-based session will include:
- Collaborative case presentations from experts in interventional cardiology, cardiac echocardiography, and anesthesiology
- In-depth discussion on valve implantation techniques, imaging strategies, and emerging transcatheter technologies
This session is a significant expansion of the conference and reflects our commitment to multidisciplinary learning and real-world, case-based education.
New Simulation Room: Hands-On Procedural Training
📍 Location: Holyrood Room, Malcolm Hotel, Canmore, Alberta
🕛 Date and Time: Friday, December 12,2025 from 12:00 – 4:30 p.m.
For the first time, the conference will feature a dedicated simulation room offering hands-on, proctored training across a wide range of advanced cardiac procedures to enhance technical proficiency and foster a deeper understanding of the latest innovations and procedural workflows in modern cardiac surgery and interventional therapy.
Attendees will rotate through interactive stations focused on:
- Edge-to-edge mitral repair techniques
- Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)
- Robotic and minimally invasive valve surgery
- Atrial fibrillation ablation
- ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation)
This immersive environment aims to enhance technical proficiency and foster a deeper understanding of the latest innovations and procedural workflows in modern cardiac surgery and interventional therapy.
Agenda
Friday, Dec. 12, 2025
Location: Holyrood Room, Malcolm Hotel, Canmore, Alberta
Time: Noon – 4:30 PM
| Time | Topic / Details | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM | Registration | — |
| 12:15 PM – 12:30 PM | Welcome & Opening Remarks — Overview of the day’s topics | Dr. Janine Eckstein |
| 12:30 – 12:45 | Imaging and Innovation for Valve Interventions | Dr. Matthew Cheung |
| 12:50 – 1:25 | mTEER Device Selection and Case Review: Practical Approaches for Optimal Outcomes | Dr. Rob Boone |
| 1:30 – 1:55 | Innovations in Managing Tricuspid Valve Disease: tTEER and TTVR | Dr. Anson Cheung |
| 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM | Stretch & Coffee Break — Industry Booths (Foyer & Balmoral Room) | — |
| 2:35 – 3:10 | Advanced Device Simulation for Transcatheter Therapies | Phillips |
| 3:15 – 3:35 | Session Debate: TEER vs. Minimally Invasive MVR | Dr. Max Buchko & Dr. Aly Ghoneim |
| 3:40 – 4:10 | Valve Therapies: Funding Models, Research, and Early Recovery | Panel Discussion — Moderated by Dr. Janine Eckstein |
| 4:15 – 4:30 | Closing Remarks | Dr. Janine Eckstein |
Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025
Location: Ballroom, Malcolm Hotel, Canmore, Alberta
Time: 7:00 AM - 5:15 PM
| Time | Topic / Details | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 | Breakfast and registration | |
| 8:00 | Welcome & Opening Remarks Overview of the day’s sessions | Drs. Corey Adams & William Kent |
| Session 1: | Coronary Surgery in the Minimally Invasive Era | Moderator: Dr. Bob Kiaii |
| 8:15 | How I do it – Minimally Invasive Multivessel Coronary Revascularization | Dr. Marc Ruel |
| 8:35 | The Evolution of Robotic Minimally Invasive CABG | Dr. Hasam Balkhy |
| Session 2: | Robotic Cardiac Surgery | Moderator: Dr. Denis Bouchard |
| 9:05 | Starting a Robotic Cardiac Surgery Program in Canada | Dr. Gian Bisleri |
| 9:20 | Emerging Robotic Technology | Dr. Bob Kiaii |
| 9:35 | Panel Discussion: Challenges & Opportunities in Robotic Cardiac Surgery | |
| 10:00-10:20 | Stretch & Coffee Break — Industry Booths (Foyer & Balmoral Room) | |
| Session 3: | Valve Surgery | Moderator: Dr. William Kent |
| 10:30 | The bicuspid aortic annulus: Implications for AVR | Dr. Paul Fedak |
| 10:55 | Redo MVr with Beating Heart NeoChord Procedure | Dr. Peyman Sardari Nia |
| 11:15 | Overcoming the Pain Points of MICS | Dr. Mario Castillo-Sang |
| 11:30 | Panel Discussion | |
| 12:15 – 1:15 PM | Lunch Break | |
| 11:15 - 1:00 (Concurrent) | Resident & Fellow Video Presentations (Adjacent room: Glamis) | Drs. Chris Malaisrie & TBD |
| Session 4: | Miscellaneous MICS Topics | Moderator: Dr. Max Buchko |
| 1:30 | The Vancouver Experience with the Lux Valve for Severe TR | Dr. Anson Cheung |
| 1:50 | Video: Optimal exposure for RAMT AVR | Dr. Chris Malaisrie |
| Session 5: | Practice & MICS Pitfalls | Moderator: Dr. Bob Kiaii |
| 2:15 | 3D Endoscopy and Chord-X: Complex DMR (Video) | Dr. Mario Castillo-Sang |
| 2:30 | “Mistakes I’ve made” – MICS | Dr. Aaron Spooner |
| 2:45 | Is the robot ready for AVR? | Dr. Husam H. Balkhy |
| 3:00 | Resident/Fellow Presentation | Moderator: Dr. Corey Adams Presenter: TBD |
| Session 6: | Fireside Discussion Global Perspectives of MICS | Moderator: Dr. Chris Malaisrie |
| 3:15 | Global Adoption • Training Models • Institutional Integration | Panel: Drs. Marc Ruel, Gry Dahle, Denis Bouchard |
| 4:00 | Stretch & Coffee Break — Industry Booths (Foyer & Balmoral Room) | |
| Session 7: | Expanding MICS | Moderator: Dr. Gian Bisleri |
| 4:15 | MIS techniques for Tricuspid Surgery | Dr. Denis Bouchard |
| 4:30 | Advances in Simulation | Dr. Peyman Sardari Nia |
| 4:45 | The Benefits of ERACS | Dr. Gry Dahle |
| 5:00-5:15 PM | Closing Remarks | Dr. Corey Adams, Dr. William Kent |
Dr. Paul W.M. Fedak, Ph.D.
Cardiac Surgeon | Director, Libin Cardiovascular Institute
Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Dr. Husam H. Balkhy
Professor of Surgery
Director, Robotic and Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery
University of Chicago
Dr. William Kent, MSc, FRCSC
Clinical Associate Professor,
Dept. of Cardiac Sciences, University of Calgary
Cardiac Surgeon, Calgary Zone
Dr. Corey Adams, MSc, FRCSC
Clinical Associate Professor,
Dept. of Cardiac Sciences, University of Calgary
Cardiac Surgeon, Calgary Zone
Dr. Janine Eckstein
Interventional Cardiologist, University of Saskatchewan
Dr. Max Buchko
Cardiothoracic Surgeon, University of Alberta, Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute
