15th Annual UCSF Techniques in Complex Cervical/Cervicothoracic Spine Surgery, Las Vegas

The 2026 UCSF Techniques in Complex Spine Surgery Course is a two-day course emphasizing pioneering trends in spinal surgery. This course is designed to be interactive with didactic lectures given by leaders in the spine community. Participants will review surgical principles and techniques in the treatment of spinal deformities and tumors. As a result of the case conferences with national and international leaders in spine surgery, residents, fellows, and surgeons with less than an advanced level of experience will have improved skills in cases dealing with complex spinal deformities.

1. Adopt new techniques and treatment strategies in the management and treatment of transpedicular corpectomy, osteotomy, and spinal reconstruction.
2. Calculate the pros and cons of implementing new “minimally invasive” surgical techniques.
3. Evaluate and treat spinal pain in a cost-effective and reliable manner based on recently published guidelines.
4. Categorize appropriate indications for surgery in cases of the painful, degenerated spine, spinal deformities and tumors, and identify the appropriate surgical approach based on recently published guidelines.
5. Evaluate and treat lumbar degenerative disease and deformity in a cost-effective manner and avoid perioperative complications by identifying risk factors that may predispose case to morbidity risk.
6. • Distinguish spinal instability related to spinal tumors and formulate surgical treatment plans to deal with neurological deficits and pain in spine oncology patients based on recently published guidelines.

Course Number: MOR27004

An account in the UCSF CE Portal is required to register. Click SIGN IN in the menu bar and enter your email address or UCSF MyAccess credentials to complete your profile and continue with registration. Your profile must include your degree and profession to be able to claim credit.

Registration will close on 11/7/2026 at 12:00pm Pacific Time.  

In support of improving patient care, the University of California, San Francisco Office of CME is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

ACCME Credit:

Physicians: UCSF Office of CME designates this live Activity for a maximum of 11.75 AMA PRA Category 1™ Credit(s). Physicians should claim only the the credit commensurate to their participation in the activity.

Advance Practice Registered Nurses and Registered Nurses: For the purpose of recertification, the American Nurses Credentialing Center accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM issued by organizations accredited by the ACCME.

Physician Assistants: The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) states that the AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM are acceptable for continuing medical education requirements for recertification.

California Pharmacists: The California Board of Pharmacy accepts as continuing professional education those courses that meet the standard of relevance to pharmacy practice and have been approved for AMA PRA category 1 Credit^TM. If you are a pharmacist in another state, you should check with your state board for approval of this credit.

California Psychologists: The California Board of Psychology recognizes and accepts for continuing education credit courses that are provided by entities approved by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM is acceptable to meeting the CE requirements for the California Board of Psychology. Providers in other states should check with their state boards for acceptance of CME credit.

Cancellation Policy
Cancellations received in writing at least 30 days before the conference start date will receive a refund of registration fees minus a [10%] administrative fee. Requests received between 30 days and 14 days before the start date will receive a 50% refund. No refunds will be issued within 14 days of the start date. Please send cancellation requests through our Refund Request form.
 
UCSF Office of CME reserves the right to cancel or postpone this program if necessary; in the event of cancellation, course fees will be fully refunded. We are not responsible for other costs incurred, such as non-refundable airline tickets, hotel penalties, or other related personal expenses.

Accessibility Statement
UCSF welcomes all participants to our events. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event because of a disability, please submit a learner support ticket as soon as possible.

UCSF Land Acknowledgment Statement
We would like to acknowledge the Ramaytush Ohlone people, who are the traditional custodians of this land. We pay our respects to the Ramaytush Ohlone elders, past, present, and future, who call this place, the land that UCSF sits upon, their home. We are proud to continue their tradition of coming together and growing as a community. We thank the Ramaytush Ohlone community for their stewardship and support, and we look forward to strengthening our ties as we continue our relationship of mutual respect and understanding.

For more information, visit https://opportunity.ucsf.edu/initiatives/ucsf-land-acknowledgment.

Conference Location

 Join us in Las Vegas for the 15th Annual UCSF Techniques in Complex Spine Surgery and enjoy an exceptional stay at the elegant Vdara Hotel & Spa — a sophisticated, all-suite retreat located just steps from the energy of the Las Vegas Strip. This non-gaming, smoke-free sanctuary offers a serene escape while still placing you at the center of world-class entertainment, dining, and nightlife.

Enjoy direct access to ARIA Resort & Casino and iconic nearby attractions like the Bellagio fountains and The Shops at Crystals. Unwind in spacious suites, relax at the spa or rooftop pool, and experience the perfect balance of excitement and tranquility at Vdara.

Hotel Name:  Vdara Hotel & Spa

Hotel Address: 2600 W Harmon Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89158

Hotel Phone Number: (866) 745-7767

Hotel Website: https://vdara.mgmresorts.com/en.html 

Room Rate: Thursday, 11/5 $229 – Friday, 11/6 $359 – Saturday 11/7 $359. Plus $47 resort fee per night. 

Cutoff Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2026

Link to Room Block Reservations:  https://book.passkey.com/go/GANN1026VD

Additional Information:

By staying at the host hotel, you help UCSF meet its contractual obligations and keep registration fees reasonable.

Air Travel

United Airlines

We are pleased to partner with United Airlines® for travel to our upcoming event.

• To make flight reservations online please enter discount code ZRMC505963

• MileagePlus® members earn miles for their travel when using the United Meetings? discount code.

You may also call United Meetings Reservation Desk from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT, Monday–Friday (closed for major U.S. holidays) at (800) 426-1122 for booking assistance or visit united.com/meetingtravel and enter the code above.

Booking fees are waived for United Meeting reservations.
International customers may contact their local United Reservation Desk.

This UCSF continuing education activity was planned and developed to: uphold academic standards to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor; adhere to requirements to protect health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA); and, include a mechanism to inform learners when unapproved or unlabeled uses of therapeutic products or agents are discussed or referenced.

UCSF adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity, including content planners, reviewers, authors, presenters, moderators, panelists, or others are required to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible entities. All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

This UCSF continuing education activity was planned and developed to: uphold academic standards to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor; adhere to requirements to protect health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA); and, include a mechanism to inform learners when unapproved or unlabeled uses of therapeutic products or agents are discussed or referenced.

UCSF adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity, including content planners, reviewers, authors, presenters, moderators, panelists, or others are required to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible entities. All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.

Member Information

Role in activity

Nature of Relationship(s) / Name of Ineligible Company(s)

Sari Ogden, BA
UCSF

Activity Administrator

Nothing to disclose

Rita Wasley, Associate
Academic Assistant
UCSF

Activity Administrator

Nothing to disclose

Nima Alan, MD
UCSF

Co-Director, Faculty

Consulting Fee-DePuy (Any division)|Consulting Fee-Globus Medical, Inc.|Consulting Fee-Stryker (Any division)|Consulting Fee-Orthofix|Consulting Fee-Cerapedics|Consulting Fee-Atec|Consulting Fee-SpineArt

Kevin Hwang, MD
UCSF

Co-Director, Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Rajiv Sethi, MD, PhD
Professor
UCSF

Co-Director, Faculty

Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Atec|Consulting Fee-Orthofix|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Globus|Consulting Fee-Highridge

Christopher Ames, MD
UCSF

Course Director, Faculty

Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-DePuy (Any division)|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Biomet, Inc.|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-K2M, Inc.|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Medicrea|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Next Orthosurgical|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-NuVasive, Inc.|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Stryker (Any division)|Consulting Fee-DePuy (Any division)|Consulting Fee-Medtronic (Any division)|Consulting Fee-Medicrea|Consulting Fee-K2M, Inc.|Consulting Fee-Carlsmed|Grant or research support-Titan Spine|Grant or research support-DePuy (Any division)|Grant or research support-ISSG|Grant or research support-SRS

Vedat Deviren, MD
UCSF

Course Director, Faculty

Consulting Fee-Atec

Thomas Buell, MD
Assistant Professor
University of Pittsburgh

Faculty

Grant or research support-NuVasive, Inc.|Membership on Advisory Committees or Review Panels, Board Membership, etc.-Spine Deformity Journal|Membership on Advisory Committees or Review Panels, Board Membership, etc.-Operative Neurosurgery|Other: Fellowship Support-AO Spine NA|Grant or research support-ISSGF

John F Burke, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
University of Oklahoma

Faculty

Consulting Fee-Highridge|Consulting Fee-Kuros (Relationship has ended)

Ivan El-Sayed, MD
Professor
University California San Francisco

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Clara M Gomez-Sanchez, MD
UCSF

Faculty

Consulting Fee-Medtronic (Any division)

Hyun Jun Jang, MD
Mr.
Gangnam Severance Hospital
Korea, Republic Of

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Kyunghyun Kim, MD
Prof
Gangnam Severance Hospinal
Korea, Republic Of

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Chang Kyu Lee, MD
Clinical Professor
Yonsei University Severance Hospital
Korea, Republic Of

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Patrick R Maloney, MD
Associate Professor Neurosurgery
UCSF

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Lionel Metz, MD
University of California, San Francisco

Faculty

Consulting Fee-ATEC|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-ATEC|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Medacta|Paid consultant-Medacta|Paid consultant-Evolution Spine|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Evolution Spine

Anthony Mikula, MD
Mayo Clinic

Faculty

Consulting Fee-Medtronic (Any division)|Consulting Fee-Icotec

Bong Ju Moon, MD
Professor
Gangnam Severance Hospital
Korea, Republic Of

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Hyun Woong Mun, MD, MD
Severance Hospital
Korea, Republic Of

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Venu Nemani, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Neurosurgery
Mayo Clinic

Faculty

Consulting Fee-Orthofix|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Orthofix|Consulting Fee-Highridge|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Highridge|Consulting Fee-Medtronic (Any division)|Consulting Fee-Globus Medical, Inc.|Consulting Fee-Carlsmed

Joseph Osorio, MD
UCSD Neurosurgery

Faculty

Consulting Fee-Medtronic (Any division)|Consulting Fee-Alphatech and Carlsmed|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Carlsmed, Alphatech|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Alphatech

Themi Protapsaltis, MD
Chief of Spine Surgery
NYU Langone Health

Faculty

Consulting Fee-OnPoint Surgical|Consulting Fee-OnPoint Surgical|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Altus|Grant or research support-Globus Medical, Inc.|Grant or research support-Atec|Consulting Fee-Medtronic (Any division) (Relationship has ended)|Consulting Fee-Stryker (Any division) (Relationship has ended)

Daniel Raper, MD
UCSF

Faculty

Consulting Fee-Stryker (Any division)|Consulting Fee-Terumo (Any division)|Consulting Fee-Penumbra|Consulting Fee-Q'Apel|Consulting Fee-Balt|Consulting Fee-Phenox (Relationship has ended)

Michael Safaee, MD
University of Southern California

Faculty

Consulting Fee-Globus Medical, Inc.|Consulting Fee-Spineart

Justin K Scheer, MD
Assistant Professor
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Dong Ah Shin, MD
Professor
Yonsei University College of Medicine
Korea, Republic Of

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

John Shin, MD
Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Faculty

Consulting Fee-Globus Medical, Inc.|Consulting Fee-Medtronic (Any division)|Consulting Fee-icotec|Consulting Fee-Augmedics (Relationship has ended)|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Evolution Spine|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-ATEC

Kevin Taliaferro, MD
Dr.
Henry Ford Health

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Lee A. Tan, MD
Dr.
UCSF

Faculty

Consulting Fee-Medtronic|Consulting Fee-ATEC

Bobby Tay, MD
Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
UCSF

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Matthew Kenneth Easton, MD
UCSF

Peer Reviewer

Nothing to disclose

Commercial Support

We welcome the support of this activity in the form of an educational grant. UCSF accepts unrestricted educational grants and commercial support for continuing education activities sponsored by UCSF. Funds should be directed to the Office of CME with a fully executed agreement, signed by both a representative of UCSF CME and the funder, outlining uses of the financial support and specifically agreeing to abide to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence. Questions concerning financial support should be directed to the Manager of Finance or the Director.

View the full Management of Commercial Support of UCSF CME policy

Download a copy of UCSF’s payment information: UCSF W9

For information about commercial support opportunities, please contact: Sari Ogden [email protected]

Exhibitors

EXHIBITORS WELCOME! 

Please find our exhibitor packages below and click the Exhibit at this Event button to register. 

Term & Conditions

UCSF Office of Continuing Medical Education reserves the right to deny any application. UCSF OCME will acknowledge exhibitor(s) support in course materials as permissible by the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. 

The exhibitor acknowledges that conducting marketing or promotional activities in any conference area except for their assigned exhibit space is prohibited. Exhibitors/Vendors may not engage in sales, promotional activities, or distribute product-specific advertisements while in the designated location of the CME activity. CME activity space includes, but is not limited to, lecture halls, breakout rooms, and laboratory areas. 

Exhibitors and UCSF OCME agree to abide by the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited CE. Any actions that are not in accordance with the above-stated policies may result in the removal of the exhibiting company and its representatives from the conference site, in which case no refund of exhibit fees will be allowed. 

Payment Deadline & Late Fee Policy

Exhibitor payment is due in full by the deadline listed on program materials (webpage and exhibitor agreement form). A $500 late fee will apply to any payments received after the posted deadline. 

To avoid a late fee and ensure participation, proof of payment (such as a check copy, electronic payment confirmation, or remittance advice) must be submitted by the deadline. 

Please note that exhibit placement and promotional benefits are not guaranteed until full payment and proof of payment are received. 

Cancellation Policy

There are no refunds for cancellations of exhibit registrations. 

Payment must be received prior to the event. 

Download a copy of UCSF’s payment information: UCSF W9 

For information about commercial support opportunities, please contact:  Sari Ogden [email protected]