30th Annual Max R. Gaspar, MD Symposium: 30 Years of Vascular Surgery in Southern California

The 30th Annual Max R. Gaspar, MD, Symposium will take place on Thursday, September 10th, 2026, starting at 8:00 am. 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.

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.

The Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California designates this Live Activity activity for a maximum of 6.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Cancellation Policy
Cancellations must be received by the USC Office of CME by email only by August 29, 2025 by 12:00 pm PDT for a refund to be issued. A $50 cancellation fee will be applied. In the event of course cancellation by conference organizers, all registration fees will be fully refunded. USC will not refund any travel costs incurred.

The Keck School of Medicine Healthcare System School of Medicine adheres to ACCME Criteria, Standards and Policies regarding industry support of continuing medical education. Disclosure of faculty and their commercial relationships will be made prior to the activity.

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

Keck School of Medicine Continuing Medical Education 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 faculty, planners, reviewers or others are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.

Member Information

Role in activity

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

Sukgu M Han, MD, MS
KSOM-Keck School of Medicine
South Pasadena, CA

Faculty

Kenneth R Ziegler, MD, FACS, FSVS
Dr.
KSOM-Keck School of Medicine
LOS ANGELES, CA

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Thursday, September 10, 2026