15th Annual MINS Conference: March 12-14, 2026 — Costa Rica

 

REGISTER NOW – 15TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE

March 12–14, 2026

Los Sueños, Marriott Resort, Costa Rica

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“Mastering Minimally Invasive Surgery: Operative Nuances”

 

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REGISTRATION

General Registration: Click Here to Register Now!

Physician/Doctor tickets to the 2026 Conference are now available. Register today!

***Refunds on tickets are accepted up to 14 days before the event, so we can determine an accurate food cost for the conference. Unfortunately, any refunds requested later than 14 days before the event will not be accepted by MINS.  

Exhibitors/Sponsors: Click Here to Register Your Sponsorship!

Exhibitor/Sponsor Opportunities are Now Available for the 2026 Conference.  

***Refunds on tickets are accepted up to 14 days before the event, so we can determine an accurate food cost for the conference. Unfortunately, any refunds requested later than 14 days before the event will not be accepted by MINS.  

RESORT RESERVATIONS

Click Here to Book Your Group Rate by March 9, 2026

 

For any sponsorship or other related questions, please contact Jennifer Harris at harrisjen10@yahoo.com.

 

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COURSE DIRECTORS:

Neel Anand, MD; Pierce Nunley, MD; Karam Asmaro, MD; Mick Perez-Cruet, MD, FACS; Daniel Fahim, MD; and Michael Song, MD.

 

Neel Anand, MD Orthopedic Surgeon Los Angeles, California	Pierce Nunley, MD Orthopedic Surgeon Shreveport, Louisiana	Karam Asmaro, MD Neurosurgeon Royal Oak, Michigan	Mick Perez-Cruet, MD, FACS MINS President Southfield, Michigan
Daniel Fahim, MD Neurosurgeon Southfield, Michigan	Michael Song, MD Neurosurgeon Reno, Nevada

 

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2026 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT:

Luiz Pimenta, MD, PhD

Luiz Pimenta, born in 1947, completed his education in his homeland, Brazil. He graduated in Medicine from the Medical School of the University of São Paulo in 1971. He started his residency in Neurosurgery in 1972 at the Paulista Medical School, currently Federal University of São Paulo. During residency, Dr. Luiz Pimenta participated in various research projects in Neurosurgery. He finished his residency in 1977 and completed his PhD in Neurosurgery at the same university.

In 1997, Dr. Luiz Pimenta received training in Spinal Endoscopic Surgery in Gainesville, Florida and in 1998 completed a fellowship with Dr. Daniel Rosenthal in Frankfurt, Germany. Since then, Dr. Pimenta has been developing new techniques and technologies to improve the surgical treatment of different spinal pathologies. His primary interests are in minimally invasive and motion preservation spine surgery. He participates in various research and development projects in this area.

Dr. Pimenta is considered the father of the lateral or XLIF approach to the spine. Working with the company Nuvasive, Dr. Pimenta introduced this approach to spine surgery to help preserve the normal anatomical structures of the spine while performing spinal fusion and instrumentation. The approach has been adapted for spinal arthroplasty. He has evolved the procedure to include the prone-transpsoas approach.

 

MINS is pleased to honor Dr. Luiz Pimenta with its 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award.  

 

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2026 MINS MEETING AGENDA

Minimally Invasive Neurosurgical Society Annual Meeting

Los Sueños, Marriott Resort, Costa Rica

March 12–16, 2026

 

Mastering Minimally Invasive Surgery: Operative Nuances

Thursday, March 12

4:00 – 5:00pm       Exhibitor Set-Up
5:00 – 6:00pm       Signature Cocktail Hour with Exhibitors

6:00 – 9:00pm       Dinner talks
5:55 – 6:00pm       Mick Perez-Cruet, MD, MSc – Welcome Address

MINS 5th Annual Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient: Luiz Pimenta, MD, PhD
6:05 – 6:45pm      Keynote address: Luiz Pimenta, MD, PhD – Evolution of the Lateral Approach

                             MINS Lifetime Achievement Award to Luiz Pimenta, MD, PhD (presented by Mick Perez-Cruet, MD)

Blue Marlin Session
Moderator: Mick Perez-Cruet, MD, MSc

6:45 – 7:00pm       Mick Perez-Cruet, MD, MSc – Fundamental in Mastering MIS Surgery
7:00 – 7:20pm       Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD – Mastering MIS Patients and Patience
7:20 – 7:40pm       Daniel Choi, MD – What’s the Future of MIS
7:40 – 8:00pm       Tze Yui Yeh, MD – Challenges of Setting Up a Minimally Invasive Practice in Developing Countries
8:00 – 8:20pm       Cesar Armada, MD – Image Guidance Cranial Surgery
8:20 – 8:40pm       Karam Asmaro, MD – Mastering MIS Cranial Surgery
8:40 – 9:00pm       Daniel Kim, MD – Operative Nuances to Endoscopic Spine Surgery

Session: Ocean Side Chat with Vendors

 

Friday, March 13

7:00 – 8:00am      Breakfast with Exhibitors

Scarlet Macaw Session
Moderator: Arthur Jenkins, MD – What Is Misunderstood Brain/Spine Disorders (“Wrogma”)

8:00 – 8:20am         Arthur Jenkins, MD – Cranial Spinal Hypermobility
8:20 – 8:40am         Jason Cuellar, MD – Fusion is Archaic: Multilevel Lumbar Arthroplasty Should be the Future
8:40 – 9:00am         Michael Steinmetz, MD – Bertolotti Syndrome: Operative Nuances
9:00 – 9:20am         Windsor Ting, MD – Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
9:20 – 9:40am         Andrew Chung – How to Incorporate Endoscopy As a Young Surgeon and Do It Safely
9:40 – 10:00am       Jose Jimenez – Kambin Approach to Lateral IB Fusion

10:00 – 10:30am      Keynote Address: Elad Levy, MD – Establishing an Endovascular Ambulatory Surgery Center of Excellence

Blue Marlin Exhibitor Sponsored Talks
10:30 – 10:45am      TBD
10:45 – 11:00am      TBD

Concurrent Session: Physician Support and Advanced Practice Providers
Moderator: Riley Schumacher, RNA

8:00 – 8:20am         Riley Schumacher, RNA – Managing a Successful ASC: Finding the Right People
8:20 – 8:40am         Kristin Perez-Cruet, FNP, MSN – The Role of Physician Practice Providers: Improving Surgeon Efficiency and Cost
8:40 – 9:00am         Aaron Rapp, MD – What Can Be Done in the ASC?
9:00 – 9:20am         Natalia Holznagle – Administrative Challenges to Running a Neurosurgery Residency
9:20 – 9:40am         Steven Rapp, MD – Cost Control and Billing in the ASC
9:40 – 10:00am       David Fessler, MD, PhD – Starting a Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Practice

11:00am till 4:00pm    Pura Vida (Free Time)

4:00 – 5:00pm      Signature Cocktails with Exhibitors

Poison Dart Frog Session
Moderator: Mick Perez-Cruet, MD, MSc

5:00 – 6:00pm       (Panel Discussion): Transitioning from Open to Minimally Invasive Procedures
                              Panel Specialists: Richard G. Fessler, MD, PhD; Daniel Kim, MD; Karam Asmaro, MD; Neel Anand, MD; 

6:00 – 9:00pm      Dinner talks

6:00 – 7:00pm      Keynote Address: Sam Trull – Director, The Sloth Institute, Costa Rica: Wildlife of Costa Rica

Three Toed Sloth Session
Moderator: Mick Perez-Cruet, MD, MSc

7:00 – 7:20pm     Neel Anand, MD – Operative Nuances to Mastering MIS Scoliosis Surgery
7:20 – 7:40pm     Pierce Nunley, MD – Operative Nuances to Mastering Cervical Arthroplasty
7:40 – 8:00pm     William Tobler, MD – Managing a Successful Non-Profit: The Winter Clinic’s Story
8:00 – 8:20pm     Daveed Frazier, MD – Outside Medicine Activities to Avoid Burnout by Diversification
8:20 – 8:40pm     Joshua Perez-Cruet, MD – Global Warming Medical Education Curriculum: Health Care Education for the Future
8:40 – 9:00pm     Mick Perez-Cruet, MD, MS – Physician’s Finding Lifestyle Balance

Session: Beach Side Chat with Vendors

 

Saturday, March 14

7:00 – 8:00am      Breakfast with Exhibitors

Toucan Session
Moderator: Aaron Rapp, MD

8:00 – 8:20am         Casey Spinelli, MD – Mastering Minimally Invasive Laminectomy for Stenosis
8:20 – 8:40am         Richard Veyna, MD – Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
8:40 – 9:00am         Robert Bray, MD – Nuances to Setting up Ambulatory MIS Surgical Centers
9:00 – 9:20am         Karl Zakalic, MD – TBD
9:20 – 9:40am         Daniel Resnick, MD – TBD
9:40 – 10:00am       Jeff Jacob, MD – Endoscopic Skull Based Surgery: Surgical Nuances
10:00 – 10:20am     David Cassidy, MD – TBD
10:20 – 10:30am     Aaron Rapp, MD – Minimally Invasive Expandable Interbody Technique and Technology
10:30 – 10:40am     Daniel Fahim, MD – Operative Nuances to OLIF Approach
10:40 – 11:00am     Christopher Elia, MD – TBD

SELECT VENDOR SESSION
Surgical Nuances, Technology, Case Discussion, What’s New in Minimally Invasive Surgery, What’s the Future

11:00 – 11:10am     Robert Isaacs, MD – The TrackX Surgical Navigation System
11:10 – 11:20am     TBD – Barracaid System Preventing Reoperation for Lumbar Disc Herniation
11:20 – 11:30am     Brett Gunter, MD – TOPS- Lumbar Arthroplasty
11:30 – 11:40am     TBD – Centinel Spine Prodisc C Vivo-Two Level Cervical Arthroplasty
11:40 – 11:50am     Mick Perez-Cruet, MD, MSc – Ace Medical Dural Repair Instrument Set
11:50 – Noon          Rose Carmichael – BonWRX VK100 a New Vertebral Augmentation Silicone Elastomer

 

Agenda: Subject to change

 

 

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SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT REQUEST – Link Below!

If you would like the opportunity to present a talk at the upcoming 2026 MINS Conference in Costa Rica, please click the link below to submit an abstract request.

MINS will review all submissions and the selected abstract will be invited to present their talk at the conference during March 12–14, 2026. We will contact you by your provided email address if your abstract is selected. 

Click Here to Submit an Abstract Request

 

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2025 EXHIBITOR/SPONSOR INFORMATION

 

Our Sponsors

TBD

 

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Location Information:

LOS SUEÑOS MARRIOTT RESORT
Herradura, Costa Rica 028-4023


https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/sjols-los-suenos-marriott-ocean-and-golf-resort/overview/

 

RESORT RESERVATIONS

Click Here to Book Your Group Rate by March 9, 2026

 

Additional Contact Information

 

For any related questions, please contact Jennifer Harris at harrisjen10@yahoo.com.

 

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