7:00 a.m.

Registration and Continental Breakfast—Exhibits Open

8:00 a.m.

Welcome and Opening Remarks, A. Osama Gaber, MD, FACS, Director, Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center, and Bernie Elliott, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Complex Medical Conditions and Provider Performance, Optum

8:15 a.m.

Improving Outcomes of Transplant for Lymphoma, George Carrum, MD, and Carlos A. Ramos, MD
Patients with relapsed lymphoma may have a better outcome after transplant than with chemotherapy alone. This session will discuss current indications and outcomes after autologous transplant for lymphoma and how new cell therapies may be used to improve outcomes.

Objectives:

• Discuss current transplant regimens for lymphoma.
• Summarize outcomes for patients with lymphoma after an autologous transplant.
• Identify novel cell therapies that are used posttransplant for lymphoma.

9:00 a.m.

Novel Cell Therapies for Prevention and Treatment of Posttransplant Viral Diseases, Helen E. Heslop, MD
Patients who undergo transplantation are on a regimen of medications to ensure their bodies do not reject the new organs or to prevent graft-versus-host disease. This session will illustrate the incidence of viral infections posttransplantation. The diagnosis, cell therapies and preventive treatment options for viral infection in stem cell transplantation will also be discussed.

Objectives:

• Recognize the incidence of viral infections posttransplant.
• Discuss the diagnosis, cell therapies and preventive treatment options for viral infections in stem cell transplantation.

9:45 a.m.

Break—Exhibits Open

10:00 a.m.

Liver and Biliary Tumors: When Size Matters, R. Mark Ghobrial, MD, PhD
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of death in the United States. Liver transplantation in patients with HCC that is within Milan criteria is associated with good clinical outcomes. However, there are many factors that contribute to outcomes for patients with HCC, and so transplant teams must utilize more liberal staging, such as University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) criteria for tumor staging in select populations of patients. This session will explore innovative practices for treatment of HCC by transplantation.

Objectives:

• Evaluate liver transplant outcomes for patients with HCC and the impact of UCSF criteria on long-term survival.
• List factors that may influence orthotopic liver transplant outcomes for patients with HCC.
• Compare and contrast the Milan criteria with the UCSF criteria for tumor staging in HCC.
• Explore new practices for treatment of HCC by transplantation.

10:45 a.m.

Transplant Hepatology in the Next Decade: The Changing Spectrum of Disease, Howard Monsour, MD
There is a vast list of diagnoses that could ultimately lead to liver transplantation. The most common three causes for liver failure and for liver transplant referral are: NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis), HCV (hepatitis C virus) and HCC. The risk factors for and complications of these diseases will be identified and discussed. This presentation will discuss the novel interventions and treatment strategies used to improve patient outcomes in liver disease, means of preventing liver failure, and special problems related to patients with these diagnoses after transplantation.

Objectives:

• Predict three leading causes for liver transplant referral in the next decade.
• Identify risk factors and the complications associated with NASH, HCV and HCC.
• Discuss effective treatment strategies to improve patient outcomes in liver disease.

11:30 a.m.

Lunch (provided)—Exhibits Open

12:30 p.m.

Clinical and Ethical Considerations in Liver Transplantation, Joseph Galati, MD, and Courtenay R. Bruce, JD, MA
In the evaluation of potential recipients for liver transplantation, patients’ history of alcohol abuse has been a long-standing debate amongst liver transplant team members. Standards held by physicians and payors appear to have validity but do not predict success. In this presentation, the moral and medical models of approaches to alcohol abuse will be compared and relevant ethical principles will be identified as they relate to transplantation.

Objectives:

• Review the current clinical approach to liver transplantation in patients with alcoholic liver disease.
• Discuss outcomes of liver transplantation for patients with a history of alcohol abuse.
• Distinguish moral from medical models of managing alcohol abuse.
• Identify relevant ethical principles as they relate to transplantation: beneficence, respect for autonomy and justice.

1:15 p.m.

Auto Islet Transplants and Cell Therapy for Diabetes, Omaima Sabek, PhD
The pancreas is a glandular organ with endocrine functions, such as producing insulin, and exocrine functions that aid in the absorption of nutrients and in digestion. Two common maladies we see are chronic pancreatitis and diabetes. This session will address the clinical and physiological outcomes associated with total pancreatectomy for chronic pancreatitis and evaluate the current data on islet isolation and auto transplantation for chronic pancreatitis.

Objectives:

• Recognize clinical and physiological outcomes associated with total pancreatectomy for chronic pancreatitis.
• Examine the current data on islet isolation and auto transplantation in chronic pancreatitis.
• Evaluate the role of combined pancreatectomy and auto transplantation in patient rehabilitation.
• Describe current clinical and research therapies for diabetes.
• Contrast the outcomes of various surgical therapies to patient outcome measures.
• Outline future cell-based therapies for diabetic patients.

2:00 p.m.

Break—Exhibits Open

2:15 p.m.

Heart Transplant and Autologous Stem Cell Transplants (ASCT) in Light Chain Amyloidosis, Rammurti T. Kamble, MD
Initial manifestations of amyloidosis are variable and can often delay diagnosis or be missed entirely. The severity of cardiac involvement in amyloidosis largely affects patient survival. This presentation will describe the signs and symptoms associated with amyloidosis and how it is diagnosed. In addition, Dr. Kamble will discuss the role of ASCT for heart transplant patients with amyloidosis, along with the selection process used for ASCT.

Objectives:

• Describe the signs and symptoms that are associated with amyloidosis and how it is diagnosed.
• Discuss the role of ASCT for heart transplant patients with amyloidosis.
• Review the selection process used for ASCT and patients with amyloidosis.

3:00 p.m.

Management and Diagnoses of Infiltrative Cardiomyopathies in Transplantation, Arvind Bhimaraj, MD, MPH, FACC
One of the most common infiltrative cardiomyopathies is cardiac amyloidosis. If the heart is infiltrated by amyloid protein, it can be part of either a systemic amyloidosis or a localized phenomenon. The etiology, pathogenesis and clinical progression of infiltrative cardiomyopathies will be described in this session. Dr. Bhimaraj will appraise the current therapies for heart failure and the role for multiorgan transplants, as well as discuss the current medications and results in infiltrative cardiomyopathies.

Objectives:

• Describe the etiology, pathogenesis and clinical progression of infiltrative cardiomyopathies.
• Appraise current therapies for heart failure and the role for multiorgan transplants.
• Discuss the current medications and results in infiltrative cardiomyopathies.

3:45 p.m.

Stem Cell Transplantation for Bone Disorders, Bradley K. Weiner, MD
Nanotechnology and advances in stem cell research are opening the door for the use of stem cell transplantation in bone disorders. This session will describe the scientific basis for intervention in bone disorders and identify the specific disorders that can potentially be treated with stem cell transplantation. The exciting progress to date on stem cell-based therapy for bone disorders will be appraised.

Objectives:

• Describe the clinical and scientific basis for intervention in bone disorders.
• Identify the bone disorders that can be treated with stem cell transplantation.
• Appraise the progress to date on stem cell based therapy for bone diseases.

4:30 p.m.

Facility Tour: Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center & The Methodist Hospital Outpatient Center (optional)
A 30-minute tour of the Transplant Center and Outpatient Center will be offered. Space is limited; registration is required. More information.

5:00–6:30 p.m.

Complimentary Get-Acquainted Reception
Please join us for complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres. This unique reception will provide attendees the opportunity to get further acquainted with our physicians and team at The Methodist Hospital. Musical performance by Houston Musician's Coalition!

7:00 a.m.

Registration and Continental Breakfast—Exhibits Open

8:00 a.m.

Welcome and Opening Remarks, A. Osama Gaber, MD, FACS

8:15 a.m.

De Novo Donor-Specific Antibodies (DSA) in Post-Renal Transplant Recipients, Richard J. Knight, MD, FACS
The development of de novo DSA posttransplantation has been associated with a greater risk of renal allograft failure. This activity will address the knowledge gap with regard to the clinical and pathological significance of de novo DSA posttransplantation, as well as the new and recent advances in tracking them.

Objectives:

• Describe the progression of DSA development in a multi-ethnic cohort of renal transplant recipients.
• Compare and contrast long-term graft survival between recipients with and without DSA.
• Assess risk factors for the development of de novo DSA posttransplantation.

9:00 a.m.

Training and Education in Transplantation and Practicing Health Care Professionals, Brian J. Dunkin, MD, FACS
Health care professionals today face challenges in the rapidly changing environment of medicine. Educational training has evolved to meet the needs of health care professionals to maintain and improve their clinical skills. This session will discuss the efforts to assist practicing health care professionals in transplantation.

Objectives:

• Review challenges practicing health care professionals face in the rapidly changing environment of medicine.
• Describe types of educational training to assist health care professionals maintain and improve clinical skills associated with transplantation.
• Discuss efforts to create a countrywide network of accredited institutes that serve as “educational homes” for practicing physicians.

9:45 a.m.

Break—Exhibits Open
Group 1 Tour: Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education (MITIE) (optional)
A 15-minute tour of MITIE will be offered during the morning and afternoon breaks. Space is limited for each tour. Registration is required. More information.

10:15 a.m.

Experience With Polyomavirus in Kidney Transplant, Samir Patel, PharmD, BCPS
Polyomaviruses are prevalent in humans and cause disease primarily in the immunocompromised host. BK virus infections cause nephritis and ureteral stenosis in the kidney transplant population and are becoming a major cause of morbidity and graft loss. This session will describe the pathophysiology of BK virus nephropathy and discuss the treatment options, as well as preventive strategies.

Objectives:

• Describe the epidemiology and pathophysiology of BK virus nephropathy (BKVN).
• Review treatment options for BKV/BKVN.
• Discuss preventive strategies for BKVN.

11:00 a.m.

Bloodless Lung Transplantations, Scott A. Scheinin, MD, FACS
Bloodless solid organ transplantations can be performed but not without challenges. Inclusion and exclusion criteria must be carefully identified for lung transplant candidates. This session will discuss the clinical and ethical challenges associated with lung transplantation in Jehovah’s Witness patients, and it will go on to evaluate the current results and clinical outcomes in this specific patient population.

Objectives:

• Describe the clinical and ethical challenges associated with lung transplantation in Jehovah’s Witness patients.
• Identify inclusion and exclusion criteria for candidates for bloodless lung transplantation.
• Evaluate the current results and clinical outcomes of bloodless lung transplants.

11:45 a.m.

Lunch—Exhibits Open

12:45 p.m.

Donor Management in Lung Transplantation: Making the Impossible Happen, Harish Seethamraju, MD
Only 20–25 percent of multiple-organ donors have lungs that appear suitable for transplantation. The management of donors significantly affects not just the posttransplant outcome but also the number of potential lungs available for transplantation. The scarcity of suitable donor organs for lung transplant recipients has served as a catalyst to maximize donor management. This session will identify current trends in donor management to optimize the lung transplant recipient’s survival.

Objectives:

• Describe how the recipient’s posttransplant outcomes are affected by the donor’s status and management.
• Discuss how the scarcity of suitable donor organs for lung transplant recipients serves as a catalyst to maximize donor management.
• Identify current trends in donor management to optimize the lung transplant recipient’s survival.

1:30 p.m.

Nanotechnology in Transplantation, Alessandro Grattoni, PhD
Nanotechnology is defined as the science of manipulating materials on a molecular scale to build microscopic devices. There has been an evolution of nanotechnology and its relation to medical therapy. We now have nanotechnology tools available to transplant practitioners. In this presentation, the current results of nanotechnology applications in transplantation will be appraised.

Objectives:

• Explain the evolution of nanotechnology and its relation to medical therapy.
• Describe the nanotechnology tools available to the transplant practitioner.
• Appraise the current results of nanotechnology applications in transplant.

2:15 p.m.

Break—Exhibits Open
Group 2 MITIE Tour (optional)
This 15-minute tour of MITIE is for those individuals that preregistered for the afternoon tour. Space is limited. Registration is required. More information.

2:45 p.m.

Age as a Determinant in Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) and Heart Transplant Recipients, Matthias Loebe, MD, PhD, FACC
Transplant centers utilize inclusion and exclusion criteria when selecting potential candidates for assist devices or organ transplantation to ensure the patient is medically suitable and to optimize patient safety. Many factors, including age, contribute to the medical decision whether to list a patient for heart transplantation or insert a ventricular assist device (VAD). This session will review outcomes based on age of heart transplant and VAD recipients and will discuss the use of VADs as a bridge to transplant.

Objectives:

• Review outcomes based on the age of the heart transplant and LVAD recipient.
• Discuss the use of LVADs as a bridge to transplant.

3:30 p.m.

Weight-Reduction Surgery in Transplantation, Vadim Sherman, MD, FACS, FRCSC
Our country has been seeing an alarming rise in obesity, with contributing factors ranging from increased food portions to more sedentary lifestyles. This increase in obesity has left much of our population with a variety of medical issues. The transplant population is seeing the same trend with a rise in obesity. This session will review the history and benefits of bariatric surgery in transplant patients and identify the selection criteria these individuals must meet. In addition, the challenges in management of obesity and transplantation for patients with end-stage organ disease will be discussed.

Objectives:

• Review the contributing factors to obesity in our country today.
• Discuss the history and benefits of bariatric surgery in the transplant patient population.
• Identify the selection criteria to qualify for bariatric surgery prior to transplantation.
• Describe the challenges in management of obesity and transplantation for patients with end-stage organ disease.

4:15 p.m.

Closing Remarks, A. Osama Gaber, MD, FACS

4:30 p.m.

Adjourn