KITES 2026 Conference

KITES - 2026

International Thoracic Transplant & ECMO Summit

January 22-24, 2026

Bengaluru, India

Conference Overview

A prestigious International Clinical Conference organised by KIMS Hospitals, Bengaluru, dedicated to advancing excellence in ECMO and lung transplant care through expert knowledge, groundbreaking innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

3

Days of Learning

15+

Expert Speakers

2

Simulation Stations

Speakers from Leading Institutions

KIMS, India

Helios, Germany

Mayo Clinic, USA

Vanderbilt, USA

University of Minnesota, USA

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, USA

KIMS Heart and Lung Institute

KRISHNA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

KIMS Hospitals, Electronic City

Survey No. 37 & 38

PES University EC Campus, Hosur Road

Konappana Agrahara, Electronic City

Bengaluru, Karnataka - 560100

For more information, please contact:

Ajaruddin B K

+91 90363 64445

Register Now Upload Conference Materials

Program

09:00

Does MCS Work?

A critical review of Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) outcomes.

Dr. Suraj Yalamuri

9:30

Panel: ECMO Indications and Contraindications

Focus on key clinical decision points.

Dr. Parag Patel / Dr. Stefan Wiebe / Dr. Suraj Yalamuri

10:00

Introduction, Welcome, and Kickoff

Official opening of KITES - 2026

10:30 - 11:00 Morning Tea / Networking Break

11:00

Building and Scaling an ECMO Program

Strategies for successful program development.

Dr. Stefan Wiebe

11:30

Shock Team and How to Upgrade to ECMO

Integrating the Shock Team concept into practice.

Dr. Parag Patel

12:00

RV Failure on VV ECMO

Management strategies for right ventricular dysfunction.

Dr. Christoph Nabzdyk

12:30 - 13:30 Lunch Break

13:30

LV Venting - An Algorithmic Approach

Step-by-step decision-making for Left Ventricular (LV) venting.

Dr. Trina Augustin

14:00

ECMO Reconfigurations - A Surgeon's Perspective

Surgical techniques for circuit changes and complications.

Dr. Nishant Saran

14:30

Panel: Troubleshooting Common and Critical Issues in ECMO

Case-based scenarios.

Dr. Trina Augustin / Dr. Christoph Nabzdyk / Dr. Nishant Saran

15:00 - 15:30 Afternoon Tea

15:30

What's the Latest in Anticoagulation?

Current guidelines and emerging strategies in ECMO.

Dr. Patrick Wieruszewski

16:00

What's the Latest in Pediatric ECMO?

Dr. Michael Nemergut

16:30

Alice in Wonderland - What else can you do with a pump and Oxygenator

Creative and non-standard applications of ECMO/MCS.

Dr. Suraj Yalamuri

17:00

Closing Remarks

Dr. Pavan Yadav

09:00

State of the Art in Rehabilitation in Thoracic Transplant

Focus on pre- and post-transplant physical therapy.

Dr. Bryan Taylor

10:00

State of the Art in Heart Transplant - Current Advances

Latest developments in cardiac transplantation.

Dr. Parag Patel

11:00 - 11:30 Morning Tea / Networking Break

11:30

AI and Large Data Innovation in ECMO

Exploring the future role of Artificial Intelligence.

Dr. Anirban Bhattacharyya

12:00

PK, PD, Volume of Distribution? A Practical Approach to Drug Dosing on ECMO

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics simplified.

Dr. Patrick Wieruszewski

12:30

Q&A Session: Morning Speakers

Dr. Parag Patel / Dr. Bryan Taylor / Dr. Patrick Wieruszewski

13:00 - 14:00 Lunch Break

14:00

Panel: ECMO as Bridge to Transplant

Discussion on candidate selection and management.

Dr. Anupam Kumar / Dr. David Erasmus / Dr. Tathagat Narula

14:30

Perioperative Anaesthetic Strategies to Reduce PGD and Improve Early Graft Function in Lung Transplantation

Dr. Prabhat Dutta

Simulation Stations

15:00 - 17:00 • Hands-On Training

Rotate every 1 hour; Repeat each station 3 times

1

Cannulation Techniques & Best Practices

Faculty: Dr. Suraj Yalamuri

2

Wet Drills on Console Management & Troubleshooting

Faculty: Dr. Stefan Wiebe

09:00

Introduction & Welcome

Dr. Pavan Yadav / Dr. Tathagat Narula

09:30

Contraindications to Candidacy: The Changing Landscape of Lung Transplant Indications and Candidate Selection

Enhancing Graft Success and Patient Recovery.

Dr. David Erasmus

10:00

Pushing Boundaries: Machine Perfusion and Donor Care Innovations in Lung Transplant

Dr. Tathagat Narula

10:30 - 11:00 Morning Tea / Networking Break

11:00

Intraoperative and Post-Operative Care in Lung Transplantation: Enhancing Graft Success and Patient Recovery

Dr. David Erasmus

11:30

Evolving Immunosuppression Paradigms to Optimize Lung Transplant Outcomes

Optimizing Lung Transplant Outcomes.

Dr. Anupam Kumar

12:00

Managing pre sensitized recipients for lung transplant

Dr. Unmil Shah

12:30

Q&A Session: Morning Speakers

Dr. Anupam Kumar / Dr. David Erasmus / Dr. Tathagat Narula

13:00 - 14:00 Lunch Break

14:00

Robotic Lung Transplantation: Enhancing Outcomes and Patient Experience

Dr. Pedro Catarino

14:30

Nonconforming Regional Perfusion in Thoracic Transplant

Dr. Pedro Catarino

15:00 - 15:30 Afternoon Tea

15:30

Optimizing Outcomes: Strategies to combat CLAD and mitigate long term complications

CLAD: Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction.

Dr. Anupam Kumar

16:00

Extracorporeal photospheresis Indian Experience

Dr. Vijil Rahulan

16:30

Closing Panel with all Speakers, Moderators

Final Q&A, Key Takeaways, and Conference Wrap-up.

All Speakers

Meet Our Speakers

World-renowned experts in ECMO, transplantation, and critical care medicine

Trina Augustin

Trina Augustin, MD

Senior Associate Consultant

Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology
Cardiovascular Intensivist
ECMO Specialist
Mayo Clinic

Pedro Catarino

Pedro Catarino, MD, FRCS

Professor Cardiac Surgery

Director Aortic Surgery
Staff Physician, Smidt Heart Institute
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

David Erasmus

David Erasmus, MD

Medical Director Vanderbilt Lung Institute

Lung Transplant Program
Associate Professor of Medicine
Vanderbilt University

Anupam Kumar

Anupam Kumar, MD, FCCP

Associate Professor

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine
Medical Director of Lung Transplantation
University of Minnesota Medical Center

Christoph Nabzdyk

Christoph G.S. Nabzdyk, MD, PhD

Consultant

Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
Mayo Clinic

Tathagat Narula

Tathagat Narula, M.B.B.S., M.D., FACP

Consultant Lung Transplant

Division of Lung Failure and Transplant
Medical Director Adult Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Unit
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Mayo Clinic Florida

Michael Nemergut

Michael Nemergut, MD, PhD

Consultant Pediatric Anesthesiologist and Intensivist

Medical Director of Pediatric ICU, Mayo Clinic

Parag Patel

Parag C. Patel, M.D.

Transplant Cardiologist

Associate Professor at Mayo Clinic
Division Chair for Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant
Mayo Clinic Florida

Vijil Rahulan

Vijil Rahulan, MD

Chief Lung Transplant Pulmonologist, Additional Director

Chief of Cardiac Anaesthesia, Additional Director
KIMS Institute of Heart & Lung Transplantation, Hyderabad

Nishant Saran

Nishant Saran, MBBS

Consultant

Assistant Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery
Mayo Clinic Health System

Unmil Shah

Unmil Shah, MD

Consultant - Transplant Pulmonology

Senior Lung Transplant Pulmonologist, Reliance Foundation, Mumbai

Bryan Taylor

Bryan J. Taylor, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Medicine

Consultant | Director of Research Operations
Program Director Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine
Mayo Clinic Florida

Stefan Wiebe

Dr. Stefan Wiebe, MSc (Bioethics)

ECMO Lead

Helios HSK Wiesbaden
Senior Lecturer
University of Otago

Patrick Wieruszewski

Patrick Wieruszewski, PharmD

Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology

Assistant Professor of Pharmacy
Mayo Clinic

Pavan Yadav

Pavan Yadav, MD

Clinical Director

Interventional Pulmonology & Lung Transplantation
MBBS, MD - Pulmonary Medicine
Fellowship - Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
KIMS Hospitals

Suraj Yalamuri

Suraj Yalamuri, MD

Consultant

Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology
Medical Director for HeartWorks
Mayo Clinic

Ready to Join Us in Bengaluru?

Register for KITES 2026 and be part of this transformative educational experience.

Registration Contact

Ajaruddin B K

+91 90363 64445

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