Faculty

Alik Farber

MD, MBA
James Utley Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Chief of Surgery
Surgeon-in-Chief
Boston Medical Center Health System

Alik Farber is the Associate Chief Medical Officer for Surgical Services, Vice-Chair of the Department of Surgery and Chief of the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at Boston Medical Center. He is a Professor of Surgery and Radiology at Boston University School of Medicine.
Dr. Farber is a graduate of Brown University and obtained his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He completed a residency in general surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, a vascular surgery fellowship at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and an endovascular surgery fellowship at the Southern Illinois School of Medicine. He received his MBA at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.
Dr. Farber’s clinical and research interest is in treatment of peripheral arterial disease. He was a National Co-Chair of the National Institutes of Health-sponsored Best Endovascular versus Best Surgical Therapy in Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia (BEST-CLI) trial, a randomized, controlled trial recently completed at 150 sites across North America, Europe and New Zealand.

2026 Sessions

BEST-CLI at 4 Years: What the Long-Term Data Tells Us About Durable Limb Preservation

Speaker

Friday, August 07 8:03–8:11 AM
Room Picasso 4-6
Faculty

Alik Farber

MD, MBA
James Utley Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Chief of Surgery
Surgeon-in-Chief
Boston Medical Center Health System

Alik Farber is the Associate Chief Medical Officer for Surgical Services, Vice-Chair of the Department of Surgery and Chief of the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at Boston Medical Center. He is a Professor of Surgery and Radiology at Boston University School of Medicine.
Dr. Farber is a graduate of Brown University and obtained his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He completed a residency in general surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, a vascular surgery fellowship at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and an endovascular surgery fellowship at the Southern Illinois School of Medicine. He received his MBA at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.
Dr. Farber’s clinical and research interest is in treatment of peripheral arterial disease. He was a National Co-Chair of the National Institutes of Health-sponsored Best Endovascular versus Best Surgical Therapy in Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia (BEST-CLI) trial, a randomized, controlled trial recently completed at 150 sites across North America, Europe and New Zealand.

Roundtable: From Patchwork to Protocol — Standardizing Multidisciplinary CLTI Care

Discussant

Moderator

Friday, August 07 8:27–8:57 AM
Room Picasso 4-6
Faculty

Nick Alianello

DPM
Podiatrist / Podiatric Surgery
Associate Chief Medical Officer: Balance Health
Balance Health: Weil Foot and Ankle
Rush University Medical Center

Born and raised in the Western Suburbs of Chicago. I have completed all of my educational and medical training in Chicago. I am a proud father of two young children. Currently I am dedicated to my podiatric practice and serve as the Associate Chief Medical Officer of our nationwide practice.

Faculty

Ralph Darling

Chief
Division of Vascular Surgery
Albany Medical Center

R. Clement Darling III, MD, FACS
Professor of Surgery, Albany Medical College
Chief, Division of Vascular Surgery
Director, The Institute for Vascular Health and Disease
Albany Medical Center Hospital, Albany, NY
Chair, SVS/ACS Inpatient Vascular Verification Program

Dr. Darling is Board Certified in both General and Vascular Surgery and is a Distinguished
Fellow of the Society for Vascular Surgery and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
He serves as Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery and the Director of the Institute for
Vascular Health and Disease at Albany Medical Center, where he leads one of the largest
vascular health care systems in the United States.

He has participated in more than 60 clinical research trials focused on carotid disease,
peripheral arterial disease, and both open and endovascular therapies for AAA disease. Dr.
Darling has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers more than 150 book chapters.

An Internationally recognized speaker, he has lectured extensively around the world and
held numerous leadership roles in national & regional medical societies. He is Past
President of the Society for Vascular Surgery, the Eastern Society for Vascular Surgery, the
Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society, and the New England Society for Vascular
Surgery.

Faculty

Alik Farber

MD, MBA
James Utley Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Chief of Surgery
Surgeon-in-Chief
Boston Medical Center Health System

Alik Farber is the Associate Chief Medical Officer for Surgical Services, Vice-Chair of the Department of Surgery and Chief of the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at Boston Medical Center. He is a Professor of Surgery and Radiology at Boston University School of Medicine.
Dr. Farber is a graduate of Brown University and obtained his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He completed a residency in general surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, a vascular surgery fellowship at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and an endovascular surgery fellowship at the Southern Illinois School of Medicine. He received his MBA at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.
Dr. Farber’s clinical and research interest is in treatment of peripheral arterial disease. He was a National Co-Chair of the National Institutes of Health-sponsored Best Endovascular versus Best Surgical Therapy in Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia (BEST-CLI) trial, a randomized, controlled trial recently completed at 150 sites across North America, Europe and New Zealand.

Course Director

Kumar Madassery

MD
Associate Professor, Vascular Interventional Radiology, Director Peripheral Vascular Interventions, CLTI & Limb Preservation. Director Advanced VIR Fellowship.
Rush University Medical Center

Dr. Madassery is an Associate Professor of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (VIR) at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and Rush Oak Park Hospital. He is the Director of The Advanced VIR Fellowship, the Director of Peripheral Vascular Interventions & CLTI Limb Preservation Program and the IVC Filter Clinic at Rush. Recently, is now Medical Director of VIR at Rush Oak Park Hospital.

He received his medical degree from Chicago Medical School, and both Radiology Residency and VIR Fellowship at Rush. Recently inducted as Fellow of the Society of interventional Radiology (FSIR) & the International Andreas Gruentzig Society (IAGS).

He has authored and co-authored numerous articles, and plethora of grand rounds & educational presentations nationally/globally. He is deeply involved with SIR, serving on Standards and Practices, current Chair of the SIR PAD Specialty Council, on the SIR Annual Meeting Committee and other roles. He reviewes for Journals such as JVIR, JSV-CIT, Journal of CLI, Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine & a Board member of the Alliance for Wound Care Stakeholders, in Washington, D.C.

Much of his practice is dedicated to Critical Limb Ischemia Revascularization and Limb Preservation. Recently, he published a multidisciplinary Comprehensive Limb Preservation Guidebook, entitled Limb Preservation for the Vascular Specialist, with over 60 co-authors. Other interests include Complex IVC Filter Retrievals, Dialysis Interventions, Venous Reconstructions, and Interventional Oncology. He founded and Directs the Peripheral Vascular Trainees Lab (PVTL), which had its Inagural meeting in 2024. Most importantly, he is joyously married, and father to two amazing children.

Faculty

Zola N'Dandu

MD
Interventional Cardiology and Endovascular Intervention Specialist
Ascension Sacred Heart

Dr. Zola N’Dandu earned his medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School and completed training in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, and Interventional Cardiology at Ochsner Health, including advanced specialization in Peripheral Vascular Disease. He previously served as Section Head at Ochsner Medical Center–Kenner, where he developed a reputable program in Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia (CLTI). He currently practices at the Heart and Vascular Institute at Ascension Sacred Heart in Pensacola, Florida.

Dr. N’Dandu’s work centers on limb preservation through a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to peripheral arterial disease (PAD). His clinical and academic interests include advanced infrapopliteal and inframalleolar interventions, as well as deep venous arterialization (DVA) for patients with limited options. He is actively engaged in research, innovation, clinical trials, and publication, and is dedicated to teaching residents and fellows. He also advocates for patient and community education to improve awareness, access, and outcomes in PAD care.

Program Chair

Richard Neville

MD
Associate Director, INOVA Heart and Vascular Institute, Schar Chair of Vascular Surgery
INOVA Health system

Richard F. Neville, MD, FACS, DFSVS is currently Associate Director of INOVA Schar Heart and Vascular, Schar Chair of Vascular Surgery, and Chief of Wound care and Hyperbaric Medicine. Dr. Neville also has an academic appointment as Professor of Medical Education at the University of Virginia, and, Clinical Professor of Surgery at George Washington University where he previously held the position Ludwig Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery. He also served as Chief of Vascular Surgery at Georgetown University for many years. Dr. Neville completed medical school at the University of Maryland and then general surgery residency at Georgetown University before moving on to a fellowship at the National Institutes of Health in endovascular device development. Dr. Neville then completed a vascular surgery fellowship under the direction of Dr. Robert Hobson. Dr. Neville is a Distinguished Fellow of the Society for Vascular Surgery, and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of many other societies including the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery. Dr. Neville is a national and international lecturer having published of over 200 manuscripts, 250 abstracts, 35 book chapters, and 350 invited lectures while remaining actively involved in research and the education of students, residents, fellows, and other physicians. He has consistently been named to the Best Doctors in America, Washingtonian Top Docs, and Who’s Who in the World. His clinical interests include lower extremity revascularization; wound healing, amputation prevention, as well as hemodialysis access.

Faculty

Eric Secemsky

MD, MSc, RPVI, FACC, FAHA, FSCAI, FSVM
Director of Vascular Interventon
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School

Eric A. Secemsky, MD, MSc, RPVI, FACC, FAHA, FSCAI, FSVM is the Director of Vascular Intervention and an interventional cardiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is also Section Head of Interventional Cardiology and Vascular Research at the Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Clinically, Dr. Secemsky splits his time attending in the cardiac catheterization lab, and the inpatient and outpatient vascular medicine services. Dr. Secemsky is the primary vascular interventionalist within the BIDMC catheterization lab, where he does complex venous and arterial procedures, with a focus on peripheral artery disease.

Dr. Secemsky leads the vascular and interventional research program at the Smith Center. His research involves utilizing real-world data to perform comparative effectiveness and outcomes research, with a focus on peripheral vascular disorders. Dr. Secemsky is involved in clinical trial design and implementation, and has served as an investigator on more than a dozen trials. Dr. Secemsky’s research program is funded by the National Institutes of Health, Harvard Medical School, extramural grants and philanthropy. Dr. Secemsky has authored more than 300 publications. He is an Associate Editor at Vascular Medicine and is on the Editorial Board at Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions and Journal of SCAI. He is on the Board of Directors for the VIVA Foundation, PERT Consortium and the Society for Vascular Medicine, and is the co-chair of the Vascular Disease Council for SCAI.

Course Director

Ahmed Kayssi

MD
Associate Professor
Division of Vascular Surgery
University of Toronto

Dr. Kayssi is a vascular surgeon and chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. He is an associate professor of surgery and program director of the Limb Preservation Fellowship at the University of Toronto. Ahmed obtained his medical degree from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, before relocating to Toronto to pursue training in general and vascular surgery. He subsequently completed a fellowship in limb preservation and wound care under the supervision of Dr. Richard Neville in Fairfax, Virginia. Dr. Kayssi is a graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health, where he obtained a Master’s of Public Health focusing on quantitative methods, and also holds a Doctorate of Public Health in Health Policy and Management from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

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