MEET-THE-EXPERT SESSIONS

12 November 2026, Thursday

From Assessment to Action: Applying the VIBe Scale to Optimize Hemostasis in Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

Time	15:00 – 15:30 (GMT+8)
Venue	Grand Hyatt Singapore, Residence 2, Level 3
Synopsis	Effective hemostasis remains a critical component of successful cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, where uncontrolled bleeding can significantly impact patient outcomes, operative efficiency, and resource utilization. This session will introduce the VIBe (Validated Intraoperative Bleeding) Scale as a standardized framework for objectively assessing intraoperative bleeding severity and guiding treatment decisions. Through clinical examples and practical applications, participants will explore how the VIBe Scale supports the appropriate use of active and passive hemostatic agents, enabling a more systematic and evidence-informed approach to bleeding management in complex surgical procedures. The session will also discuss how standardized bleeding assessment can improve communication within the surgical team and facilitate consistent hemostatic strategies across different clinical scenarios.
Objectives	By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Understand the principles and clinical utility of the VIBe Scale for standardized intraoperative bleeding assessment. Differentiate between active and passive hemostatic agents, including their mechanisms of action and appropriate clinical applications. Apply the VIBe Scale to support hemostatic product selection according to bleeding severity and surgical conditions. Integrate structured bleeding assessment into cardiovascular and thoracic surgical practice to support efficient and consistent bleeding management.
Faculty	Raghavendra Mayya

Next Generation Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery: Making Innovation Accessible

Time	09:30 – 10:00 (GMT+8)
Venue	Grand Hyatt Singapore, Residence 5 & 6, Level 3
Faculty	Irene Bello

Mastering Critical Steps in VATS Lung Resection: Dissection, Stapling & Bleeding Control

Time	15:00 – 15:30 (GMT+8)
Venue	Grand Hyatt Singapore, Residence 5 & 6, Level 3
Synopsis	A practical discussion of the key technical steps in minimally invasive lung resection, with a focus on safe hilar and tissue dissection, effective management of the pulmonary vessels and bronchus, stapling strategies, and the prevention and management of intraoperative bleeding. Drawing on surgical cases and technical pearls, the session highlights practical approaches to improving procedural efficiency while maintaining surgical control.
Objectives	Recognize the key technical steps and common challenges in minimally invasive lung resection. Describe techniques for safe hilar and tissue dissection. Apply stapling strategies for division of the pulmonary vessels, bronchus and parenchyma, including stapler selection, positioning and access. Outline approaches to preventing and managing intraoperative bleeding. Share practical pearls for an efficient and controlled minimally invasive workflow.
Faculty	Edmund Empaces Villaroman Punnarerk Thongcharoen

13 November 2026, Friday

Perioperative Tislelizumab in Resectable NSCLC: Translating Clinical Trial Outcomes into Surgical Practice

Time	14:00 – 14:30 (GMT+8)
Venue	Grand Hyatt Singapore, Residence 2, Level 3
Synopsis	This presentation reviews the key outcomes from RATIONALE-315, with a focus on how perioperative tislelizumab plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy affects pathological response, surgical feasibility, and long-term outcomes in resectable stage II–IIIA NSCLC. It will highlight the practical implications for surgeons, including surgical timing, operative approach, completeness of resection, postoperative outcomes and multidisciplinary treatment planning and include a real-world case sharing to round out the discussion.
Objectives	Summarise the RATIONALE-315 study design and key efficacy findings. Evaluate the pathological and surgical outcomes of perioperative tislelizumab plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Apply the findings to surgical decision-making and multidisciplinary management of resectable NSCLC.
Faculty	Chen Jianye Molly Li

Time	09:00 – 16:00 (GMT+8)
Venue	Grand Hyatt Singapore, Residence 6, Level 3
Format	Rotating hands-on stations with focused short didactic sessions and practical demonstrations
Introduction	This hands-on workshop is designed to strengthen both the technical execution and clinical reasoning required for advanced bronchoscopy and interventional pulmonology. Each station combines short expert demonstrations with deliberate practice, troubleshooting, and discussion of indications, safety checks, and complication management
Objectives	– Develop a structured approach to procedure planning, including indication, airway anatomy, lesion or nodal target, device selection, and rescue strategy. – Improve hands-on familiarity with convex-probe EBUS bronchoscopes, R-EBUS probes, guide sheaths, biopsy tools, cryoprobes, ablative devices, rigid bronchoscopes, and airway stents. – Practice stepwise technical execution with attention to ergonomics, team communication, equipment readiness, and procedural flow. – Recognise pitfalls early and apply practical strategies for bleeding, airway obstruction, pneumothorax risk, device malposition, and loss of target access.
Target Participants	Respiratory physicians, interventional pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, respiratory and thoracic fellows and trainees, intensivists with an interest in advanced bronchoscopy, bronchoscopy nurses, and allied healthcare professionals involved in bronchoscopy services.
Participants Number	30 pax
Lead Faculty	Eric D. Tenda Melvin Tay C.K. SS Kho
Faculty	Regional and international multidisciplinary experts in respiratory medicine and interventional pulmonology

Time	07:30 – 17:00 (GMT+8)
Venue	Grand Hyatt Singapore, Residence 5, Level 3
Format	Interactive, case-based multidisciplinary workshop focused on precision lung cancer care, integrating molecular tumour board discussions, real-world case simulations, and live audience polling.
Introduction	This workshop focuses on the practical application of molecular profiling in lung cancer, including NGS, liquid biopsy, and minimal residual disease (MRD). Emphasis is placed on translating biomarker data into real-world clinical decision-making across early-stage and advanced disease settings.
Objectives	– Apply NGS and molecular profiling in lung cancer management – Interpret ctDNA and MRD results in clinical practice – Integrate biomarker data into treatment decisions – Manage early and advanced NSCLC using precision oncology approaches – Conduct multidisciplinary tumour board (MTB)–style decision-making in clinical scenarios – Discuss real-world challenges in implementing molecular diagnostics in routine practice – Evaluate emerging roles of perioperative and adjuvant biomarker-guided therapies
Target Participants	Medical oncologists, thoracic surgeons, pulmonologists, pathologists, radiation oncologists, trainees, and allied health professionals.
Lead Faculty	Aaron Tan
Faculty	Regional and international multidisciplinary experts in thoracic oncology and molecular diagnostics.

American Samoa	Gibraltar	Panama
Andorra	Greece	Poland
Antigua and Barbuda	Greenland	Portugal
Aruba	Guam	Puerto Rico
Australia	Guyana	Qatar
Austria	Hong Kong SAR, China	Romania
Bahamas, The	Hungary	Russian Federation
Bahrain	Iceland	San Marino
Barbados	Ireland	Saudi Arabia
Belgium	Isle of Man	Seychelles
Bermuda	Israel	Singapore
British Virgin Islands	Italy	Sint Maarten (Dutch part)
Brunei Darussalam	Japan	Slovak Republic
Bulgaria	Korea, Rep.	Slovenia
Canada	Kuwait	Spain
Cayman Islands	Latvia	St. Kitts and Nevis
Channel Islands	Liechtenstein	St. Martin (French part)
Chile	Lithuania	Sweden
Costa Rica	Luxembourg	Switzerland
Croatia	Macao SAR, China	Taiwan, China
Curaçao	Malta	Trinidad and Tobago
Cyprus	Monaco	Turks and Caicos Islands
Czechia	Nauru	United Arab Emirates
Denmark	Netherlands	United Kingdom
Estonia	New Caledonia	United States
Faroe Islands	New Zealand	Uruguay
Finland	Northern Mariana Islands	Virgin Islands (U.S.)
France	Norway
French Polynesia	Oman
Germany	Palau

Afghanistan	Korea, Dem. People’s Rep	Somalia
Burkina Faso	Liberia	South Sudan
Burundi	Madagascar	Sudan
Central African Republic	Malawi	Syrian Arab Republic
Chad	Mali	Togo
Congo, Dem. Rep	Mozambique	Uganda
Eritrea	Niger	Yemen, Rep.
Gambia, The	Rwanda
Guinea-Bissau	Sierra Leone

Albania	Equatorial Guinea	Moldova
Algeria	Fiji	Mongolia
Argentina	Gabon	Montenegro
Armenia	Georgia	North Macedonia
Azerbaijan	Grenada	Paraguay
Belarus	Guatemala	Peru
Belize	Indonesia	Samoa
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Iran, Islamic Rep.	Serbia
Botswana	Iraq	South Africa
Brazil	Jamaica	St. Lucia
Cabo Verde	Kazakhstan	St. Vincent and the Grenadines
China	Kosovo	Suriname
Colombia	Libya	Thailand
Cuba	Malaysia	Tonga
Dominica	Maldives	Türkiye
Dominican Republic	Marshall Islands	Turkmenistan
Ecuador	Mauritius	Tuvalu
El Salvador	Mexico	Ukraine

MEET-THE-EXPERT SESSIONS

MEET-THE-EXPERT SESSIONS

12 November 2026, Thursday

From Assessment to Action: Applying the VIBe Scale to Optimize Hemostasis in Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

Next Generation Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery: Making Innovation Accessible

Mastering Critical Steps in VATS Lung Resection: Dissection, Stapling & Bleeding Control

13 November 2026, Friday

Perioperative Tislelizumab in Resectable NSCLC: Translating Clinical Trial Outcomes into Surgical Practice

Pulmonology Workshop

Oncology Workshop

High-Income Countries (HIC)

Low-Income Countries (LIC)

Upper Middle-Income Countries (UMIC)

Lower Middle-Income Countries (LMIC)

Angola	India	Papua New Guinea
Bangladesh	Jordan	Philippines
Benin	Kenya	São Tomé and Principe
Bhutan	Kiribati	Senegal
Bolivia	Kyrgyz Republic	Solomon Islands
Cambodia	Lao PDR	Sri Lanka
Cameroon	Lebanon	Tajikistan
Comoros	Lesotho	Tanzania
Congo, Rep.	Mauritania	Timor-Leste
Côte d’Ivoire	Micronesia, Fed. Sts.	Tunisia
Djibouti	Morocco	Uzbekistan
Egypt, Arab Rep.	Myanmar	Vanuatu
Eswatini	Namibia	Viet Nam
Ghana	Nepal	West Bank and Gaza
Guinea	Nicaragua	Zambia
Haiti	Nigeria	Zimbabwe
Honduras	Pakistan