Key Opinion Leader Forum 5 – Aortic – Online Session – 5th of February 2025
You will be able to pose your questions to our panel: Firas Mussa and Jacob Butz Lilly, as well as Zoran Rancic, the Aortic Pathway Lead.
Objective
Do you have a challenging case? Are you unsure how to treat aortic issues? Do you want a different perspective? Are you a member? Then you are welcome to join our KOL Forum to hear how a KOL would treat your case! This is a new educational initiative for those with moderate to advanced vascular surgery knowledge. It allows participants to ask and get responses to burning questions on moderate to difficult cases by either submitting them for possible selection in the Forum, or via the KOL Forum case library. You can also just join and learn! The sessions are designed to:
- Provide advanced training for experienced surgeons
- Provide a rare opportunity to interact with experts in the field
- Receive advice on personal cases
- Be informal spaces
Meet Our Key Opinion Leaders
Jacob Budtz-Lilly
Jacob Budtz-Lilly is a senior consultant and associate professor of vascular surgery at the University Hospital of Aarhus in Aarhus, Denmark. He is responsible for their aortic program, which is the national referral centre for complex aortic disease in Denmark.
He has a wealth of international experience and relationships, having studied medicine both in Canada and the United States and specialising in vascular surgery in Denmark. He completed his PhD on aortic pathology in Uppsala, Sweden, where he went on to complete a fellowship in complex aortic treatment in both Uppsala and Malmö. Dr. Budtz-Lilly is the previous president of the Danish Vascular Society and currently sits as the chair for Vascunet, a committee within the European Society of Vascular Surgery, and the incoming co-chair of the International Consortium of Vascular Registries.
He is a Fellow of the European Board of Vascular Surgery and a member of the European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery editorial board. He has multiple publications and is active in several trials on complex aortic disease. Dr. Budtz-Lilly is also the primary investigator for the ongoing Scandinavian trial of Uncomplicated Aortic Dissection Therapy (The SUNDAY Trial).
Firas Mussa
Firas Mussa is nationally and internationally recognised as a thought leader in the treatment of aortic dissection. In 2023, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) awarded Dr. Mussa along with colleagues from SUNY Downstate and Duke University, the IMPROVE-AD trial.
This is a multi-centre, multi-million dollar, seven-year, randomised controlled trial examining the treatment efficacy of upfront thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) as compared to Standard of Care with medical therapy with selective TEVAR for patients with uncomplicated Type B aortic dissection (uTBAD).
Prior to that, Dr. Mussa was the first physician from New York to become a member of the prestigious International Registry of Aortic Dissection (IRAD) and leading NYU to become the first in the state dedicated for the treatment of this potentially fatal condition. Having published extensively in both basic and clinical research, he has presented around the world. His areas of clinical expertise include open and complex endovascular repair of thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms, type B aortic dissections, carotid artery stenosis, lower extremity ischemia, mesenteric ischemia, and venous insufficiency and varicose veins. He is a Distinguished Member of the Society of Vascular Surgery. Dr. Mussa’s ultimate passion is educating the next generation of leaders in vascular surgery. He has been actively involved teaching, mentoring and training medical students, residents and fellows.
