AN HISTORIC OCCASION FOR ESCRS

Message from Peter Barry, President of ESCRS

On behalf of ESCRS, I am delighted to welcome friends and colleagues from all over the world to Milan for what is truly an historic occasion. The first meeting of our society in Italy promises to be the largest European meeting in ophthalmology so far. The ESCRS will be partnering its XXX Annual Congress with the 12th EURETINA Congress, the 3rd EuCornea Congress and the 2nd World Congress of Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (WCPOS). In addition, the ESCRS will hold its second Glaucoma Day on Friday September 7. The Glaucoma Day Scientific Programme is organised by the European Glaucoma Society. Outstanding scientific programmes are planned, with numerous lectures, presentations, courses, posters and videos. Leading experts will present the latest scientific knowledge in research and state-ofthe- art of ophthalmology.

ESCRS is very grateful to the Programme Committee for the many hours they have spent in putting together a programme that has something of interest for ophthalmologists from different countries and different backgrounds. One of the biggest challenges the committee faces is to make sure that we highlight the newest innovations and this year, as in previous years, they have done an excellent job in showcasing the hot topics. I would also like to thank the judging panels who have given up their time to judge the Video Awards, the Poster Awards and the John Henahan writing prize for young ophthalmologists. I do not have the space here to mention all of our distinguished speakers but let me give a special thanks to my good friend and colleague Prof Mats Lundstrom of Karlskrona, Sweden a long-time advocate of surgical outcome registries who will look at Quality Outcomes in Cataract Surgery: The Real Story, when he delivers the Ridley Medal Lecture at our Opening Ceremony.

My special thanks, on behalf of ESCRS, also go to the sponsors and exhibitors for their support. Without their contributions these four meetings would not have been possible. In addition to the scientific programme in Milan, I hope our visitors get to enjoy the many delights on offer in our beautiful city. Milan is an historic city, full of cultural and architectural wonders but it is also a vibrant 21st Century city full of life and passion with sport, fashion and music on offer for young and old alike. Let us also not forget that this is the 30th ESCRS Congress. We have come a long way since the forerunner of ESCRS, the European Intra-Ocular Implant Council, held its first congress in The Hague, Netherlands in 1982. We have a proud history to remember and we are also excited about the new projects which the society is continuing to develop such as the Practice Development programme and iLearn. We are also building closer bonds with our younger colleagues in training through the Young Ophthalmologists’ Forum.

Today, ESCRS is Europe's leading organisation for cataract and refractive surgeons and is at the forefront of developments in anterior segment surgery. The society currently has more than 4,000 members from over 100 different countries worldwide. The ESCRS offers a unique forum for discussion and learning which ensures that international expertise is shared by ophthalmologists all over Europe. If you are not already a member, I would encourage you to visit the ESCRS booth and join the society. We have many exciting offerings to members and our staff in Milan will be very happy to talk to you about the services we are offering. Let me again welcome you to Milan. Let us share our knowledge and experience at these four outstanding congresses. We will also have the opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones and many of these friendships will last for life.