ESCRS HAS A BRIGHT FUTURE

I am very pleased to have an opportunity to write the editorial for this month’s EuroTimes which focuses on Cataract and Refractive Surgery. It is always interesting to read reports from the major international meetings which focus on the latest cutting-edge procedures and technologies. This issue carries a number of reports from the XXX ESCRS Congress in Milan, Italy, where the excellent Scientific Programme gave us the opportunity to consider some of the major innovations which may change the nature of our ophthalmological practices in the future. As chairman of the ESCRS Young Ophthalmologists’ Forum I was very pleased with the increasing participation of trainees at the Milan congress.

They are the future of the ESCRS and they will also determine the future of ophthalmology. The Young Ophthalmologists’ Programme at the congress was very well attended and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our excellent speakers who discussed a wide range of topics including Refractive Aspects of Lens Surgery and Decision Making in Refractive Surgery. A special thanks also to Zoltan Nagy who delivered a stimulating Guest Lecture on the topic of “Femtosecond Cataract Surgery for Young Ophthalmologists.â€

In this issue of EuroTimes and over the next few months you will be able to read reports from the Young Ophthalmologists’ Programme and the other key presentations and as always we welcome your correspondence if you wish to comment on any of the issues raised in our articles.

ESCRS Winter Meeting

While we will have fond memories of the congress, it is important to look forward to the future and to the 17th ESCRS Winter Meeting (in conjunction with the Polish Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery) which takes place in Warsaw, Poland from 15-17 February 2013. I would urge all of my colleagues to try and attend this meeting which also includes the Annual Cornea Day organised by ESCRS and EuCornea and Live Surgery organised by the Polish Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

I am also very pleased to announce that for the very first time the Young Ophthalmologists have their own programme at the Winter Meeting. This is a three-hour programme which is aimed specifically at ophthalmologists in training and will highlight several topics that will recur through the meeting. “Learning from the Learners,†is an interactive session on cataract surgery for trainees which I will moderate alongside my colleague Simonetta Morselli, Italy.

The programme will offer advice on preparing for your first cataract surgery before you enter the operating room and also case studies presented by the young ophthalmologists themselves. Junior surgeons will share their cases with the group, opening the case up for discussion by the experts. The aim of this session will be to demonstrate common mistakes made during the learning curve of cataract surgery and how these mistakes can be avoided. We will also have a session on “How to Teach Cataract Surgery†looking at different approaches to teaching. Finally, as this is the first issue of EuroTimes for 2013, I would like to wish all of my colleagues a very Happy New Year and I hope that there are good times ahead for all of you.