Exciting times for ESASO

This will be a very exciting year for ESASO and I would like to take this opportunity to outline some of the ambitious projects we have planned for 2012.

The very good news for faculty and students at the school is that we have redeveloped our website to make it more attractive to visitors and also easier to navigate. Everything you want to know about ESASO is at: www.esaso.org, so make sure to keep up to date by visiting the site on a regular basis.

Modules

By the time you read this article students will have had the privilege of attending our first module in Plastic Surgery which was held from 30 January to 3 February 2012, in Valetta, Malta, under the guidance of Dr Ramon Medel.

This module gave students the opportunity of learning the basic theoretical knowledge in eyelid, orbital and lacrimal surgery, together with practical work on cadaver dissection and we look forward to organising more courses in this exciting area in the future.

Our second module in Cornea and Corneal Refractive Surgery takes place from 6 February to 10 February 2012, in Lugano, Switzerland where students will get the chance to study important topics such as femtosecond and excimer laser for corneal refractive surgery, corneal evaluation techniques: topography, biomechanics and IOL power calculation in difficult cases.

Module Three is in Medical Retina and this will be held in Lugano from 4 to 8 June. We have a very exciting programme with topics including OCT Imaging CNV, current protocols of treatment for wet AMD and Retinal Vein Occlusion before treatment.

Our fourth module is in Surgical Retina and takes place from 11 to 15 June in Lugano. This module includes courses on indications for vitreous surgery, intraocular tamponades and surgical management of retinal tractional detachment in DR.

The fifth module will be held on Cataract and Intraocular Refractive Surgery in early September 2012. More information to follow soon.

For more information on all of these modules visit: http://www.esaso.org/programme-2012.

Fellowships

It is also important to note that ophthalmologists who complete five ESASO modules receive the Diploma of Specialist Superior in Ophthalmology (DiSSO) and the opportunity to reach a higher level of specialisation. The ESASO Fellowship is a full year advanced specialist training programme in which the recipient can acquire a thorough, in-depth understanding of the specific subject and, accordingly, proficiency in the exercise of the clinical-surgical profession in renowned clinics with leaders in ophthalmology. Information on the Fellowship Programme is available at: http://www.esaso.org/esaso-fellowships.

Meetings

I would also like to draw your attention to two major meetings which we will hold later this year. On 5-6 October we will be holding a live surgery symposium on “New Trends in Anterior Segment Surgery†in Lugano. We will be showing 8-10 surgeries and discussing new surgical strategies in the management of keratoconus, as well as new phakic and pseudophakic IOLs. Secondly, we will look forward to the 12th International AMD and Retina Congress which will be held in Prague, Czech Republic from 2-3 November.

As you can see we have a very busy schedule so make sure to keep informed by visiting www.esaso.org and also through our electronic newsletter eFOCUS which we will be sending out bi-monthly. You can register for it through the ESASO website.

Dr Giuseppe Guarnaccia is global executive director of the ESASO.