Making choices

I am delighted to be invited to write this editorial for the July/August issue of EuroTimes. The COVID-19 pandemic brought cataract surgery to a near standstill. Now that we are in the early stages of re-opening in Europe we face a number of additional challenges not least of which is catching up on the backlog of cataract cases, while maintaining proper protocols to protect everyone involved. The theme of this issue is choosing the right IOL for your patient. This has always been a complex, multifactorial process that gets more interesting every year as the selection of IOLs increases. The COVID-19 pandemic has not slowed the arrival of an ever increasing array of new lens designs in the clinic. In the cover article, Dr Soosan Jacobs walks us through the current IOL choices, reminding us to base our decision on our patients’ needs. The article takes us through the complex decision matrix, looking at everything from lifestyle requirements, anatomic considerations, even costs and personality considerations. A companion article features a recent presentation by Prof Beatrice Cochener at the French Implant and Refractive Surgery Association (SAFIR) annual meeting highlighting some of the latest advanced optic IOLs. She emphasizes how important patient selection issues are when deciding who might benefit from an EDOF lens or trifocal IOL, and who would be better served with another option. The patient’s age, lifestyle, and expectations all must be taken into account. A report from our winter congress in Krakow from Dermot McGrath provides some early clinical study results on some of the new premium IOLs now entering the market. As COVID vaccination rates increase in some areas, some of us can breathe a sigh of relief, with the feeling that the pandemic will be controlled eventually. However, the pandemic still rages in many parts of the world, as a special exclusive report from India confirms, where eye surgeons are faced with an epidemic of Mucor in the midst of the COVID pandemic. The pandemic kept us from convening in person last year for the annual ESCRS Congress. We adapted, providing what turned out to be a very successful virtual conference. This year, the 39th Congress of the ESCRS will take place in Amsterdam, October 8 through 11. The Congress programme has been designed to allow delegates to participate fully, either in person or virtually. Due to COVID-19 safety regulations, only a limited number of seats will be available in Amsterdam. For those who are unable or unwilling to travel, virtual seating will be available. The Congress offers us not only the opportunity to take advantage of education and training, but also a long awaited chance to reconnect with friends and colleagues. Priority registration is now available at escrs.org. EuroTimes, as always, will provide comprehensive coverage of the Congress. Finally, we also have choices to make of the democratic sort regarding the ESCRS board elections. I encourage all ESCRS members to see the section in this issue for more information on nominated candidates. That information is also available online at escrs.org/about-escrs/elections-2021.asp. I’m looking forward to the day when we can meet in person and prepare for better times. Oliver Findl MD, Incoming President of the ESCRS, Chief of the Department of Ophthalmology, Hanusch Hospital, and the Vienna Institute for Research in Ocular Surgery (VIROS), Vienna