Milan ESCRS Congress succeeds on all fronts

The recently concluded 40th Annual Congress in Milan was a refreshing return to a pattern we were familiar with before the SARS-CoV-2 COVID pandemic drove us all indoors. This was a full-size conference showcasing the breadth of research and clinical practice in the field of ophthalmology with 1,300 accepted abstracts, 32 free paper sessions, a dozen symposia, and hundreds of courses and wetlabs.

This was among the largest conferences we have ever had, with more than 13,000 delegates and industry representatives onsite. We also reached an extended global audience through our virtual congress platform. Those who were fortunate enough to attend in person were able to meet old colleagues and make new friends in the late summer warmth of Northern Italy.

The Congress highlighted our increased awareness of the role ophthalmologists can play in meeting the multiple global challenges we face.

For example, the ESCRS responded very quickly to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Our ongoing efforts, working with industry, have already provided more than one million Euro in support to our Ukrainian ophthalmological colleagues in the form of logistics and medical supplies. The ESCRS sponsored some 300 Ukrainian doctors at the Milan conference. A number of sessions during the conference addressed the enormous challenges faced by our Ukrainian colleagues caring for those injured in the conflict.

No issue has broader global ramifications for all of us than climate change. Signs of the enhanced ESCRS commitment to making ophthalmology more sustainable could be seen throughout the conference centre. This included recycling, reusable water bottles, messenger bikes, and healthy snack options everywhere. Sustainability was also a hot topic at iNovation Symposium and the Practice Management and Development sessions.

EuroTimes will provide comprehensive reporting from the many interesting and diverse sessions our reporters covered during the conference.

Tags: 40th Congress of the ESCRS