YO PROGRAMME CONTINUES TO EVOLVE WITH LARGE ATTENDANCE

The 2014 Young Ophthalmologists Programme at the XXXII Congress of the ESCRS drew a very large crowd of ophthalmologists of all ages.

Entitled “Starting Phaco,” the programme lasted from 8:30 until 16:00, with 11 different presentations and a wide variety of videos. Particularly interesting was the “Learning from the Learners” element. This included videos submitted by trainee ophthalmologists from across Europe in which intraoperative complications  were encountered.

“I greatly admire the courage displayed by the young ophthalmologists in training who submitted their complication videos and stood up here to present them to a large group of their peers,” said Dr Peter Barry, Ireland, one of the moderators of the afternoon session. “It isn’t easy to come forward with this type of material, but I think this is a good context in which to do so.”

The first morning session, chaired by Oliver Findl, Austria, Simonetta Morselli of Italy and Kaarina Vannas, Finland, started out with discussions on how to prepare for cataract surgery. 

The second morning session went through the entire procedure of a cataract operation. Dr Nic Reus of the Netherlands focussed on the optimal hydrodissection technique. He emphasised the creation of a posterior fluid wave upon injection of BSS into the capsule, followed by an anterior wave generated by gentle pressure on the lens. This pressure allows the fluid to move from posterior to anterior within the capsule, releasing lens-capsule adhesions and allowing for free rotation of the lens.

“Residents who are learning this step frequently place too much pressure on the anterior part of the lens while they attempt to generate the posterior fluid wave,” said Dr Reus. “This prevents the BSS from properly entering the space behind the lens. I thus often suggest they attempt a no-touch technique, in which they position the cannula tip in the anterior chamber, with the fluid jet directed just under the edge of the capsulorhexis. This eliminates the problem of pressure on the lens and allows for a smooth posterior wave.”

The afternoon session moved into more difficult territory, with presentations on small pupils, intraoperative floppy iris syndrome (IFIS), an uncontrollable rhexis and posterior capsule rupture.

Sonia Manning, Ireland, concluded the session with a convincing presentation on the effectiveness of the European Registry of Quality Outcomes for Cataract and Refractive Surgery (EUREQUO) for trainee ophthalmologists. This anonymous audit of surgical outcomes is offered free online, and allows the trainee to both track his or her progress and compare it to one’s peers.

“The didactic presentations were excellent today,” said Dr Barry, “and we are very happy with the large turnout. This is a nice sign of the programme’s evolution over the past 10 to 12 years.”