EyeWorld Asia-Pacific June 2012 Issue

APACRS 2012: ‘Sophisticated Surgeons’ in Shanghai by EyeWorld Staff T he 25th Annual APACRS Meeting, held in conjunction with the 14th Congress of the Chinese Cataract Society (CCS) from 31 May to 4 June 2012 at the Shanghai International Convention Center, Shanghai, China, provided a unique opportunity for scientific communication and exchange among the world’s leading ophthalmologists, said Yao Ke, MD, president, CCS. Highlights include this year’s APACRS LIM Lecture, the Masterclasses which this year included a session on femtosecond-laser assisted cataract surgery, and the Combined Symposium of Cataract and Refractive Societies (CSCRS). Collaboration, knowledge exchange “Cataract has always been a major cause of blindness in China and the whole world,” said Prof. Yao. “Nowadays, Chinese ophthalmologists are facing an unprecedented change. 1.4 million cataract surgeries were done last year, but there are still 8 million [patients] on the waiting list. The waiting list is becoming longer and longer. Under this huge pressure, our Chinese ophthalmologists are eager to communicate with the world’s experts.” Graham Barrett, MD, president, APACRS, and chief medical editor, EyeWorld Asia- Pacific , noted that the magazine has fundamentally altered the exchange of ophthalmic knowledge in the region, particularly in China. “I can think of no better description for this meeting than the sophisticated surgeon,” he said. The program, he said, was designed to educate attendees on state-of- the-art cataract and refractive surgery and “to explore the very best way to practice our profession and reflect the principles of elegance, efficiency, and excellence as exemplified by Shanghai.” Laurels The APACRS Gold Medal, the most prestigious medal awarded to outstanding ophthalmologists in the Asia-Pacific region, went to Prof. Yao for his ongoing contribution to the development of cataract and refractive surgery and ophthalmology in the region. This year’s A.C.E. Award went to Tang Xin, MD, deputy director of the Tianjin Eye Institute, China, for his active role in disseminating the latest advances and techniques to colleagues. In addition, two special EyeWorld Asia-Pacific Awards were given this year. Zhao Jialiang, MD, past-president, Chinese Ophthalmological Society, and He Shouzhi, MD, immediate past-president, CCS, were honored for their work as Regional Editors on the magazine, which is now read by more than 27,000 ophthalmologists in more than 20 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. 2012 LIM Lecture: Subluxation For more than 20 years, the APACRS LIM Lecture has remained the highest award of the society, honoring exceptional ophthalmologists that have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of cataract and refractive surgery. This year’s honoree is Ehud I. Assia, MD, director, ophthalmology department, Meir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba, Israel, and professor of ophthalmology, Tel-Aviv University. Prof. Assia lectured on surgical options in subluxated lenses, an uncommon but serious condition that may seriously affect vision. Subluxation may occur in crystalline or intraocular lenses, he said. Subluxation of crystalline lenses usually occurs in young patients and is often associated with some systemic syndromes or following trauma. IOL subluxation, on the other hand, happens in older patients with pseudoexfoliation or myopia, or following cataract surgery. “It almost always requires surgical intervention, and it is always challenging,” Prof. Assia said. Surgical options for crystalline lens subluxation are to perform intracapsular cataract extraction (ICCE) or lensectomy and then implant an alternative lens, or to preserve the lens capsule using a stabilizing device. Prof. Assia recommends preserving the capsule because it maintains the barrier between the anterior and posterior segments and utilizes the remaining zonules. It also helps prevent lens decentration and tilt, and there’s no contact with the IOL material and ocular tissue, preventing chaffing. There are two kinds of capsule stabilizing devices: equatorial support and anterior capsular support. One disadvantage of the equatorial ring is that it takes up the entire lens equator and requires a great deal of manipulation and may jeopardize the zonules. The continued on page 7