EyeWorld Asia-Pacific September 2013 Issue

61 EW PHARMACEUTICALS Septemebr 2013 He said the following five areas are crucial to the group: epidemiology, management/ treatment options, imaging/ screening, risk factors, and genetics. “I think the key to advances in angle closure glaucoma research will lie in collaborations, especially among us in the room,” he said. The satellite meeting featured a unique mix of short lectures followed by longer discussions, in which changing moderators and a panel discussed issues related to angle closure with audience members. Discussions were lively, sparking continued audience participation. APACRS opening session highlights history To officially open the 26th APACRS Annual Meeting, the APACRS president, Graham Barrett, MD , Australia gave the welcome address. “It was a privilege to be part of our meetings in those early days,” Dr. Barrett said. Over time, he said he has seen APACRS grow and engage with a whole new generation of leaders, culminating in this year’s meeting in Singapore. Dr. Barrett thanked everyone involved in the meeting, including those working on the program, as well as the Secretariat. He highlighted the new website of APACRS, recently updated, to include information on all past APACRS Lim lecturers, Gold Medal recipients and A.C.E. recipients. In addition, the APACRS website also includes a link for a toric calculator that Dr. Barrett said he hopes will be a resource that many people will find helpful. He also mentioned the honor of having Prof. Arthur Lim, MD , attend the opening ceremony this year. Additionally, Dr. Barrett mentioned his thanks to major supporters of the meeting. “We can’t hold these meetings without support of industry,” he said. Dr. Barrett said it has been a goal for the APACRS to be recognized on par with some of its larger sister organizations, such as ASCRS, ESCRS and LASCRS, and he said with the stature of this meeting, he believes this has just about been reached. Highlighting some of the aspects and attractions of Singapore, Dr. Barrett said it is a great place to visit and a great place to attend a meeting to pick up some of the “pearls of the orient.” Following Dr. Barrett was the welcome by Donald Tan, MD , Singapore, the president of the Asia Cornea Society and the Cornea Society. Dr. Tan highlighted the fact that this year was the first Cornea Day in the history of APACRS, and it was successful in bringing together speakers and delegates from around the globe to address some of the world’s cornea problems. Finally, to finish the welcome addresses, the guest of honor, Vivian Balakrishnan, MD , Singapore minister for environment and water resources, spoke and expressed his pleasure in this being the fourth time that the APACRS meeting has been held in Singapore in the last 25 years. A lot has changed in the last 25 years, he said, including the advent of refractive surgery, the femtosecond laser, and phacoemulsification. And he said that all this has led to a situation where there is an ability to operate at levels of precision that go far beyond human hand- eye coordination. He said that we need to continue to ensure that the next generation can see and do more and continue to make a difference. This year’s APACRS Lim Lecture was given by Hungwon Tchah, MD , Korea. The APACRS Gold Medal went to Ronald Yeoh, MD , Singapore, the APACRS Certified Educator (A.C.E.) went to Robert Ang, MD , Philippines, and the Special Award was given to Professor Arthur Lim, Singapore. The societies participating in this year’s meeting include the Chinese Cataract Society, the Japanese Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the Korean Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the Indonesian Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Intraocular Implant and Refractive Society, India, Philippine Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists of Thailand, ASCRS, ESCRS, and LACRS. Dr. Barrett said the APACRS and the meeting has not been able to reach this point without the support of many people and many societies. Hungwon Tchah delivers 2013 APACRS Lim Lecture Hungwon Tchah, MD , Korea, presented this year’s 2013 APACRS Lim Lecture, focusing on the topic “Modulation of Corneal Wound Healing after Surface Ablation.” continued on page 62