EyeWorld Asia-Pacific December 2014 Issue

3 EWAP CONTENTS December 2014 Letter from the Editor Dear Friends B e prepared! The theme of our final issue of EyeWorld Asia-Pacific for the year 2014 is the management of complex cases requiring cataract surgery. The outcomes of modern cataract surgery are excellent and serious complications are rare. It is a misconception, however, that the procedure has become simpler. The reality is that the success of the procedure is the development of sophisticated technology and training requiring dexterity and skill. The ability to manage complex situations is even more demanding and requires an understanding of the particular issues that need to be overcome when faced with circumstances such as pseudoexfoliation, small pupils, and extremely dense cataracts. Perhaps the most challenging cases are those patients who present with dislocated cataracts requiring pars plana fixation. All these situations are covered in depth and our experts provide their thoughts on how to manage these complex cases. While reading the articles I realized that common to all these situations is the need for the surgeon to be prepared for all the possible scenarios that may arise when faced with a complex case. This begins with the choice of anesthesia, as topical may not always be optimum. Additional devices such as iris hooks, alternative viscoelastic, and vision blue should be available. I always prepare additional lenses that may be suitable for sulcus or scleral fixation in addition to the single-piece toric IOL that may be the first choice. Capsular tension rings or segments should be on hand and specific iris prostheses may need to be ordered in advance. Appropriate planning includes the need to put aside sufficient time to complete a complex case and occasionally having vitreoretinal backup allows the case to be completed with one procedure. Being prepared with the appropriate devices and skills is key to managing these situations and may make a significant difference in restoring sight to a one-eyed patient as is often the case. I hope you enjoy our final issue of EyeWorld Asia-Pacific for 2014 but also take the time to relax and take a well-earned rest over the holiday period. Wishing all our readers all the best and a healthy, happy, and prosperous new year. Warmest regards Graham Barrett Chief Medical Editor EyeWorld Asia-Pacific EYEWORLD ASIA-PACIFIC EDITORIAL BOARD C HIEF MEDICAL EDITOR Graham BARRETT, Australia MEMBERS Abhay VASAVADA, India ANG Chong Lye, Singapore CHAN Wing Kwong, Singapore CHEE Soon Phaik, Singapore Choun-Ki JOO, Korea Hiroko BISSEN-MIYAJIMA, Japan ASIA-PACIFIC CHINA EDITION Editors-in-Chief ZHAO Jialiang ZHAO Kan Xing Deputy Editor HE Shouzhi Assistant Editor ZHOU Qi ASIA-PACIFIC INDIA EDITION Regional Managing Editor S. NATARAJAN ASIA-PACIFIC KOREA EDITION Regional Editor-in-Chief Hungwon TCHAH Regional Managing Editor Chul Young CHOI Hungwon TCHAH, Korea John CHANG, Hong Kong Johan HUTAURUK, Indonesia Kimiya SHIMIZU, Japan Pannet PANGPUTHIPONG, Thailand Prin ROJANAPONGPUN, Thailand Ronald YEOH, Singapore S. NATARAJAN, India YAO Ke, China Y.C. LEE, Malaysia