EyeWorld Asia-Pacific June 2015 Issue

63 EWAP NEWS & OPINION June 2015 SNEC: 25 Years from ‘Vision to Reality’ anterior chamber depth (3%), astigmatism (10%), and unknown factors; and keeping the incision small meant an upper margin of 3.0 mm, and was only then being made possible by the introduction of foldable IOLs (phacoemulsification allowed reduction of the incision size, but contemporary IOL designs initially prevented reducing the incision size below 6 mm). Today, Dr. Barrett said, our concerns remain very similar: despite now having the optical biometer, refractive surprises still occur, though instead of axial length or corneal curvature the confounding factor is mainly effective lens position. To address this, Dr. Barrett finds himself still very much involved with mathematical formulae for refractive prediction, with his Universal II formula improving upon the 1995 original but remaining, he said, fundamentally the same formula. “Improving refractive outcome remains quite relevant,” he concluded. Editors’ note: The doctors declared no relevant financial interests. Opening and tribute to Prof. Arthur Lim The SNEC 25th Anniversary International Meeting officially opened Saturday morning with a continued on page 64 by Chiles Aedam R. Samaniego EyeWorld Asia-Pacific Senior Staff Writer Live reports from the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) 25th Anniversary International Meeting, 22–24 May 2015, Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre A PACRS LIM Lectures then and now At the first of the SNEC 25th Anniversary International Meeting’s tripartite tribute to the center’s late founder, Prof. Arthur Lim, who passed away last year in August, recipients of the prestigious APACRS Lim Lecture award reflected on their respective lectures and how things have changed since then. In some cases—as in “Improving the Refractive Outcomes of Cataract Surgery,” originally given in 1995 by APACRS President Graham Barrett, MD , Australia, and “The Changing Face of Cataract & Refractive Surger,” originally given in 2005 by Ronald Yeoh, MD , Singapore— the progress has been remarkable, even if the fundamental concerns remain the same; in others—in “New Viscoless Preloaded Injector,” originally given in 2007 by Kimiya Shimizu, MD , Japan, and “My Insight on Multifocal IOL,” moving ceremony that included the second symposium in the tripartite tribute to Prof. Arthur Lim. SNEC Medical Director Wong Tien Yin, MD, Singapore, began the ceremony with reflections on the lessons he has learned from working with Prof. Lim at SNEC. These lessons traced the center’s 25-year progress from “vision to reality.” Dr. Wong then asked for 1 minute of silence for Prof. Lim. Following the silent tribute, Guest of Honour Gan Kim Yong , Minister of Health, Singapore, gave his welcome address. In Singapore’s 50-year history, Mr. Gan said, the establishment of SNEC is recognized as a major milestone. SNEC’s achievements mirror Singapore’s progress through nation building, he said. Graham Barrett, MD, Australia, Sir Peng Tee Khaw, MD, U.K., and Clement C.Y. Tham, MD, Hong Kong, each gave a touching tribute to Prof. Lim. “His passing leaves us all diminished,” Dr. Barrett said. He encapsulated Prof. Lim’s wisdom in a series of aphorisms: “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” originally given in 2011 by Hiroko Bissen-Miyajima, MD , Japan— the doctors’ conclusions have not changed; finally, in the remaining talks—“Surgical Correction of Ectopia Lentis,” originally given in 2010 by Abhay Vasavada, MD , India, and “Modulation of Corneal Wound Healing afer Surface Ablation,” originally given in 2013 by Hungwon Tchah, MD , South Korea—the changes have been incremental, mostly though not exclusively in terms of refinement of techniques, material, and equipment already available at the time of the original lectures. Dr. Barrett’s reflection also served as this year’s Arthur Lim International Lecture. Going back to his original presentation— archived in the form of slides for a carousel slide projector—he found that while much has changed, his concerns and structured approach then and now remain very much the same. In 1995, Dr. Barrett said that the overriding philosophy for cataract surgery was for the procedure to be safe and painless, with good spherical equivalent outcomes; preop measurements were made with a handheld keratoscope, the optical biometer yet to be invented; prediction errors were the result of errors in the measurement of axial length (54%),