EyeWorld India March 2017 Issue

March 2017 8 EWAP NEWS & OPINION A Chinese saying goes, “Up above there’s heaven, down below there’s Suzhou and Hangzhou”—poetic testament to the beauty of these two cities, the latter of which was called “the finest and most splendid city in the world” by Marco Polo. This year, the Asia-Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (APACRS) is bringing its annual meeting to the “Crossroads” in Hangzhou, with the aim of “finding the right path” through the present and into the future of cataract and refractive surgery. Co-hosted by the Chinese Ophthalmological Society and the Chinese Cataract Society under the leadership of Yao Ke, MD , Zhejiang University, the 30th APACRS annual meeting runs from 1 to 3 June 2017 at the Hangzhou International Convention Center (HICC) at InterContinental Hangzhou. As usual, the meeting offers the society’s signature streamlined yet comprehensive scientific program. APACRS LIM Lecture Every year one of the best and brightest ophthalmologists in the region is selected to deliver the APACRS LIM Lecture, the society’s highest honor and perhaps the most important session of the annual meeting. This year, the honor goes to Chee Soon Phaik, MD , Singapore. Renowned for her versatility and skill in dealing with a wide variety of complex cataract surgical cases, Dr. Chee will be giving her APACRS LIM Lecture on Phaco vs. Femto: Friend vs. Foe? on the morning of Friday, 2 June 2017, as part of the annual meeting’s Opening Ceremony, 08:30 – 10:00 hrs, Hangzhou Hall 1. whether it is done by standard phacoemulsification or with a femtosecond laser assist. The CSCRS will be held on Friday, 2 June 2017, 10:30 – 12:30 hrs, Hangzhou Hall 1. Special Lectures This year’s meeting will feature a special lecture to be given by Geoffrey Tabin, MD , Salt Lake City, Utah, co- founder of the Himalayan Cataract Project. Dr. Tabin has spent half his life climbing the highest mountains in the world, the other half fighting to eradicate mass cataract blindness as an ophthalmologist. His experiences have given him profound insight into ophthalmological problems associated with high altitude. Dr. Tabin will be sharing this insight in “Mountains, the Eye, and Me,” a special lecture he will be giving on Friday, 2 June 2017, 08:00 - 08:20 hrs, Hangzhou Hall 1. In addition, Liu Yi-zhi, MD, PhD , Guangzhou, China, will deliver a special lecture on “Lens Regeneration Using Endogenous Stem Cells with Gain of Visual Function” at the beginning of the symposium “Innovations & New Technologies – The Way Forward” (Saturday, 3 June 2017, 08:00 – 08:20 hrs, Hangzhou Hall 1) while Wong Tien Yin, MD , Singapore, will discuss “Cataract Surgery and Diabetic Retinopathy” at the beginning of the symposium “Avoiding Unexpected Outcomes – Taking the Wrong Path” (Saturday, 3 June 2017, 11:00 – 12:30, Hangzhou Hall 1). APACRS MasterClasses The APACRS is once again offering attendees the opportunity to learn from the masters of cataract and refractive surgery with its popular series of MasterClasses. This year, the society will be holding 12 MasterClasses, including new classes on “Crosslinking”, “Endothelial Keratoplasty”, and “Intrastromal Refractive Surgery”. The MasterClasses will be held throughout the day on Thursday, 1 June 2017. Facing Challenges A number of sessions will be dedicated to navigating complex cases. As femtosecond technology enriches cataract surgery, “Complicated Cataract Surgery – Femto vs. Phaco”, a Chinese CSCRS: Phaco Philosophy – Finding the Right Path The Combined Symposium of Cataract and Refractive Societies (CSCRS) is a core part of the APACRS annual meeting’s scientific program. This year, experts representing the APACRS, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), and the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) will be discussing the important facets of phacodynamics that are crucial to safe and effective cataract surgery,