EyeWorld India September 2021 Issue

EWAP SEPTEMBER 2021 3 EDITORIAL EyeWorld Asia-Pacific • September 2021 • Vol. 17 No. 3 Graham Barrett Chief Medical Editor EyeWorld Ƃsia‡Pacific Abhay Vasavada Deputy Regional Editor EyeWorld Ƃsia‡Pacific T he current issue of '[e9orld #sia 2acific contains details of some of the symposia that were recently a part of our virtual meeting based in Singapore. Our annual meeting has always been the focus of our commitment to education and the exchange of new techniques and technology in cataract and refractive surgery in the Asia- Pacific region. 1nfortunately, last year, this was disrupted by the O6ID pandemic, and we have by necessity utilized the virtual format to hold our annual meeting this year. We had already conducted several online seminars discussing various topics but this was the first occasion where we held a full-featured Ó-day meeting, which was held in conjunction with the SNEC celebrating the 30 th anniversary of their establishment. Despite the limitations of a virtual meeting, I believe the APA ,S meeting was focused and provided time for panelists and attendees to interact, discuss, and ask questions. Ike Ahmed’s APA ,S IM ecture was outstanding, and special credit to our APA ,S team, particularly Chan Wing Kwong for ensuring that the technical aspects ran smoothly throughout the meeting. We enjoyed the enthusiastic participation of outstanding international speakers in all the sessions; the S ,S session in particular, a forum for the different regional societies to share a common educational platform, was a highlight and focused on low- versus high-tech solutions to the various problems encountered in our day-to-day practice. We always appreciate the participation of speakers from AS ,S and ES ,S in this session and Elizabeth 9eu, Thomas Kohnen, ,ichard Tipperman, and Filomena Ribeiro gave excellent presentations on topics such as capsulorhexus, femtosecond laser cataract surgery, and planning for surgery. Our APA ,S representatives included Takayuki Akahoshi from apan, ,on 9eoh, and myself. The talks were of a high standard and once again we appreciate the participation of our regional partners. The final session, “Grandmasters of ataract Surgery,» was designed to take full advantage of the virtual format; we were able to invite some of the true masters of cataract surgery, including Doug Koch, David hang, and Daniel Gatinel, who along with speakers from APACRS provided insights into achieving the best outcomes in cataract surgery. We had over £,nää delegates register for this meeting and after Ó days of sharing, I believe we accomplished our goal of providing a frank and up-to-date discussion, and sharing our knowledge and friendship. 9et, despite this success, we all hope that with the increase in vaccination, life can return to some level of normality and we will be able to hold an in-person meeting in ÓäÓÓ. EWAP T his issue highlights sessions from the 33 rd APACRS-SNEC 30 th Anniversary virtual meeting which were both innovative and informative. The Grandmasters of ataract Surgery symposium invited experts from across the world, and they each discussed current and controversial issues such as the use of Zepto precision pulse capsulotomy, the pros and cons of techniques for sutureless scleral fixation of the IO , the latest trends in evaluating astigmatism, and achieving precision with IO power calculation. As part of the S ,S symposium, experts discussed and debated high and low tech options for achieving perfect outcomes during cataract surgery. On one hand, proponents of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery endorse this technology because of its ability to create perfectly centered and sized capsulotomies, divide even hard nuclei almost completely, as well as offer enhanced safety in posterior polar cataracts, white cataracts, and subluxated lenses. On the other hand, proponents of manual techniques such as the prechop technique argued that manual prechop coupled with a manual capsulorhexis in the hands of an experienced surgeon offers excellent control over surgery while reducing cost, time, and the need for extra space and equipment in the operating room complex. In these features comes the debate of old versus new; while we embrace new technology, we should not forget the old. It is in understanding history that we find lessons for what not to do, platforms for further innovation, a stepping stone for future approaches, and often a rescue from difficult situations. When evaluating and adopting any new technology it is important that surgeons are open-minded and are always eager to stay updated on the most recent advances in the field. Always understand the pros and cons of the technology and see how it works in your hands, including its cost-effectiveness in your part of the world. We are living in exciting times in which we are looking at newer presbyopia- correcting IO s, artificial corneal lamellar grafts, microincision glaucoma surgery, and even regeneration of corneas. What is crucial is that as we keep getting better and better, we should always be looking out for potential complications, especially in challenging eyes. Here, the role of history taking and a careful examination cannot be overemphasized. ases with a history of multiple intravitreal injections, small pupils, glaucoma, pseudoexfoliation, retinitis pigmentosa, etc. are at higher risk for having zonular weakness, posterior capsule rupture, or uveal tissue damage during surgery. As a next step, use the information and clinical findings to appropriately counsel patients regarding a higher risk of certain intraoperative complications. Further, surgeons and their team should be prepared to recognize and deal with these problems at the earliest and in the most appropriate manner. It is all about finding the right balance between the familiar and the unfamiliar, and collecting pearls of wisdom along the way.