ET Today - Istanbul 2011

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Turkish Delight

Picture Gallery

Presbyopic Treatments

Latest photos from the meeting

Symposium looks at new developments

Istanbul offers a feast of surprises

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SATURDAY 19th

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Inside News and previews from the 15th ESCRS Winter Meeting

ESCRS President José Güell welcomes new east-west alliance

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ESCRS president Jose Guell has said the decision to hold the 15th ESCRS Winter Meeting in Istanbul, Turkey is another important development in the society’s policy of extending its membership and activities to eastern Europe and the surrounding region.

“Last year we met in Budapest,” said Dr Guell. “This year we meet in Istanbul. This is the first time that an ESCRS meeting has taken place in Turkey and we are delighted to be joining with our colleagues from the Turkish Ophthalmological Society, Cataract and Refractive Society Division, for our first event together,” he said.

Scientific Programme “Over the past several years we have been developing the ESCRS Winter Meeting by extending our didactic programme.

This programme now includes a Basic Optics Course, and Cataract, Refractive and Cornea didactic courses. We hope these courses will offer a valuable opportunity for residents and those in training to gain a deeper understanding of the basics in the different sub-specialties,” he said.

Dr Guell said the Programme Committee had planned a full Scientific Programme over the course of the meeting which includes four symposia, live surgery, free paper sessions and eposter presentations.

There is also a broad range of surgical skills training courses scheduled throughout the three days.

TODAY’s NUMBERS

new alliance. that is being formed among ophthalmologists through the European region because of the ESCRS’s decision to move the Winter Meetings to the eastern regions.

“I would like to extend our gratitude to the Board Members of ESCRS who kindly asserted their great will and wish to join east and west with the words of science to help humanity,” said Dr Aslan.

“Certainly this meeting will fulfil the needs of every fellow ophthalmologist scientifically and socially, since this meeting has the purpose to improve communication between the scientific community and society; to promote contacts among various associations and among ophthalmologists engaged in producing science and technology.”

Bekir Aslan, President of the Turkish Cataract and Refractive Society, welcomes José Güell, president of the ESCRS, to Istanbul at the 15th ESCRS Winter Meeting

Dr Guell said he was also delighted to report that the Middle East Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) had co-organised with the ESCRS the Saturday symposium ‘Cataract Surgery in the Diseased Eye’, and he thanked MEACO for its input and participation.”

Improving communication

Dr Guell thanked Bekir Sitki Aslan for his assistance in developing the

programme and also his colleagues in Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty Eye Clinic for their organisation of the live surgery session on Saturday afternoon. He said with the help of Dr Aslan and his colleagues they had developed a very exciting programme for the meeting which should ensure lively debate.

Dr Aslan, President of the Turkish Cataract and Refractive Society, has also welcomed the

Charitable initiative In conclusion, Dr Guell drew attention to the ESCRS’s new initiative to support the work of charities in Africa. “Clean water and sanitation facilities are basic requirements for life and the charity Oxfam is known for its expertise in this area.

ESCRS will be supporting a project to bring clean, safe drinking water to the people in the Kitgum district of Uganda. Ethiopia has one of the highest blindness prevalence rates in the world and we will also be supporting an ORBIS project to develop paediatric eye care in the north-west region of the country.

Saturday 19 February

EUROTIMES

1570

Number of delegates attending the 15th ESCRS Winter Meeting (as of Friday 5pm)

458 Number of presentations delivered at this year’s winter meeting

135 Number of EUREQUO booth for information on EUREQUO activities

46 Number of companies exhibiting at this year’s winter meeting

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EXHIBITION Company Name 138A 140

REGISTRATION DESK

129 121

ACCESS TO LEVEL -1

139

128

127

126 130

122

123

124

125

137B

137A

107

iVIS Technologies SRL

133

101

Keralens LTD

127

Abbott Medical Optics

109

Medicontur International SA

111

123

Mediphacos LTDA

125

Alcon Laboratories, Inc.

107

Med-Logics, Inc.

124

131

132

133

Anadolu Tip Teknolojileri A.S. / Zaraccom Lenses 139

Moria

122

avedro

113

New World Medical, Inc.

128

Bausch + Lomb

118

Nidek Medical Turkey

138A

Bemogrup Teknolojik Ltd.

108

NoroVizyon Ltd.Şti.

137A

BIO TECH VISION CARE PVT. LTD.

112

Oculentis GmbH

140

114A

Bon Optic Vertriebsgesellschaft MbH

103

OCULUS Optikgeräte GmbH

100

113A

BTT Bilgi Teknoloji Tasarim

132

Oftalmed Tıbbi Cihazlar ve Goruntuleme Sis. Ltd. St 129

Carl Zeiss Meditec AG

120

Ophmed Co., Ltd.

Cataract & Refractive Surgery Today Europe

121

Ophtec B.V.

Croma-Pharma GmbH

117

OPTIK MEDIKAL TIC. LTD. STI.

ACCESS TO LEVEL -1

111

110

Aaren Scientific, Inc. Accutome, Inc.

118

110

A.R.C. Laser GmbH

134

119

109

115

114

112

113

106

ESASO

100

ENTRANCE TO CONVENTION CENTRE

101

102

104

105

Exhibition Hall

131 130 137B

S. Karger AG

Exhibition Hall

EUREQUO

135

SCHWIND eye-tech-solutions Gmbh & Co. KG

Ferrara Ophthalmics

136

SEGAL OPTICS

Gebauer Medizintechnik GmbH

126

SOOFT Italia S.p.a.

104

Haag-Streit AG

116

Staar Surgical AG

115

Heidelberg Engineering GmbH

102

SUN EURO BUSINESS UG

HumanOptics AG

114

VSY Biotechnology

106

ifa systems AG

134

Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG

119

EUROTIMES

ESCRS

ACCESS TO LEVEL -1 103

Booth Number

135

116

108

Company Name

136

117 120

Booth Number

Türkiye Turkish language edition now online

Visit: www.eurotimesturkey.org

105 113A

114A

™

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ETTODAY n ISTANBUL 2011 n 19 February 2011

ESCRS supporting African charities

T

DON’T MISS

he ESCRS has announced a new initiative to support the work of two charities in two countries in Africa.

The society is supporting an Oxfam project to bring clean, safe drinking water to the people in the Kitgum district of Uganda.

Oxfam is an international confederation of 14 organisations working together in 99 countries and with partners and allies around the world to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice.

A lack of clean, safe drinking water and proper sanitation facilities, together with a general lack of knowledge about the importance of good hygiene, leads to unnecessary illnesses and preventable deaths from water-borne diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea. Lack of water for bathing also facilitates the spread of ‘water-washed diseases’ that affect the eyes, such as trachoma and conjunctivitis.

The security situation has significantly stabilised in Uganda and many people are ‘returning’ to their home villages for the first time.

Average access to latrine and sanitation facilities in Kitgum district is just 31

per cent in the villages that people are returning to. Oxfam will be working to set up water facilities in these villages and then teach the community how to maintain the facilities and to promote safe hygiene practices.

ORBIS project ORBIS is an international charity dedicated to the treatment and prevention of blindness in the developing world.

Ethiopia has one of the highest blindness prevalence rates in the world and ESCRS will also be supporting an ORBIS project to develop paediatric eye care in the north-west region of the country.

There is very little eye care available and inadequate attention is given to the prevention and management of children’s eye problems in particular. ORBIS is currently developing a partnership with Gondar University Hospital in North West Ethiopia, to establish a tertiary facility for children. This has the aim of decreasing the prevalence of childhood blindness and low vision through the establishment of a fully equipped paediatric unit at Gondar Referral Hospital and the training of a specialist paediatric eye care team, as well as the development of a referral network and outreach services for the communities in the catchment area of 14 million people.

Any delegates attending the annual meeting in Vienna can make a donation to the ESCRS-supported projects at the end of the registration process.

Management of unexpected complications

Bekir Aslan and José Güell chair a symposium discussing a number of topics including incision complications; anterior capsular tears; decreased corneal transparency; zonular dialysis; and the shallow chamber.

Saturday 19 February. 11.00 – 13.00. Venue: Hall 1, Convention Centre

Cataract surgery and the diseased eye Today there will be a special joint symposium of the Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) and the ESCRS, which will address the issue of Cataract Surgery in the Diseased Eye. The session will be chaired by Ahmed El Massry MD, Egypt and Ulf Stenevi MD, Sweden, and Yildirim Beyazit Usta MD, Turkey.

“This year’s Winter Meeting of the ESCRS is providing a huge opportunity to meet and share knowledge and experience, not only for Turkish and European ophthalmologists but also for the eastern neighbouring countries.

The choice of Istanbul for its location is particularly important for establishing a link between Turkey, Middle Eastern countries and Europe,” said co-chair, Dr Usta.

The session’s speakers will include Nilufer Gozum MD, Turkey, Camille Budo MD, Belgium, Rupert Menapace MD, Austria, Ahmed El Massry MD, Egypt, and Mats Lundstrom Sweden. Their topics will include cataract patients with pseudo-exfoliation, glaucoma, diabetes, diseased corneas and opaque cataracts. There will also be a discussion of outcomes in the EUREQUO registry.

Dr Stenevi told ET Today that the joint ESCRS/MEACO symposium is a good example of how such sessions can provide deeper insight into some of the more neglected but nonetheless important aspects of ophthalmic science.

“We know that exchange of information between surgeons is a superior form of teaching. In our main symposia experts in different fields get a chance to focus on special topics, which together form today’s

state of the art in the various fields of cataract and refractive surgery,” he said.

The input into the symposium from both MEACO and ESCRS will also provide participants from both regions access to the expertise garnered through their respective experiences in treating a diverse range of eye conditions, he noted.

“We know that the spectrum of eye disease is different in various parts of the world. This means that the experience of dealing with different problems also varies. We all want to learn from the experts and here we get a possibility to broaden our views. Few of us want to invent the wheel a second time if we do not have to,” he said.

He added that the symposium’s final presentation, by Dr Lundstrom, will underline the importance of international collaboration in improving practice standards in cataract and refractive surgery.

“How can we improve if we do not know what our present results are? This is relevant of course not only in Europe, the Middle East and Africa but everywhere. With EUREQUO I not only get my own results but I can compare my results over time and with others. I do hope that every participant in the Istanbul meeting takes a closer look at EUREQUO to see how easy it is to use. If we know what we are doing we can also know if we are improving,” he added.

Saturday February 19 Cataract Surgery in the Diseased Eye 17:00-19:00 Hall I, Convention Centre

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ETTODAY n ISTANBUL 2011 n 19 February 2011

15 th ESCRS Winter Meeting

ISTANBUL

17-21 SEPTEMBER REED MESSE VIENNA AUSTRIA www.escrs.org Abstract submission deadline: 15 MARCH

European Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons

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ETTODAY n ISTANBUL 2011 n 19 February 2011

Update on presbyopic treatments

B

e sure not to miss tomorrow’s (Sunday) main symposium, Current Options for Treating Presbyopia, chaired

by Ioannis Pallikaris MD, Greece, Emrullah Tasindi MD, Turkey.

The session will include presentations covering many of the competing technologies for treating presbyopia including lenticular approaches such as multifocal and accommodative IOLs, and corneal approaches, such as presbyLASIK, corneal inlays and IntraCor. The speakers will include George Kymionis MD, Greece, Michael Holzer MD, Germany, Ömer Yilmaz MD, Turkey, Dimitrios Bouzoukis MD, Greece, Dimitra Portaliou MD, Greece, and Roberto Bellucci MD, Italy.

Prof Pallikaris told ET Today that the session’s inclusion of several presentations on corneal inlays represents the revival of an approach that had fallen out of favour in the past due to biocompatibility issues.

Improvement in the technology of the devices lends hope that there will be better results from the current batch of inlays compared to those used in the past, he said.

“Corneal inlays seem to be the most promising options for the treatment of presbyopia mainly because they represent a reversible and minimally invasive technique that does not interfere with cataract surgery at a future date. Moreover, the new inlays are thinner compared to the old ones resulting in less interference with corneal structure. Of course, longer follow-up is needed with larger number of patients to validate their efficacy and safety,” he said.

He added that although multifocal IOLs tend to provide high levels of satisfaction to cataract patients, they entail too many compromises to appeal to the majority of presbyopes.

The ultimate solution will be one which restores natural physiological accommodation, according to Prof Pallikaris.

“I believe that the approach which will finally prevail will be related to the lens and maybe techniques that rehabilitate lens elasticity,” he said.

Dr Tasindi told ET Today that both corneal and lenticular approaches are yielding promising results in the

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BREAKING NEWS Ioannis Pallikaris MD speaking yesterday at the Refractive 1 Free Paper Session in Hall 2

“A lot of progress and new research will be needed in presbyopic treatments in order to get the best results for our patients” Ioannis Pallikaris MD treatment of presbyopia. He noted that currently multifocal IOLs are the most tried and true of the available treatments.

“The new generation multifocals, which include astigmatic treatment, seem to increase the range of patients in the near future. Although accommodative IOLs are the ideal solution, the problems of lens material and capsular fibrosis have to be solved in order to get ideal results, otherwise these IOLs become expensive monofocal lenses within a short time after the surgery,” he said.

He noted that corneal refractive laser treatments for presbyopia have tended to fall short in terms of visual satisfaction for the patients.

Furthermore, many of the LASIK treatments for presbyopia require patients to adapt to monovision, which

many do not tolerate well. On the other hand, IntraCor is showing promise, although there needs to be longer term results with the technique before there can be a true assessment of its efficacy, according to Dr Tasindi.

“A lot of progress and new research will be needed in presbyopic treatments in order to get the best results for our patients. Our recommendations to presbyopes, whether they are for corneal, intraocular or combined therapy treatments, will depend on the patient’s age and other refractive errors of the eye, and should include adequate information regarding potential side effects.”

Sunday 20 February 11.00 – 13.00 Venue: Hall 1, Convention Centre

New toric IOL has promising early results A new toric IOL called the Basis Z toric (FirstQ) is showing promising early results in terms of centration stability and refractive predictability, according to a study presented by Detlef Holland MD, Augenklinik Bellevue, Kiel, Germany, at the 15th ESCRS Winter Meeting.

The study involved 41 patients with a mean age of 70 years with cataract and a mean corneal astigmatism of -2.0 D. At a followup of four weeks to six months following implantation of the Basis Z IOL , subjective astigmatism was -0.5 D, while mean postoperative sphere was -0.25. Furthermore, after among eyes with six months of follow-up, uncorrected visual acuity was 0.8 and best corrected acuity was 1.0.

All underwent implantation of the Basis Z toric, using a 2.4mm clear cornea incision and the Firstinjektor (FirstQ). In addition, all underwent biometry with the Zeiss IOL Master with an online calculator programme to calculate the cylinder power, using the Haigis formula. Dr Holland

marked the axis preoperatively in each case with Gerten marker.

All IOLs could be implanted within the capsular bag with good centration without complications, he noted. The IOL showed a good.

The IOLs’ had a mean deviation four degrees from the planned axis after six months. In three of the earlier cases the IOL had to be repositioned due to rotation. However, after adopting the practice of using a 5.0 mm rhexis which fully overlapped the optic no rotations occurred, he pointed out.

“The new Basis Z toric IOL is easy to implant and shows a good centration and good refractive predictability. As regards the rotations which occurred and longterm results further examinations will be necessary,” Dr Holland concluded.

escrs on your time Symposia, free papers, videos and more from ESCRS Congresses in your home

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ETTODAY n ISTANBUL 2011 n 19 February 2011

Turkish delight

Istanbul offers more than enough to keep you busy

Y

ou could drown in history in Istanbul. Two thousand years of civilisation in the city that was Byzantium and then Constantinople have left behind a myriad of mosques and palaces, museums and markets. Choosing what to see and what to leave out becomes a personality assessment, a touristic Rorschach test.

So I will disclose that I skipped two of the three most famous sites in Istanbul – the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace – and used the time to drop in at a Moda cafe for pistachio ice cream made with mountain orchid root, to linger in a bubble pipe cafe (I didn’t inhale), to elbow through the Grand Bazaar, and to get lost among the brooms and saucepans in the back streets around the Spice Market.

between a high wall of the Hagia Sofia and a lineup of colourful 19th century wooden houses backing up to Topkapi Palace. These nine dwellings had been restored by the Touring and Automobile Club of Turkey and transformed into a charming hotel. www.ayasofyapensions.com Further along the narrow road, stone steps to the right led down to the Caferaga Medresesi, a cafe-restaurant and craft shop set in a 16th century school. Under an arcade surrounding a leafy courtyard, 15 classrooms are still in use. Today, subjects include marbling, calligraphy, Sultan turban making, jewellery making, and glass and china painting. Book a workshop at least a day in advance and produce your own souvenir of Istanbul. The inclusive fee per hour is 250 lira plus tax

You could drown in history in Istanbul. Two thousand years of civilisation in the city that was Byzantium and then Constantinople have left behind a myriad of mosques and palaces, museums and markets.

But back on the old town tourist track, I did pay my respects to Istanbul’s most famous monument, the Hagia Sophia.

Consecrated in 537AD as a Christian basilica, the Vatican City of its time, it became a mosque in 1453 and a museum in 1935. Its solemnly beautiful Christian era mosaics are being liberated from the plaster that hid them when the Hagia Sophia was a mosque. The great dome, seemingly suspended in space, was completed in five years almost a millennium before St Pauls’ Cathedral was built. Urgent restoration and monitoring work began in 1995 and is ongoing, so expect scaffolding and dust.

The Hagia Sophia is closed on Mondays.

You can continue from the Hagia Sophia across the Hippodrome to the Topkapi Palace. The four gilded bronze horses, now a feature of St Mark’s Basilica in Venice, stood here in Roman times. Just before the entrance to Topkapi Palace, a picturesque pedestrian street wandered off to the left, and I wandered with it. Sogukcesme Sokak ran

for for one person or as many as five.

Telephone (0212) 513 36 01-02 or e-mail caferagamedrese@tkhv.org to reserve a place. Craft items are for sale and the cafe serves Turkish-style dishes.

You could visit any of four dozen museums in Istanbul and a good number of palaces. The Turkish and Islamic Art Museum, which fronts on the Hippodrome, gives you two for one. The museum is installed in a 16th century palace that belonged to Ibrahim Pasha, Suleyman the Magnificent’s Grand Vizier. The contents are worthy of the building – more than 40,000 gorgeous artefacts date from the seventh to the 19th century. There’s also an impressive display of carpets and fragments of carpets dating back to the 13th century and, in the basement, an intriguing exhibition of the evolution of the Turkish house. The series of life-size reconstructions extends from carpeted nomadic tents to the French-inspired interiors of the 19th century.

The museum is located at Meydani 46,

EUREQUO European Registry of Quality Outcomes for Cataract & Refractive Surgery

Sulatnahamet, near Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace. Open 9:00 to 16:30.

Closed Mondays.

Meatballs near the mosque

On Divanyolu Street, a few minutes’ walk from the Hagia Sophia, a row of restaurants offer Turkish meatballs.

The one to try – the original – is Tarihi Sultanahmet Koftecisi at number 12.

There may be a queue outside its door, but the line moves quickly and it’s worth the wait. Entering, you pass the oven on the right where the meatballs are grilled and see the cooks turning out white bean salad as if on an assembly line.

Since 1921, this restaurant has been serving its famous meatballs bean salad and a yoghurt drink called Aryan to celebrities, politicians, tourists and locals.

There are other dishes but they come for the meatballs, which sell for 7 lira. The bean salad costs 4 lira and the Aryan 2 lira. A waiter in a white jacket will be setting your meal down on the marble table top, along with a basket of crusty bread, almost before you finish ordering.

For 4 lira, try the traditional dessert – irmik helvasi – a semolina pudding with attitude.

Credit cards not accepted. Open daily 10:30 to 23:00.

An unmissable mosque that’s hard to find Built over vaulted

shops whose rents were also intended to give financial support, the Rustem Pasha mosque is a perfect little jewel.

The mosque was built by Mimar Sinan, the great Ottoman architect, for the Grand Vizier Rustem in 1563. This date coincided with the greatest period in Iznik tile making. Glorious tiles in floral and geometric patterns cover the interior. The mosque is small and not overwhelmed by tourists. You can approach the walls and admire the tiles at your leisure. As this is a mosque, not a museum, it closes five times a day for prayer and you will be required to remove your shoes to enter. The mosque is in the “Hasircilar Carsisi,” the Strawmat Weaver’s Market.

To reach the mosque, leave the Spice Market by the waterfront entrance, then turn left towards Eminonu Square. The main entrance to the mosque is through a decorated archway set in the wall.

What is EUREQUO? EUREQUO is a European Quality Registry for visual outcomes of cataract and refractive surgery

The project aims to:

1

Improve treatment and standards of care for cataract and refractive surgery Develop evidence-based guidelines for cataract and refractive surgery across Europe

2

Make significant impact on the exchange of best practice between practitioners in relation to patient safety

3 with the kind contribution of

The Rustem Pasha mosque’s interior is lavishly decorated with rare, 16th century tiles

ET today

EUROTIMES

Spice Market, cheaper than the Grand Bazaar, is good for dried fruits, caviar, sweets and souvenirs

A panel of rare Iznik tiles on the facade of the Rustem Pasha mosque

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ET today

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19 February 2011

ET today

EUROTIMES

Publisher Carol Fitzpatrick Executive Editor: Colin Kerr Managing Editor: Caroline Brick

Senior Designer: Paddy Dunne Contributing Editors: Roibeard O’hEineachain.

ET Today is published by EuroTimes, the official news magazine of the ESCRS

Production Editor: Angela Sweetman

Join the network EUREQUO gives a unique opportunity to monitor and compare results Quality registries create a sufficient basis for studying rare diseases, treatments and complications Collecting data will support you to make an audit report The collection of your data will facilitate the analysis of surgical outcomes and the development of evidencebased European Quality Guidelines

Visit Booth 135 for more information

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