by Andrew Bourne, BSc, MCOptom, DipTp(IP), Dip Glauc, Principal Optometrist, Hull & East Yorkshire Eye Hospital, UK.
Once again, Milind Pande welcomed over 220 ophthalmologists and allied professionals to his annual symposium, this year held once again at the University of Hull. Now in its 22nd iteration, it has become a staple of novel thinking in the field, with a distinguished faculty this year including: Seema Anand, Ashraf Armia, Ahmed Bardan, Domenico Boccuzzi, Professor Mohamed Goweida, Tina Khanam, Masara Laginaf, Professor John Marshall, Laura Maubon, Mayank Nanavaty, Milind Pande, Indy Sian and Pavol Veselý.
In a change to previous years, there was an additional day – the ‘Deep Dive into Astigmatism’ held on 13 June. The day was aimed at trainees as well as those with an interest in improving their knowledge of astigmatic management, and boasted a faculty of Milind Pande, Laura Maubon, Ashraf Armia and Mayank Nanavaty. The topics ranged from topography to the utilisation of AI in surgical planning and gave us a fascinating insight into the latest thinking in the field.
The main meeting was held on 14 June, well supported by a wide range of sponsors. There was ample opportunity to browse the foyer and visit a wide range of exhibiting companies.
The first morning session concentrated on advances in corneal transplantation, chaired by Masara Laginaf and Ahmed Bardan. Opening with a fascinating journey into keratoplasty techniques given by Prof Mohamed Goweida, the faculty took delegates through the advances made, and emerging techniques in this demanding specialty.
The second half of the morning was given over to ‘Premium Vision with Premium IOLs’, chaired by Milind Pande. Opening with thought-provoking presentations on different IOLs, the session closed with an illuminating discussion on visual management and lens choices.
We were welcomed back after lunch by Ashraf Armia who gave the Bijayananda Patnaik Memorial Lecture, entitled ‘From the land of Pharaohs to the land of Keratoconus’. Informative and engrossing, this was enjoyed by all, with some excellent questions answered at the close.
The afternoon lectures continued with lenticular extraction, chaired by Prof John Marshall. This session was fascinating, encompassing as it did talks on a range of lenticular techniques, including SMiLE, SILK, LAKLEX and LALEX.
As is now traditional, the meeting drew to a close with the video symposium, ‘Surgical Wisdom for 2024’. These presentations are always informative, and provoke discussion on the merits, drawbacks and advantages of various approaches. Finally, Milind Pande closed the day, summing up a stellar meeting and looking forward to next year’s symposium on 13 June 2025.
