London’s calling, and we will be rejoining the United Kingdom & Ireland Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons (UKISCRS), the Young Ophthalmologists Programme (YOP), and United Kingdom & Ireland Society of Ophthalmic Practitioners (UKISOP) between 12–14 November. The former will be celebrating its 49th Annual Congress, and all of the co-located events will be held at the Millennium Hotel and Conference Centre Gloucester, London (SW7 4LH). This collective event promises a solid line-up of specialists and allied experts to help UKISCRS continue its success since 1976.
Prior to both UKISCRS and UKISOP, the YOP launches with their event designed for junior doctors and trainees. Those beginning to pursue careers can improve and expand their abilities by interacting with professionals who will share their own experiences and journeys in the industry. The YOP was created in response to a demand highlighted by UKISCRS members, with the goal of assisting and supporting individuals in their first three years of ophthalmic specialty training. Participants can attend lectures from seasoned experts to stay up to date on current techniques, management, and innovations, as well as participate in ongoing discussions. Some of the subjects that will be explored in debate include:
- ‘Every ophthalmologist should be a competent cataract surgeon’
- ‘Every laser refractive surgeon should have completed a corneal or refractive fellowship’
- ‘MIGS should only be performed by glaucoma surgeons’
If you are interested in joining YOP, please contact louise@ukiscrs.org.uk.
More information about the benefits is available at https://www.ukiscrs.org.uk/ukriscrs-yop.
The first day will begin with a welcome and introduction from David Lockington, who will be completing his first year as UKISCRS President. The President’s Welcome commences at 08:45, after which we will hear from top professionals such as Josh Teichman, Clara Chan, Greg Moloney, and Rosa Braga-Mele before the highly anticipated programme gets underway. Sessions include:
- 11:00–12:15: ‘The Perils of Old Age’ chaired by Paul Ursell & Milind Pande
- 13:45–15:15: ‘Is middle segment surgery the future? The UKISCRS BEAVRS & Canadian perspective’ chaired by Any Turnball & Tom Flynn + YOP
- 15:50–17:00: ‘Lessons from the Bar at the Bar’ chaired by Bita Manzouri & Paul Rosen, including case presentations and panel discussions
The UKISCRS Annual Gala Dinner
The 49th Annual Gala Dinner will be hosted on the evening of November 13th, with a three-course dinner followed by a ceilidh dance. Check out the UKISCRS website for tickets!
If you are involved in the cataract or refractive surgery pathway, you should attend this meeting. Places are limited and going fast, but there is an early bird rate until 9 September, which can be found here: https://www.ukiscrs.org.uk/ukisop2025
The day is comprised of a didactic morning session of guest speakers followed by a hands-on skills workshop. The intention is that both sessions follow a clinical pathway relevant to the trends in current practice that is pertinent to allied health professionals.
This year, UKISOP has a really exciting programme and a Scope competition of interesting or complex case studies, where you can win prizes and present your case in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. The closing date for Scope competition entries is 22 September.
To kick things off on the day, Liz Tomlin introduces the UKISOP course before continuing with the targeted lectures. Some of these sessions include:
- 09:30–09:50: ‘Warning symptoms and signs’ by Lorcan Butler
- 10:10–10:30: ‘Pre-op workup for advanced technology lenses’ by Christopher Crawford
- 11:00–11:20: ‘Cataract surgery VIDEO and steps and what the surgeon is thinking?’ by Yih-Horng Tham
- 11:50–12:10: ‘Post-op cataracts in eye casualty’ by Seema Verma
In previous years, topics have ranged from reducing the carbon footprint of a phaco procedure, artificial intelligence in the pre- and postoperative cataract pathway, the emotional impact of sight loss, ocular oncology, and trends in veterinary ophthalmology.
We welcome everyone who works within the cataract pathway, just as
UKISCRS President David Lockington promotes that we are all members of the ophthalmic family! UKISOP offers great CPD and networking too!
The last day of UKISCRS remains packed with multiple sessions and will include extras such as the ‘Best of Trainees Free papers and videos’ and The Lifetime Achievement Awards. Surrounding these two highlights are another round of engaging sessions such as:
- 11:00–12:30: ‘Technology and innovations – to UKISCRS and beyond!’ chaired by Laura Crawley, Bita Manzouri
- 13:45–14:45: ‘The refractive conundrum’ chaired by Allon Barsam, Seema Ananad
- 15:15–16:25: ‘My most memorable case of the year’ chaired by Philip Bloom, Johnny Moore
Laura Crawly and Bita Manzouri will present 'Technology and innovations - to UKISCRS and beyond!' and joining them will be ophthalmic professionals such as Sally Ameen, Clara Chan, Greg Moloney, Nizar Din, and Rosa Braga-Mele, as they discuss topics such as MIGS, endothelial cell injection therapy, novel lenses, how AI is changing practice, and the economics of ergonomics.
If you desire insights into some major questions, be sure to attend the last day for a case discussion on 'The Refractive Conundrum'. Join Philip Bloom and Johnny Moore at 15:15 PM as they introduce key specialists in the afternoon session, 'My most memorable case of the year', before engaging in discussion.
All in all, this is an event not to be missed! Follow the link below to access the early bird offer on your ticket and we’ll see you in London on the 12–14 November 2025!
