They weren't there in the flesh but The Rolling Stones got the Binkhorst Lecture off to a lively start when their classic track "Start Me Up" pumped out from the audio system to introduce Dr Edward Holland on stage.
Dr Holland explained that he hoped his choice of music would help keep the audience awake but there was no danger of anyone dozing off as he delivered an absorbing address on Innovations in Corneal Surgery:Beyond Penetrating Keratoplasty.
The past few years have brought tremendous innovations in corneal surgery as new surgical procedures target the specific layer of pathology rather than replacing the entire cornea for all disorders. Endothelial disease is no longer managed by penetrating keratoplasty but rather the more precise techniques of endothelial keratoplasty. Anterior corneal disorders can be treated with the newer deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty techniques.
Dr Holland explained how patients requiring penetrating keratoplasty have better refractive outcomes because of laser vision correction surgery in the grafts as well as femtosecond assisted keratoplasty surgery. These techniques have resulted in much improved uncorrected as well as best corrected visual acuity.
The most challenging corneal patients, he said, are those with limbal stem cell failure. These patients benefit from the ever improving ocular surface transplant procedures as well as new advances in keratoprosthetic devices.
These new procedures have resulted in our ability to treat more corneal patients than ever before with a more rapid recovery and better visual outcomes.
A full report on Dr Holland's address will be published in a forthcoming issue of EuroTimes
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