EuroTimes is delighted to announce the launch of the John Henahan Prize, which will be awarded annually to a young ophthalmologist.
John Henahan was the visionary editor and guiding light of EuroTimes from 1996 to 2001 and his work has inspired a generation of young doctors and journalists, many of whom continue to work for EuroTimes.
Ophthalmologists who are members of the ESCRS and who are under 40 years of age are eligible to apply for the prize.
Entrants are invited to write a 1,000-word article on “Why I became an ophthalmologist”.
The article should give a brief introduction into why the individual ophthalmologist decided on his or her career path and should include reference to his early education , including mentors and role models (where appropriate). The article should also look at issues and controversies in ophthalmology, including changing demographics and evidence based medicine. The closing date for entries is Friday August 1 2008.
The winning entrant will receive a prize of €1,000 that will be awarded at the XXVI ESCRS Congress in Berlin, 2008 in September. We will publish the winning entry in the October edition of EuroTimes
To apply please e-mail your article, to Colin Kerr, Executive Editor, EuroTimes at colin.kerr@escrs.org. Your e-mail should also include your full name, home address and phone number, your date of birth and ESCRS membership number.
• Entries received after August 1 will not be considered. The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be considered once they have announced their decision.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
EuroTimes Journalists Meet In Dublin
EuroTimes Writers from America, Canada and Europe flew into Dublin today to attend a special Writers Meeting which will help us review our progress and develop an editorial plan for the coming year.
Last year, research carried out by ASE showed that EuroTimes,compared to its key competitors, has the greatest reach among ophthalmic surgeons in Europe.
The research also showed that it has the highest awareness and readership levels of all competing publications and is read more thoroughly, more often and by more readers than any other publication in its competitive set.
Since that research was carried out, EuroTimes has been voted best Business-to-Business specialist magazine of the year by the Periodical Publishers Association of Ireland (PPAI).
The last 12 months have seen the magazine go from strength to strength both in terms of design and content. A number of recent initiatives are beginning to bear fruit, including recent launches of customised local market editions in India and China and an online edition in Russia. A Podcast was launched in 2007 (see www.escrs.org) and an e-zine is now being published on a regular basis.
The Writers Meeting which will be held tomorrow, Friday February 15th, will give our journalists, in consutltation with the senior EuroTimes editorial team, a chance to put forward proposals which we believe will cement our dominance in the market.
If any of our readers have any suggestions as to how we can improvethe magazine, we will be delighted to post your opinions on this weblog.
Last year, research carried out by ASE showed that EuroTimes,compared to its key competitors, has the greatest reach among ophthalmic surgeons in Europe.
The research also showed that it has the highest awareness and readership levels of all competing publications and is read more thoroughly, more often and by more readers than any other publication in its competitive set.
Since that research was carried out, EuroTimes has been voted best Business-to-Business specialist magazine of the year by the Periodical Publishers Association of Ireland (PPAI).
The last 12 months have seen the magazine go from strength to strength both in terms of design and content. A number of recent initiatives are beginning to bear fruit, including recent launches of customised local market editions in India and China and an online edition in Russia. A Podcast was launched in 2007 (see www.escrs.org) and an e-zine is now being published on a regular basis.
The Writers Meeting which will be held tomorrow, Friday February 15th, will give our journalists, in consutltation with the senior EuroTimes editorial team, a chance to put forward proposals which we believe will cement our dominance in the market.
If any of our readers have any suggestions as to how we can improvethe magazine, we will be delighted to post your opinions on this weblog.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Presbyopia - the new frontier
Afer a very successful Cornea Day yesterday, the second session at the 12th ESCRS Winter Refractive Surgery Meeting in Barcelona today offers participants a selection of three Free Paper sessions.
First on the list is a session on the perennial issue of astigmatism and cataract surgery (14.00-15.30, Room H2). Topics include incisional techniques, new IOLs, and corneal laser approaches.
Presbyopia has become the new frontier for refractive surgeons. A Free Paper session today, dedicated to this subject, includes updates on the ever-increasing variety multifocal IOLs now available to surgeons, as well as some products in the pipeline. (14.00-15.30, Room HJ).
On the laser side, another Free Paper session will look at a variety of topics ranging from pre-operative diagnostics to femtosecond laser techniques. (14.00-15.30. Room F). Additional topics including problems associated with PRK, and early clinical results with new laser platforms will be discussed at Sunday’s Free Paper session on laser refractive surgery (8.00-10.30, Room HJ).
This afternoon features a Focus Session on Laser Refractive Surgery: Surface, Stromal or In Between (16.00-18.00, Room HJ).
It's a very busy schedule and even if you can't get to attend all the sessions, we will be reporting on all the hot topics in EuroTimes in the coming months.
First on the list is a session on the perennial issue of astigmatism and cataract surgery (14.00-15.30, Room H2). Topics include incisional techniques, new IOLs, and corneal laser approaches.
Presbyopia has become the new frontier for refractive surgeons. A Free Paper session today, dedicated to this subject, includes updates on the ever-increasing variety multifocal IOLs now available to surgeons, as well as some products in the pipeline. (14.00-15.30, Room HJ).
On the laser side, another Free Paper session will look at a variety of topics ranging from pre-operative diagnostics to femtosecond laser techniques. (14.00-15.30. Room F). Additional topics including problems associated with PRK, and early clinical results with new laser platforms will be discussed at Sunday’s Free Paper session on laser refractive surgery (8.00-10.30, Room HJ).
This afternoon features a Focus Session on Laser Refractive Surgery: Surface, Stromal or In Between (16.00-18.00, Room HJ).
It's a very busy schedule and even if you can't get to attend all the sessions, we will be reporting on all the hot topics in EuroTimes in the coming months.
Friday, February 8, 2008
EuroTimes Crosslinking Debate Is One of Highlights of ESCRS Annual Cornea Day.
EuroTimes hosted a special roundtable debate on Crosslinking on the opening day of the 12th European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) Winter Refractive Surgery Meeting in Barcelona.
Dr Jose Guell and EuroTimes Editor Sean Henahan moderated the forum which featured contributions from Dr Joseph Colin, Dr Francois Malecaze and Dr Theo Seiler.
The doctors participating in the session took time out from their busy schedules to take part in a lively and informative discussion which looked at some of the major issues in Crosslinking.
EuroTimes readers can look forward to some fascinating insights when the discussion is published in the coming months, so watch this space for further details.
Barcelona is a beautiful city but, unfortunately, we haven't got to see very much of it so far because of the workload that surrounds hosting a major international conference.
The ESCRS staff deserve special credit for the hard work they have done in making sure that the meeting attended by more than 800 delegates, one of the highest attended winter meetings in recent years, runs smoothly and efficiently.
The meeting started with VII International Corneal Surgery and Diseases meeting held in conjunction with the annual ESCRS Cornea Day.
The all-day event covered a range of topics, including corneal collagen cross-linking, the latest in high risk keratoplasty procedures, therapeutic applications of limbal stem cells, and the uses of the femtosecond laser in lamellar surgery.
Today also saw the first of three Focus Sessions, which considered the merits of various corneal and lenticular approaches to presbyopia. Clinical experts from around the world discussed the latest laser based treatments such as advanced monovision, multifocal ablation, the role for conductive keratoplasty, the utility of refractive lens exchange, as well as techniques based on scleral expansion.
Tomorrow offers participants a selection of three Free Paper sessions. First on the list is a session on the perennial issue of astigmatism and cataract surgery (14.00-15.30, Room H2). Topics include incisional techniques, new IOLs, and corneal laser approaches.
Attendees interested in the subject also won’t want to miss Sunday’s Focus Session on “How to Correct Astigmatism in Cataract Surgery” (11.00-13.00, Room HJ).
Presbyopia has become the new frontier for refractive surgeons. A Free Paper session tomorrow, dedicated to this subject, includes updates on the ever-increasing variety multifocal IOLs now available to surgeons, as well as some products in the pipeline. (14.00-15.30, Room HJ).
On the laser side, another Free Paper session will look at a variety of topics ranging from pre-operative diagnostics to femtosecond laser techniques. (14.00-15.30. Room F). Additional topics including problems associated with PRK, and early clinical results with new laser platforms will be discussed at Sunday’s Free Paper session on laser refractive surgery (8.00-10.30, Room HJ).
Saturday afternoon features a Focus Session on Laser Refractive Surgery: Surface, Stromal or In Between (16.00-18.00, Room HJ) and on Sunday morning there will be a Free Paper session on the latest in presbyopia treatment on the keratectasia, bioptics, solid-state lasers (08.00-10.30 Room F).
It's a very busy schedule and even if you can't get to attend all the sessions, we will be reporting on all the hot topics in EuroTimes in the coming months.
Dr Jose Guell and EuroTimes Editor Sean Henahan moderated the forum which featured contributions from Dr Joseph Colin, Dr Francois Malecaze and Dr Theo Seiler.
The doctors participating in the session took time out from their busy schedules to take part in a lively and informative discussion which looked at some of the major issues in Crosslinking.
EuroTimes readers can look forward to some fascinating insights when the discussion is published in the coming months, so watch this space for further details.
Barcelona is a beautiful city but, unfortunately, we haven't got to see very much of it so far because of the workload that surrounds hosting a major international conference.
The ESCRS staff deserve special credit for the hard work they have done in making sure that the meeting attended by more than 800 delegates, one of the highest attended winter meetings in recent years, runs smoothly and efficiently.
The meeting started with VII International Corneal Surgery and Diseases meeting held in conjunction with the annual ESCRS Cornea Day.
The all-day event covered a range of topics, including corneal collagen cross-linking, the latest in high risk keratoplasty procedures, therapeutic applications of limbal stem cells, and the uses of the femtosecond laser in lamellar surgery.
Today also saw the first of three Focus Sessions, which considered the merits of various corneal and lenticular approaches to presbyopia. Clinical experts from around the world discussed the latest laser based treatments such as advanced monovision, multifocal ablation, the role for conductive keratoplasty, the utility of refractive lens exchange, as well as techniques based on scleral expansion.
Tomorrow offers participants a selection of three Free Paper sessions. First on the list is a session on the perennial issue of astigmatism and cataract surgery (14.00-15.30, Room H2). Topics include incisional techniques, new IOLs, and corneal laser approaches.
Attendees interested in the subject also won’t want to miss Sunday’s Focus Session on “How to Correct Astigmatism in Cataract Surgery” (11.00-13.00, Room HJ).
Presbyopia has become the new frontier for refractive surgeons. A Free Paper session tomorrow, dedicated to this subject, includes updates on the ever-increasing variety multifocal IOLs now available to surgeons, as well as some products in the pipeline. (14.00-15.30, Room HJ).
On the laser side, another Free Paper session will look at a variety of topics ranging from pre-operative diagnostics to femtosecond laser techniques. (14.00-15.30. Room F). Additional topics including problems associated with PRK, and early clinical results with new laser platforms will be discussed at Sunday’s Free Paper session on laser refractive surgery (8.00-10.30, Room HJ).
Saturday afternoon features a Focus Session on Laser Refractive Surgery: Surface, Stromal or In Between (16.00-18.00, Room HJ) and on Sunday morning there will be a Free Paper session on the latest in presbyopia treatment on the keratectasia, bioptics, solid-state lasers (08.00-10.30 Room F).
It's a very busy schedule and even if you can't get to attend all the sessions, we will be reporting on all the hot topics in EuroTimes in the coming months.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
No Sleep Till Barcelona
At EuroTimes, we never sleep.
Having just returned from the All India meeting in Bangalore, following a fifteen hour flight back to Dublin, we have headed straight to Barcelona for the 12th ESCRS Winter Refractive Surgery Meeting.
This year's meeting promises to be a lively affair with some excellent presentations from some of Europe's top cataract and refractive surgeons.
This is the third time the meeting has taken place in this exciting and vibrant city and early registration figures suggest that the Barcelona meeting will be one of the best attended meetings in recent years.
On Friday, the 7th International Corneal Surgery and Diseases Meeting is being held in conjunction with the ESCRS Annual Cornea Day.
EuroTimes will also be holding a Roundtable Forum on Crosslinking which will be moderated by Dr Joseph Guell.
On Saturday, as a special service for delegates, EuroTimes will also be publishing ET Today with the latest news from the conference. Make sure to visit the ESCRS stand when you get a chance and if you have any news or views you want included in the magazine.
Having just returned from the All India meeting in Bangalore, following a fifteen hour flight back to Dublin, we have headed straight to Barcelona for the 12th ESCRS Winter Refractive Surgery Meeting.
This year's meeting promises to be a lively affair with some excellent presentations from some of Europe's top cataract and refractive surgeons.
This is the third time the meeting has taken place in this exciting and vibrant city and early registration figures suggest that the Barcelona meeting will be one of the best attended meetings in recent years.
On Friday, the 7th International Corneal Surgery and Diseases Meeting is being held in conjunction with the ESCRS Annual Cornea Day.
EuroTimes will also be holding a Roundtable Forum on Crosslinking which will be moderated by Dr Joseph Guell.
On Saturday, as a special service for delegates, EuroTimes will also be publishing ET Today with the latest news from the conference. Make sure to visit the ESCRS stand when you get a chance and if you have any news or views you want included in the magazine.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
EuroTimes visits Bangalore
Dermot McGrath reports from Bangalore where over 5,000 eye surgeons from the Indian subcontinent and neighbouring regions such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have gathered for the 66th annual conference of the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS). We will carry a full report on the conference in the April edition of EuroTimes.
..............
At the formal opening of the conference, Professor Rajvardhan Azad, Secretary of the AIOS, reviewed the history and mission of the organization, noting that its broad goal is to cultivate and promote the study of the ophthalmic sciences, foster scientific knowledge and raise standards of ophthalmology and patient care.
“From only four members back when the AIOS was founded in 1930, we have today grown to an organization with 11,563 members. Much of that growth has been added over the past 4 to 5 years with an average of 500 ophthalmologists a year joining our ranks, which is a very healthy development,” he said.
Among the various components and activities of the AIOS, Dr Azad highlighted the work of the scientific committee, the academic and research committee, the publication of the official Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, the annual conference, and increasing collaboration with other national and supra-national organizations as key priorities for the organization.
He paid tribute to the sterling work over recent years of outgoing President, Dr Taraprasad Das, and said he was sure that the good work would continue under the leadership and guidance of the incoming President, Dr K.P.S. Malik.
During the opening ceremony, AIOS lifetime achievement awards were presented to Dr Kanti V. Mody, Consultant Ophthalmologist at Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, and also to Dr P. Namperumalsamy, who spent over 23 years at Aravind Eye Hospital & Postgraduate Institute of Ophthalmology, Madurai, which is affiliated to Tamilnadu Dr M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai.
Dr Azad noted that with over 5,000 delegates registered for this year’s event, the AIOS annual meeting continues to go from strength to strength.
“The annual conference is our flagship event and over the last few years we have seen a tremendous increase in the number of delegates. We expect the numbers to grow in coming years, and I think this reflects the fact that our delegates appreciate that our meeting is a genuine forum for exchange and education,” he said.
He added that next year’s annual conference will be held in Jaipur, followed by Calcutta in 2010, with the latter meeting being held in association with the International Council of Ophthalmology.
..............
At the formal opening of the conference, Professor Rajvardhan Azad, Secretary of the AIOS, reviewed the history and mission of the organization, noting that its broad goal is to cultivate and promote the study of the ophthalmic sciences, foster scientific knowledge and raise standards of ophthalmology and patient care.
“From only four members back when the AIOS was founded in 1930, we have today grown to an organization with 11,563 members. Much of that growth has been added over the past 4 to 5 years with an average of 500 ophthalmologists a year joining our ranks, which is a very healthy development,” he said.
Among the various components and activities of the AIOS, Dr Azad highlighted the work of the scientific committee, the academic and research committee, the publication of the official Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, the annual conference, and increasing collaboration with other national and supra-national organizations as key priorities for the organization.
He paid tribute to the sterling work over recent years of outgoing President, Dr Taraprasad Das, and said he was sure that the good work would continue under the leadership and guidance of the incoming President, Dr K.P.S. Malik.
During the opening ceremony, AIOS lifetime achievement awards were presented to Dr Kanti V. Mody, Consultant Ophthalmologist at Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, and also to Dr P. Namperumalsamy, who spent over 23 years at Aravind Eye Hospital & Postgraduate Institute of Ophthalmology, Madurai, which is affiliated to Tamilnadu Dr M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai.
Dr Azad noted that with over 5,000 delegates registered for this year’s event, the AIOS annual meeting continues to go from strength to strength.
“The annual conference is our flagship event and over the last few years we have seen a tremendous increase in the number of delegates. We expect the numbers to grow in coming years, and I think this reflects the fact that our delegates appreciate that our meeting is a genuine forum for exchange and education,” he said.
He added that next year’s annual conference will be held in Jaipur, followed by Calcutta in 2010, with the latter meeting being held in association with the International Council of Ophthalmology.
Monday, January 21, 2008
World Medical Association warning to ophthalmologists on cash for tissues
The world’s leading body of physicians has lent its weight against the sale of corneal tissue, according to Paul McGinn, writing in the February edition of EuroTimes.
In its “Statement on Human Tissue for Transplantation,”the World Medical Association has warned ophthalmic surgeons and all other physicians who transplant tissue to oppose transplants where a donor’s family receives cash for donated tissue.
“Financial incentives such as direct payments for donating tissue for transplantation are to be rejected – in the same way that they are in connection with organ transplants. All other steps, such as the procurement, testing, processing, conservation, storage and allocation of tissue transplants, should likewise not be commercialised,” reads the statement, which the association adopted at its annual meeting in Copenhagen last October.
The adoption of the statement follows by seven years a similarly worded association statement that banned physicians from transplanting organ purchased from donors or their families.
Although the statement of itself does not legally bind a physician to follow it, physician regulatory bodies throughout the European Union often rely on such statements in deciding whether physicians have acted unethically. Some statements, notably the association’s Declaration of Helsinki – which sets ethical parameters for clinical trials – have been adopted by a number of physician regulatory bodies into their own codes of ethical conduct and as such, can carry the force of law.
According to the Statement on Human Tissue for Transplantation, physicians involved in harvesting, processing and transplanting tissue must balance the rights of the tissue recipients with the rights of the families of the deceased donors, the statement adds.
“Physicians are fundamentally obliged to treat patients according to the best of their knowledge and expertise. However, this obligation must not be taken to the point where, for example, the human tissue necessary for therapy is procured in an unethical or illegal manner,” the statement reads.
“Tissue must always be procured with due consideration for human rights and the principles of medical ethics. To secure the provision of tissue for transplantation, physicians should inform potential donors and/or their family members about the possibility of tissue donation. In the event of combined organ and tissue donation, information should be provided, and consent obtained, in one step,” the statement adds.
In addition to its ban on the sale of tissue, the new statement also bans the use of corneal tissue donations from prisoners, the nomination of specific recipients for donated corneal tissue, and the coercion of potential donors or their families.
“The voluntariness of tissue donation must be ensured. The informed and non-coerced consent of the donor or his/her family members is required for any use of human tissue for transplantation. Free and informed decision-making is a process requiring the exchange and understanding of information and the absence of coercion,” the statement reads.
In addition, the statement also specifies that:
1. Risk of disease and infection “must be minimized through appropriate testing that does not merely comply with sufficient standards, but additionally reflects the respective, nationally implemented state of medical science and technology”;
2. If there is any delay in diagnosing an infectious disease or malignancy in the donor, “an alert should immediately be reported to all tissue recipients in order to institute the appropriate precautionary steps”;
3. Physicians and all other personnel involved in removing, storing, processing and transplanting tissue must take all necessary steps to avoid contamination;
4. Physicians should allocation tissue only according to the medical indication, urgency and prospects of success of the transplant.
5. All experimental and clinical studies involving tissue must be conducted in accordance with the Association’s Declaration of Helsinki. In addition, scientists and physicians should continuously inform the public about developments in tissue medicine and its therapeutic options.
6. Physicians and their national and specialty medical associations should lobby their respective state agencies and governments to ensure they regulate the international exchange of tissue for transplantation according to appropriate standards.
7. Any information about tissue donors that is stored or maintained by national transplant organizations or tissue banks should be provided only if the living donor or family of the deceased donor provides free and informed consent to such release.
..
For more information about the new statements from the World Medical Association, visit www.wma.net. For more stories from EuroTimes, visit www.escrs.org
In its “Statement on Human Tissue for Transplantation,”the World Medical Association has warned ophthalmic surgeons and all other physicians who transplant tissue to oppose transplants where a donor’s family receives cash for donated tissue.
“Financial incentives such as direct payments for donating tissue for transplantation are to be rejected – in the same way that they are in connection with organ transplants. All other steps, such as the procurement, testing, processing, conservation, storage and allocation of tissue transplants, should likewise not be commercialised,” reads the statement, which the association adopted at its annual meeting in Copenhagen last October.
The adoption of the statement follows by seven years a similarly worded association statement that banned physicians from transplanting organ purchased from donors or their families.
Although the statement of itself does not legally bind a physician to follow it, physician regulatory bodies throughout the European Union often rely on such statements in deciding whether physicians have acted unethically. Some statements, notably the association’s Declaration of Helsinki – which sets ethical parameters for clinical trials – have been adopted by a number of physician regulatory bodies into their own codes of ethical conduct and as such, can carry the force of law.
According to the Statement on Human Tissue for Transplantation, physicians involved in harvesting, processing and transplanting tissue must balance the rights of the tissue recipients with the rights of the families of the deceased donors, the statement adds.
“Physicians are fundamentally obliged to treat patients according to the best of their knowledge and expertise. However, this obligation must not be taken to the point where, for example, the human tissue necessary for therapy is procured in an unethical or illegal manner,” the statement reads.
“Tissue must always be procured with due consideration for human rights and the principles of medical ethics. To secure the provision of tissue for transplantation, physicians should inform potential donors and/or their family members about the possibility of tissue donation. In the event of combined organ and tissue donation, information should be provided, and consent obtained, in one step,” the statement adds.
In addition to its ban on the sale of tissue, the new statement also bans the use of corneal tissue donations from prisoners, the nomination of specific recipients for donated corneal tissue, and the coercion of potential donors or their families.
“The voluntariness of tissue donation must be ensured. The informed and non-coerced consent of the donor or his/her family members is required for any use of human tissue for transplantation. Free and informed decision-making is a process requiring the exchange and understanding of information and the absence of coercion,” the statement reads.
In addition, the statement also specifies that:
1. Risk of disease and infection “must be minimized through appropriate testing that does not merely comply with sufficient standards, but additionally reflects the respective, nationally implemented state of medical science and technology”;
2. If there is any delay in diagnosing an infectious disease or malignancy in the donor, “an alert should immediately be reported to all tissue recipients in order to institute the appropriate precautionary steps”;
3. Physicians and all other personnel involved in removing, storing, processing and transplanting tissue must take all necessary steps to avoid contamination;
4. Physicians should allocation tissue only according to the medical indication, urgency and prospects of success of the transplant.
5. All experimental and clinical studies involving tissue must be conducted in accordance with the Association’s Declaration of Helsinki. In addition, scientists and physicians should continuously inform the public about developments in tissue medicine and its therapeutic options.
6. Physicians and their national and specialty medical associations should lobby their respective state agencies and governments to ensure they regulate the international exchange of tissue for transplantation according to appropriate standards.
7. Any information about tissue donors that is stored or maintained by national transplant organizations or tissue banks should be provided only if the living donor or family of the deceased donor provides free and informed consent to such release.
..
For more information about the new statements from the World Medical Association, visit www.wma.net. For more stories from EuroTimes, visit www.escrs.org
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