An instructive journey

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” – Samuel Beckett, Worstword Ho, 1983 These words from the great Irish writer Samuel Beckett allude to the narrow line between failure and success. As with all of Beckett’s words, they are open to interpretation, but it is undoubtedly the case that we can sometimes learn more from our mistakes than our successes. That is why the Young Ophthalmologists Programme (YOP) day-long session devoted to the topic “Starting Phaco” will be one of the highlights of the 36th Congress of the ESCRS in Vienna, Austria. The session, which takes place on Saturday 22 September from 08.30 to 16.00, will be chaired by Oliver Findl, Simonetta Morselli and Kaarina Vannas, and will take young ophthalmologists on an instructive journey through the various key stages of phacoemulsification, from incisions through to hydro-dissection, fragmentation and IOL implantation, as well as discussing complications and difficult cases. INTERACTION AND PARTICIPATION One of the reasons why the YO Programme has proven to be so successful is that the emphasis is placed firmly on interaction and participation rather than passive learning, with the young ophthalmologists providing the backbone of the session in the form of video cases they submit illustrating problems encountered or mistakes made in the course of their own first steps into cataract surgery. “We call the video presentation section ‘Learning from the Learners’, which nicely sums up what we are trying to do. We are very grateful to the young ophthalmologists who submit their videos for scrutiny as it’s a very brave thing to do, highlighting one’s errors for the benefit of discussion and helping others overcome similar situations that might crop up in their own surgeries,” said Oliver Findl, Chairperson of the YOP. The format of the session, in which a didactic lecture by an experienced surgeon is followed by video cases presented by young ophthalmologists, lends itself to interaction and discussion,” said Dr Findl. “Everybody can take something home, because these are the type of experiences that we all have as surgeons, particularly when we are starting out in our surgical careers.” he said. One of the key messages that the YO Committee tries to emphasise is that there are not always right and wrong answers when dealing with difficult surgical situations. “We have an experienced panel of surgeons, and one of the things that has emerged frequently at our previous sessions is that there are several ways of dealing with a complication or an issue that arises during surgery,” he said. On Sunday 24 September, the Young Ophthalmologists Session will discuss targeting emmetropia in cataract surgery. This session will explore a range of topics including ‘What is emmetropia?’, ‘Let’s measure the eye’, ‘Formulas to be applied’, ‘Choosing the best IOL for each patient’ and ‘Things that you need to consider during and after surgery’. “We are very much looking forward to this year’s ESCRS Congress and I look forward to meeting and talking to the young ophthalmologists who continue to make a huge contribution to our society,” said Dr Findl.

Tags: young ophthalmologists