EuCornea builds momentum as more than 700 delegates attend congress

Friedrich Kruse, President of EuCornea Corneal specialists from Europe and further afield gathered in glorious autumn sunshine in Lisbon this week for the 8th EuCornea Congress. Welcoming delegates to Portugal’s beautiful capital city, Friedrich Kruse, President of EuCornea, expressed satisfaction with the momentum that the organisation has built up in a relatively short time. Launched in 2009 in Barcelona during the XXVII Congress of the ESCRS, the first EuCornea Congress was held in Venice in 2010 and has now firmly established itself as a major point of reference for cornea specialists. Dr Kruse said that he was heartened to see so many delegates coming to Lisbon to support the meeting and said it provided a firm platform for the future growth and well-being of EuCornea. “This year I am delighted to say that we have 700 delegates from 60 countries registered for our Congress. They will enjoy a choice of excellent sessions over the next two days covering all the latest developments in cornea and ocular surface disease presented by leaders in the field,” he said. The strength of this year’s scientific programme, with eight focus sessions dedicated to key issues in corneal and ocular surface treatment and a wide range of training courses, underscores the outstanding support that EuCornea has received from its members, said Dr Kruse. He also saluted the recent initiative of the European Cornea and Cell Transplant Registry, which aims to improve quality in corneal transplant surgery and urged delegates to contribute to making the registry a success. Speaking on behalf of the Portuguese Ophthalmological Society, Joaquim Murta encouraged delegates to enjoy the delights of Lisbon and the renowned hospitality of the Portuguese people. “Lisbon is a wonderful city and I hope that you will take away some great memories of your stay here and that the Congress will be a major success,” he said. As part of the opening ceremony, François Malecaze of France, a former President of the organisation, delivered the EuCornea Medal Lecture on the topic of “Keratoconus: what have we accomplished and what is still left to do?” Before closing the ceremony, Dr Kruse presented the prizes for Best Poster award to Rénuka Birbal, with joint second prize going to Alberto Villarrubia and David Cordeiro Sousa and third prize to Jorge Alió del Barrio. He also reminded delegates of the annual Cornea Day that will take place on 9 February 2018 in Belgrade, Serbia, and the 9th EuCornea Congress in Vienna in September 2018.