How our colleagues from abroad manage some of the challenges we all face.

Fifteen years or so ago, I was given the opportunity to help put together a new ophthalmology meeting in Europe. The meeting was designed to bring together some of the best anterior segment surgeons from the United States and Europe in a small, informal setting. It was to be held in June in Cannes in the south of France. It was hard to pass up a few relaxing summer days on the French Riviera and sounded like an amazing week was in store.

It turned out to be an amazing week indeed, but not for the reasons I had originally thought.

GAINING PERSPECTIVE OVERSEAS

My responsibility for the meeting was to put together the program for one of the days, and I was to fill it primarily with surgeons from Europe. At the time, I did not know very many physicians from other countries, so it was a little out of my comfort zone creating the group for my sessions. In the end, though, I was able to meet and gain unique perspectives from a number of very gifted ophthalmologists from a host of different counties. In the process, I also made some very wonderful friendships that have over the years led to many satisfying collaborations.

That meeting continues to this day and has become one of the more popular ophthalmology meetings held in Europe. I still contribute to it regularly and continue to meet new surgeons from a variety of countries throughout the world and learn from their experiences. If you have never done so, I highly recommend attending an international meeting, if the opportunity ever presents itself. There are so many different technologies and approaches to ocular surgery to take in that we don’t always hear about in the States. It is very much a growth experience.

A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

So, when I was asked to be a guest editor for Ophthalmology Management, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to draw on that network of surgeons from around the world to give their perspectives on the way they handle some of the challenges in our specialty common to us all. Some of the physicians in this issue were presenters in that section of mine at the meeting so many years ago.

Arthur Cummings, MD, from Ireland, shares his methods for discussing IOL options with cataract patients and how he gathers and presents the relevant data for them to make an informed decision. H. Burkhard Dick, MD, and Ronald D. Gerste, MD, from Germany, provide their experience with IOLs that are new or may be coming soon to the United States. Sheraz Daya, MD, from England, offers pearls for how he achieves a high level of patient satisfaction following refractive cataract surgery. Finally, A. John Kanellopoulos, MD, from Greece, reviews the factors he considers when treating cataract patients with keratoconus.

These contributors are leaders in the subjects they are presenting here and bring just a little different insight to the table that you will find enlightening. More importantly for me, they are my friends, and I appreciate them sharing their insights in our Cataract issue. OM

Mark A. Kontos, MD, is a senior surgeon and partner with Empire Eye Surgeons in Spokane, Wash., and a director on the OOSS Board of Directors.