SPECIAL FEATURE: RANZCO NZ BRANCH SCIENTIFIC MEETING Notes from the lecture hall From the chair BY DR STEPHEN NG, RANZCO NZ EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN The Dunedin Annual Scientific Meeting of the New Zealand Branch of RANZCO was a great success on many fronts. It was well attended by both ophthalmologists and registrars from throughout the country. In addition, there was a full programme and very good attendance at the parallel Ophthalmic Nurses’ Conference. I was impressed that the convenors had invited three very impressive keynote speakers: Professor Andrew Lotery from Portsmouth, Professor Glen Gole from Brisbane and Dr Mark Chehade from Adelaide. For me, the highlight of the conference was the breadth and depth of their presentations on “cutting edge” topics in ophthalmology. For example, Professor Lotery’s talk on the genetic factors in age-related macular degeneration linked two subjects that will be the prime areas of research in ophthalmology. Professor Gole’s presentations on treatment of amblyopia and progressive myopia in children referenced an evidence base which has not previously been available in paediatric ophthalmology. While Dr Chehade’s presentation on strategies to overcome workforce issues is very pertinent in New Zealand and generated brisk discussion from the audience. The New Zealand Branch of RANZCO’s Annual Scientific Meeting is also an important forum for updating fellows and trainees on College issues. RANZCO increasingly is undertaking an advocacy role on issues that affect our patients. Two current issues for the New Zealand Branch of RANZCO are the “Choosing Wisely” campaign, that aims to establish guidelines for our profession and allied professions to highlight wasteful, ineffective procedures and investigations; and secondly, the New Zealand Branch of RANZCO is planning a campaign to highlight the impact on patients who are not being seen in a timely fashion for follow-up care in public hospital ophthalmology departments. On behalf of all attendees, I wish to thank the convenors of the conference; Drs Mary-Jane Sime, Logan Mitchell and Casey Ung, for all their hard work and tremendous hospitality. Finally, I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the 2017 New Zealand Branch RANZCO Annual Scientific Meeting in Paihia on 12 - 13 May 2017. Regards Stephen BY SAMANTHA SIMKIN* The New Zealand Annual Branch Meeting of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) convened in the Dunedin Town Hall on a crisp, clear Otago day. The leaves were beginning to change in The Octagon and the bracing air awoke the senses. The strength and beauty of the Victorian buildings evoked the scholarly mind as delegates from near and far, North and South New Zealand and overseas gathered together. A wonderful two-day scientific programme was organised for the ophthalmologists for which the convenors, Drs Logan Mitchell, Mary Jane Sime and Casey Ung, expressed their gratitude to Professor Charles McGhee for his input and guidance. Concurrent programmes for ophthalmic nurses and ophthalmic technicians were also held in the Dunedin Town Hall. We were welcomed into the warm and inviting Glenroy Auditorium for the <strong>2016</strong> meeting, themed The developing eye, developing techniques and developing therapies, by New Zealand Branch chair Dr Stephen Ng. To cover this interesting and broad topic base three keynote speakers were invited: Professor Andrew Lotery, professor of ophthalmology in medicine at the University of Southampton, a clinician scientist who works from bench to bedside on common causes of blindness including age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma; Professor Glen Gole, director of ophthalmology at the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital and Children’s Health Queensland, who has special interests in retinopathy of prematurity, vision screening and paediatric low vision; and Dr Mark Chehade, Samantha Simkin, Naz Raoaf with Drs Shuan Dai and Stuart Carroll principal ophthalmologist at the North Adelaide Eye Centre and director of the Cornea and External Disease Unit of the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Developing eyes: ROP and amblyopia Paediatric ophthalmology had a wonderful platform at this general ophthalmology meeting, with the importance of paediatric eye care being highlighted in a number of sessions. Professor Glen Gole was the first of many speakers to discuss retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) with the inquisitive title, ROP – is it all Retcam and Avastin from now on? He discussed the new developments and compared them to current practice, expressing the need to develop whilst maintaining standards with the epidemic of ROP particularly in middle income countries. Dr Malcolm Battin, clinical director of neonatology at Auckland District Health Board followed Glen Gole’s comprehensive ROP review. Dr Battin brought a different and eye opening perspective of the neonate as a whole, reminding us they aim for quality of outcome as well as survival in these vulnerable infants. CONTINUED ON P10 RANZCO NZ chairman Dr Stephen Ng presents Dr Peiyun Wang with the award for Best Scientific Presentation by a junior ophthalmologist Dr Shaun Dai, Samantha Simkin, Professor Glen Gole and Dr Malcolm Battin Toomac’s Mark Taylor and Ian MacFarlane Ros Pearce, Nina Molteno and Professor Anthony Molteno - Perfect 3 dimensional control of every intravitreal injection Walieka Barlon, Jenny Ryan and Carol Slight - Single handed sharps safety - The only intravitreal injection system compliant with international legislation on the use of sharp safe devices - Streamlined workflow Jan Chai and Lumenis’ Brock Flowers is now available in procedure packs Contact Toomac Ophthalmics for a demonstration mark@toomac.co.nz info@salarsurgical.co.uk Dr Logan Robinson with Chris Money and Mark Thorndyke from Zeiss 8 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS <strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong>
It’s all in You make every move with the utmost care and consideration. Shouldn’t you choose your phacoemulsification system that way too? How do you phaco? WHITESTAR SIGNATURE is a trademark owned by or licensed to Abbott Laboratories, its subsidiaries or affiliates. Australia: Abbott Medical Optics, 299 Lane Cove Road, Macquarie Park, NSW 2113, Australia. New Zealand: Abbott Medical Optics (AMO Australia Pty Ltd) PO Box 401, Shortland Street, Auckland, 1140. ©<strong>2016</strong> Abbott Medical Optics Inc. | www.AbbottMedicalOptics.com <strong>Jul</strong>y | PP<strong>2016</strong>CT0711 NEW ZEALAND | WH20283 OPTICS 9
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