Surgical Skills Training Course Descriptions

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Please note that the cost for all wetlabs for trainees is fixed at €100 per course. For regular delegates the cost will vary between €100 and €150, depending on the amount of equipment and preparation required for a particular wetlab.

Surgical skills training courses are hands-on wetlab courses utilising high-communication wetlab technology as well as the SFVT eye model with red reflex and changeable intraocular pressures. These classes offer participants the opportunity to practice surgical techniques on porcine eyes. The classes are small and utilise 2-way audio and video as teaching tools.

NB: Places on surgical skills training courses are limited and delegates are advised to pre-book.

Important Notice

Please ensure that you attend the corresponding pre-requisite instructional course in order to participate in your chosen surgical skills training course.
Please note that there is no way to book a ticket for the pre-requisite courses, so ensure to arrive to the instructional courses early to avoid disappointment.

Please check that you have not selected two courses scheduled for the same time. If you select courses at conflicting times the Congress Organisers reserve the right to assign you to the next available course.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW FULL SURGICAL SKILLS SCHEDULE

Course Topics:

Basic Phacoemulsification

This course, which follows the four hour didactic course, will provide practical experience in removing a cataractous lens from porcine eyes. Hands-on experience in phacoemulsification, incision/CCC and lens insertion will be provided.
This course will have one participant at each station

PRE-REQUISITE: Instructional Course No. 10 and No.29 (This is a four hour course consisting of two instructional courses, each of two hours duration)

Basic Suturing Techniques (Corneal / Scleral / Trauma / Keratoplasty)

This course will teach basic suturing techniques for ophthalmic surgery. Participants will have the opportunity to learn suturing techniques both with and without an operating microscope.
This course will have one participant at each station.

PRE-REQUISITE: Instructional Course No. 01

Boston Keratoprosthesis (B-KPro)

This 2 hour wetlab is intended for surgeons interested in performing Boston Kpro (Type I) surgery. The wetlab will focus on teaching the assembly of the Boston Type I Kpro, as well as surgical techniques for its implantation. You will have hands-on experience in assembling the device with corneal tissue.
This course will have one participant at each station.

PRE-REQUISITE: Instructional Course No. 25

Corneal Cross-Linking Therapy

This wetlab will allow participants to gain experience with some of the corneal cross-linking treatment systems. The session will provide “hands-on” training with porcine eyes and an operating microscope, detailed practical information on corneal anaesthesia, methods of de-epithelisation, instruments, installation of the Riboflavin eye drops (dosage, frequency, duration, handling and storage of Riboflavin) and testing of the UV radiation system.
This course will have two participants at each station

PRE-REQUISITE: Instructional Course No. 07

DSEK and DMEK Keratoplasty

This course will cover the basics of the PKP technique, with an emphasis on hands-on experience of trephining and suturing. Participants need not have prior experience of penetrating keratoplasty to attend this course.
This course will have one participant at each station

PRE-REQUISITE: Instructional Course No.37 and No. 38

Intraocular & Transcleral Suturing Techniques

This course will teach intraocular and transcleral suturing techniques for iris and pupil repair, sulcus and iris fixation of subluxated IOL’s. Sulcus fixation of CTR’s and use of goretex sutures in ophthalmic surgery.
This course will have one participant at each station.

PRE-REQUISITE: Instructional Course No. 02

IOL Explantation Wetlab

With an increase in the number of cataract refractive procedures and non-laser refractive surgeries, it is inevitable that occasionally a tiny proportion of these lenses may have to be explanted. The common reasons for this include: incorrect intraocular lens power resulting in post operative refractive surprise, incapacitating glare and or haloes, IOL decentration or subluxation, improper size of phakic IOL, and inadvertent disenclavation of iris claw lens. It is thus necessary for the anterior segment surgeon to technically understand the nuances of explantation of various intraocular lenses.

This wet lab aims to discuss various clinical scenarios, which an anterior segment surgeon may encounter and provide hands on experience on the explantation of some of intraocular lens designs.
This course will have one participant at each station.

Iris Claw aPhakic IOL

The aim of this course is to discuss the surgical solutions of post-traumatic ocular conditions of eyes with a potential functional recovery. Based on different clinical cases, the surgeon will explain the surgical strategies to follow in order to optimally restore the function of the eye. This course will be an interactive case-ba sed discussion with the participation of the panel.
This course will have one participant at each station.

PRE-REQUISITE: Instructional Course No. 108

LASIK (Laser in situ keratomileusis)

This course will familiarise ophthalmologists with the assembly and use of various microkeratomes used to create a corneal flap, with special attention to surgical techniques and management of complications. A variety of microkeratomes and excimer lasers will be available for use by the participants.This course will also demonstrate flap-creation using a femtosecond-laser (FS60). Each participant will have the opportunity to create corneal flaps and perform excimer laser ablations on porcine eyes.

PRE-REQUISITE: Instructional Course No. 05 and No. 26

Modern MIGS Techniques using implants

There is a plethora of new glaucoma surgery techniques, often grouped under the umbrella term "MIGS". This course will demonstrate modern glaucoma surgery techniques using different types of implants. Participants will have the opportunity to learn surgical gonioscopy techniques and get hands-on experience with two implants; Allergan and Glaukos.
This course will have 3 groups of 6 participants and each company has 3 microscopes

PRE-REQUISITE: Instructional Course No. 15 and No. 28

Modern MIGS Techniques not using Implant

There is a plethora of new glaucoma surgery techniques, often grouped under the umbrella term "MIGS". This course will demonstrate modern glaucoma surgery techniques. These techniques are implant-free. Participants will have the opportunity to get hands-on experience to learn four modern MIGS techniques; Ellex, Oertli, Iridex and New World Medical
This course will have 4 groups of 4 participants and each company has 4 microscopes

PRE-REQUISITE: Instructional Course No. 15 and No. 28

Phaco: Management of Complications

This course includes practice on porcine eyes of the various techniques discussed in the didactic course including management of white cataract with Tryphan Blue and insertion of intracapsular rings. Also included are the various advanced phaco techniques such as vertical chop, phaco slice, stop and chop and hemi-flip.
This course will have one participant at each station.

PRE-REQUISITE: Instructional Course No. 101

Phakic IOLs

These courses will allow the participant the opportunity to handle different phakic IOLs and practise several implantation techniques. Phakic IOLs presented include PRL, Artisan and Verisyse.
These courses will have one participant at each station.

PRE-REQUISITE: Instructional Course No. 36

Posterior Capsulorhexis “Bag in the Lens”

This course will allow participants to become proficient in posterior capsulorhexis as a useful technique in the management of posterior capsule tears. Participants will also have the opportunity to practice the dual technique of same size anterior and posterior capsulorhexis necessary for the implantation of the “bag in the lens” capsular supported IOL.
This course will have two participants at each station.

PRE-REQUISITE: Instructional Course No. 30

PRK, LASEK & Epi-LASIK

This course will enable the participant to practise various techniques for handling and removing the corneal epithelium. Individual instruction will be given with the aid of porcine eyes. The management of the epithelial flap created in the LASEK procedure will be elucidated. Epi-LASIK will be demonstrated as well. Various excimer lasers will be available for practising surface ablation.
This course will have two participants at each station.

PRE-REQUISITE: Instructional Course No. 27

Schlemm's Canal Surgery: Viscocanalostomy and Canaloplasty (inc ABiC)

This course will demonstrate the surgical skills required to perform Viscocanalostomy and Canaloplasty (Ab-Externo and Ab-Interno). In Ab-Externo Schlemm's Canal Surgery superficial and deep lamellar scleral flaps are created to expose the trabecular meshwork externally. In Ab-Interno (ABiC) the trabecular meshwork is accessed, via the anterior chamber, using a gonio contact lens. In all of these procedures Schlemm’s Canal is then dilated using high molecular weight sodium hyaluronate.
This course will have one participant at each station.