Opening Ceremony & Binkhorst Medal Lecture: Vikings, Vision and a Short-Sighted World

From myth-busting Vikings to a myopia call-to-arms, Day 2 of ESCRS 2025 kept eyes wide open.

If Day 1 felt like liftoff, Day 2 was the glide path to altitude—equal parts celebration, science and a few delightful Danish detours. With Chair Prof. Filomena Ribeiro (Portugal) setting the tone, the Opening Ceremony braided community, craft and curiosity into a single ribbon, and then handed the microphone to history, genetics, and, ultimately, a masterclass on myopia.

A welcome built on reach, balance and connection

Prof. Ribeiro opened with scale and scope: “This year’s Congress brings together delegates from over 130 countries. Across more than 200 sessions, you will find cutting edge symposiums, hands on wet labs, instructional courses and free papers presentations.” She then underscored the values: “We are so proud of the grounding gender balance and the global representation that continues to shape our society.”

This year’s program was broad and modern—advanced IOL design, refractive surgery, sustainability, AI and global eye-care delivery—plus fresh formats like The Valhalla Arena, Femtosecond Laser Anniversary and the BoSS Track: Implicit Bias Instructional Course and Workshop.

Beyond the agenda, she anchored the purpose: “More than science, this congress is about connection…Because innovation happens when ideas, perspectives and cultures come together.”

Denmark’s firsts and Vikings reimagined

Dr. Lars Morten Holm (Denmark) supplied two Danish origin stories, one ocular and one epic. The first: “The first recorded cataract extraction was actually performed here in Denmark… in 1667 on a goose… the result actually challenged the prevailing belief that the lens was the true visual organ.” The second arrived via a live TED-style talk from evolutionary geneticist Eske Willerslev.

Who, really, were the Vikings? Not the movie myth, he argued, but a mosaic. “Being a Viking is a lifestyle. It’s not an ethnicity.” His genomic map punctured clichés: “There were fewer blonde Vikings than there’s blonde Scandinavians today,” and “there are fewer blue eyed Vikings than the blue eyed Scandinavians today.”

He mapped their routes—Swedes to the Baltics, Danes to England, Norwegians furthest west—and undercut the idea of vast, pan-Scandinavian raiding parties. “Archaeologically there has been found one raiding party… it’s a family adventure.” Then came a sobering twist: “They are the first super spreaders of infectious diseases. And what they’re spreading is smallpox.”

Training, ESCRS’s guidelines and patient empowerment

Prof. Ribeiro next convened a mini-panel showcasing ESCRS education initiatives.

Simulation cataract surgery curriculum:

Mrs. Sarah Maling (United Kingdom) underscored the value of standardizing cataract surgery training. By breaking the operation into clear steps and aligning with existing simulation models, trainees can refine their skills before they reach the operating room. The aim is simple: faster learning curves and fewer complications through the new simulation cataract surgery curriculum.

Refractive guidelines and simultaneous-vision IOL Classification

Prof. Béatrice Cochener-Lamard (France) explained the two-year effort behind new European refractive guidelines, built on systematic evidence reviews and expert consensus. At its heart is a fresh classification system for simultaneous-vision IOLs, designed to replace confusing manufacturer-driven labels with a focus on functional outcomes that matter to patients. “The way is now open for us: to work together to strive for excellence and move from best practices to robust evidence based recommendations.”

Patient portal

Dr. Richard Packard (United Kingdom) focused on informed consent and patient empowerment. The new ESCRS portal provides plain-language explanations of surgical options, aftercare and terminology—currently available in English, French and German—complete with downloadable materials and QR codes for clinics. “I have no doubt that the portals will be a huge boon for patients’ better understanding, at the same time advancing the conversation they have with their surgeon,” he said.

The Binkhorst Medal Lecture: “The Short-Sighted World”

Then came the morning’s centerpiece: the Binkhorst Medal Lecture. Prof. Thomas Kohnen (Germany) took the stage after an introduction by Prof. Ribeiro, who highlighted his 600+ publications, global mentorship and leadership across cataract, IOL, refractive and corneal surgery.

Prof. Kohnen opened warmly, even with a lighthearted imagined exchange with Cornelius Binkhorst, before turning to his lecture, The Short Sighted World. His focus: the relentless rise of myopia. “The prevalence of myopia is increasing worldwide,” he said, citing data showing both low and high myopia on the rise. The culprits are familiar—less time outdoors, more near work, intense educational pressure and of course, genetics.

What can we do now?

Prof. Kohnen stitched together lifestyle, pharmacology, optics and surgery:

Outdoor time isn’t soft advice; it works. “Auto recess has shown that the outer recess reduces myopia onset by more than 50 percent.”
Low-dose atropine shows promise: “Atropine 0.1% shows myopia progression with minimal side effects,” though dosing still needs refinement.
DIMS (defocus incorporated multiple segments) spectacles “reduce myopia progression and axial elongation over 50% in two years,” with “less rebound than atropine or light therapy” on stopping.

On corneal refractive surgery, Prof. Kohnen urged perspective over rivalry. PRK, LASIK and KLEx/SMILE all stand as safe, effective options. “KLEx is at least equivalent, but there is no superiority of any of these single procedures.” His message: match the method to the patient, not the other way around.

Turning to phakic IOLs, he spoke with the authority of both scientist and high-volume surgeon: “I have personally done 2,500 implants… angle supported, iris supported, posterior chamber lens.” The trajectory is clear—early anterior-chamber lenses faded due to endothelial cell loss, while posterior-chamber designs, particularly central-port models, have driven progress.

“We now have many ICL implants and I think that’s a good future.” Still, he warned against complacency. Even with excellent optics, “you have to take the pressure,” citing a young patient who arrived at his clinic after an acute pupillary block and an IOP of 50 mmHg.

When it came to refractive lens exchange (RLE), Prof. Kohnen was equally candid. One of his own 52-year-old high myopes suffered a retinal detachment just a week after a flawless procedure. “Be aware of that fact… we have a higher rate in myopic patients.” That risk, he explained, is exactly why ESCRS is backing the MYOPRED study on posterior vitreous detachment and detachment risk in myopes after lens surgery.

The through-line of his lecture was responsibility across a lifetime. Corneal procedures can, albeit rarely, lead to ectasia; phakic IOLs require endothelial and IOP monitoring; lens exchange alters vitreoretinal dynamics. The answer, Prof. Kohnen argued, isn’t fear—it’s fit. Or, as he put it: “Remember, treat the whole eye, not just a refractive error.”

He closed with Goethe—part admonition, part invitation: “Your eyes are open, you think you see.” In a world that is growing short-sighted, both literally and figuratively, the challenge is clear: better diagnostics, smarter prevention and judicious surgery.

“Correction is not the treatment and we need to do further research,” he reminded, before thanking colleagues worldwide for building that future together.

Why this morning mattered

Day 2 at ESCRS 2025 showed just how powerfully science, history and community can converge. From Denmark’s cataract firsts and Viking myths reframed through modern genetics, to ESCRS education projects reshaping surgical training and patient empowerment, the stage kept circling back to one theme: progress through perspective.

Dive into all the stories from ESCRS 2025 with our daily coverage.

Editor’s Note: The 43rd Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS 2025) is being held from 12-16 September in Copenhagen, Denmark. Reporting for this story took place during the event. This content is intended exclusively for healthcare professionals. It is not intended for the general public. Products or therapies discussed may not be registered or approved in all jurisdictions, including Singapore.