From ophthalmic heritage to sustainable futures, ESCRS 2025 Day 3 in Denmark’s capital proves that vision care is as forward-thinking as it is foundational.
A rainy September morning saw delegates trundling into the Bella Center, umbrellas in tow, for the 43rd Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS 2025). Three days in, everyone has found their rhythm: the bustling hum of the poster halls, the murmur of breakout sessions and the occasional roar when a particularly snappy slide lands just right.
Today’s program struck a satisfying balance between reflection and ocular innovation: legacy wisdom alongside cutting-edge ophthalmic diagnostics, established teaching methods next to forward-thinking VR demos, and simple clinical fixes sharing space with complex surgical advances.
Session highlights
Dementia and vision. The morning kicked off with neurologists and ophthalmologists dissecting the tricky intersections of cognition and eye care. Dr. Giorgio Giulio Fumagalli (Italy) laid the diagnostic groundwork, while Prof. Paul Ursell (United Kingdom) addressed surgical considerations. The session explored visual processing disorders, falls risk and the thorny question of whether simultaneous vision IOLs belong in dementia care. Cross-specialty collaborations like this are rare—read up on the insights that emerged here.
Heritage meets innovation. Dr. Robert Osher’s (United States) Heritage Medal Lecture, Video—Couldn’t Live Without It!, had attendees both laughing and nodding in awe. From 1973 VHS tapes of Peter Pan for his kids to the first medical video journal, Dr. Osher has always pushed the envelope. His boldest move? Showing surgical complications at AAO 1981, earning him a 10-year ban but permanently reshaping surgical education culture. See what he’s working on now, exploring VR for patient education by letting patients “try on” different IOLs in real-world scenarios.
Sustainability roundtable. The afternoon tackled the surprisingly thrilling topic of medical device reprocessing in the EU. Dr. Diana Silva (Portugal) moderated as Sidsel Aabroe (Denmark) broke down opportunities and obstacles in balancing environmental responsibility with patient safety. This isn’t just bureaucracy—ophthalmology is grappling with its carbon footprint, and the session offered a peek at real solutions for an industry still reliant on single-use devices. Click here for the details.
Clinical advances without the fanfare
The Tarsus “Look at the Lids” initiative is making waves across Europe, revealing the widespread but underdiagnosed presence of Demodex blepharitis. Experts demonstrated elegantly simple methods—like having patients look down during slit lamp exams to reveal collarettes—that could change everyday practice. Read on to hear what Dr. Erik Mertens (Belgium) and Dr. Radhika Rampat (United Kingdom) has to say, and how you can get in on the ‘Look at the Lids’ revolution.
Meanwhile, the EU Clinical Trial Spotlight Symposium (more details here) delivered data-rich takeaways:
- Dr. Cathleen McCabe (United States) on Bausch + Lomb EnVista Envy results
- Dr. José Manuel Díez del Corral (Spain) on TECNIS PureSee real-world outcomes
- Dr. Matthew Rauen (United States) showing how lower intraoperative IOP during phaco can improve endothelial preservation while reducing patient discomfort
Glaukos gave delegates a sneak peek into the future of MIGS with the European debut of the iStent infinite®. Sporting a next-gen injector, a triple-stent design and a standout safety profile, the device promises to shake up glaucoma care, even for patients in the advanced stage of the disease. Experts dished out both clinical trial and real-world data, signaling a move toward earlier, proactive intervention rather than the old “wait and medicate” approach. Check out the full scoop here.
So, where do SIFI’s wavefront-engineered IOLs land in the shiny new, evidence-based ESCRS Functional Vision Working Group classification? Glad you asked. Experts unpacked how moving from gut-feel to data-driven lens selection could seriously upend patient outcomes. Want to see how Mini WELL®, Mini WELL PROXA® and EVOLUX® stack up in real-world practice? Read the full breakdown here.
Nova Eye put canaloplasty and the iTrack™ Advance under fire with its 5 Burning Questions campaign, and the spotlight was HOT. Experts tackled the tough stuff: why drops alone may be burning out too fast, how earlier surgical intervention can protect vision and why a tissue-sparing, restorative approach might just be the smarter move. Click through for insights on how canaloplasty emerged less as a niche trick and more as a strategy for keeping glaucoma fires in check.
As the rain tapered off and Copenhagen’s cobblestones glistened in the late afternoon sun, Day 3 reminded us why ESCRS remains the epicenter of ophthalmic conversation: a perfect mix of heritage, innovation and evidence-based insights. Tomorrow promises more deep dives, lively debates and perhaps a few more surprises in anterior segment surgery and beyond.
So grab your coffee, your umbrella or maybe just your curiosity—Day 4 is just around the corner, and you won’t want to miss a moment.
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.