The Asia-Pacific Glaucoma Congress happens every two years, so there’s a lot to pack in educationally once each meeting arrives.
APGC 2024 in Manila did not disappoint.
The eagerly-awaited 4th Edition of the Asia Pacific Glaucoma Guidelines (APGG4) came out on Day 2 of the congress, with long queues of delegates awaiting their copy. In fact, we understood that a limited print run of 200 were created to be distributed at this meeting.
Hence, I found myself at the Santen booth, taking pictures of almost 200 pages for our editorial coverage, as I didn’t want to take away a single copy from a glaucoma doctor that could put those to use ASAP.
They are indeed fascinating guidelines, and our full story is on them here.
In the meantime, I thought I’d share some moments I had with the Movers & Shakers I met at APGC 2024.
1. Prof. Aung Tin
Prof. Aung Tin is CEO of Singapore National Eye Centre and was a fixture around APGC. When APGC comes to Singapore in 2026, he is said to have major influence in the organization of that meeting as well.
At APGC 2024, he chaired the 4th Edition launch of the Asia Pacific Glaucoma Guidelines along with Drs. Tina Wong and Christopher Leung.
The key message takeaway on MIGS was particularly interesting, in the Guidelines, as follows:
“Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) initially referred to ab interno devices and procedures usually targeting Schlemm’s canal,” the report noted. “However, the term has currently broadened to include ab externo bleb-forming procedures with little or no scleral dissection.”
2. Dr. Inder Paul Singh
Dr. Singh popped up right before my eyes in the lobby of the APGC 2024, alongside my colleague Brandon Winkeler. Given his ease in the worlds of both glaucoma surgery as well as music (he’s in the band Funkadesi, which won Best World Music Act in the Best of Chicago 2023 Awards), I thought to mention how Brandon seems to be experiencing new neural pathways given his various career roles.
Brandon mentioned to me recently that his involvement in ophthalmology business development has led to new thoughts and successes with his restaurants in Da Nang, and his restaurant business acumen also seems to be rubbing off positively onto Media MICE with our rapid growth continuing into Q2 this year.
Dr. Singh seemed to agree that multifaceted career development, all at once, seems to assist all roles. We are certainly blown away by his continued eloquence in describing his experience with the iTrack Advance (Nova Eye Medical, Adelaide, Australia).
Dr. Singh also chaired the MIGS video instruction course at APGC, along with Drs. Robert Ang and Chelvin Sng.
3. Dr. MD Iftekher Iqbal
Dr. Iqbal, of Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital, is one of Bangladesh’s young glaucoma specialists and a rising star.
It’s worth noting that Dr. Iqbal’s professional credentials can be viewed online, and I thought this bio was so very well put together, especially because of the vast ways – including on social media – that one can get in touch with Dr. Iqbal: https://uttara.bdeyehospital.com/consultant/235
Notably, sometimes physician websites aren’t always the greatest interfaces. In other words, doctor penmanship – world renowned as leaving something to be desired – often carries over to web presence. But in the case of Dr. Iqbal, his bio is a beacon of light for the ophthalmic field to review, and consider communicating about themselves with more clarity and connection. Well done!
4. Dr. Prasanna Venkatesh Ramesh
Dr. Ramesh made my list of “50 Groups of Friends for 50 Years of ASCRS”, and he’s making it again as he’s one of the few friends I saw both at ASCRS and APGC.
Dr. Ramesh, of Mahathma Eye Hospital, Tamil Nadu, India, is looking forward to APAO 2025 because it is being hosted alongside the All India Ophthalmological Conference (AIOC).
We have heard that that will be a massive event, with the region’s top general ophthalmology show colliding with India’s major show of the year, perhaps boasting upwards of 10,000 delegates.
5. Our friends at Santen
I had a great time sitting with Lavin Achudan at the gala dinner, along with many others of the Santen team. Mr. Achudan graciously provided me with a copy of the Asia Pacific Glaucoma Guidelines earlier that day to review for our news gathering purposes, and we were all in high spirits since the release of these excellent new guidelines for Asia-Pacific.
Manuel Luis Mañalac and I reminisced about the last time we met in Manila, which was probably 10 years ago. He recalled that I stayed in a dodgy area of Chinatown at the time – what a memory! Well, it may have been notable as it wasn’t the safest area of Manila to stay in, as the hotel security guard warned me not to cross the street alone!
Those were the humble days of Media MICE budgets, and I’m glad to say we stayed in a safer area of town this time. All in the name of eye care!
6. Prof. Clement Tham
Prof. Tham is not only the CEO of the APAO, he is also the president-elect of the APGS. We had a good one-on-one meeting at the APGC, and I also enjoyed one of his key lectures at the Congress.
The topic was about risk factors for glaucoma.
The risk factors “do not imply causality,” Dr. Tham said.
“A lot of these risk factors are derived from epidemiology studies,” he said. “If it is shown by an epidemiological study to be associated with PACG, it does not mean that this caused PAGC.”
7. Jorge Fernandez
The Olleyes guys have put in a lot of miles around the globe to tout the benefits of advanced vision testing technology.
Mr. Fernandez was here representing once again, but he wasn’t alone.
Annie, the virtual assistant, is always on hand with Olleyes to help explain the testing process to patients. So she’s kind of the “Siri” of Olleyes, and quite a bit friendlier I think.
8. Hiroshi Leo Nagatake
It’s great to be in high level talks with Mr. Nagatake nowadays, as Media MICE has been a media partner of Topcon Healthcare in various parts of Asia-Pacific now.
I have to say, I am immensely excited about the way Topcon is communicating now with the region, even versus several years ago.
Just take a look at one of the company’s website, by the way: https://topconhealthcare.jp/
The branding, dynamic graphics, all of this feels way different than before, making it one of the most exciting companies from Japan on the ophthalmology world stage at this point.
And their use of purple – oh, it’s my second favorite color (after turquoise blue – pretty tropical water is still my fave).
9. Dr. Perfecto Elpidio Octavio R. Cagampang III
With a name like Perfecto and with a name so long, I had to get to know this doc. And let me tell you, it is a pleasure and honor. Dr. Cagampang already is a frequent contributor to our magazines, but his outreach is just so thoughtful.
Already, he invited my whole family to come hang out in the Philippines for a number of great activities including whitewater rafting.
What a guy!
I’m taking more of m’eye friends up on these opportunities as of late. For example, Dr. Oliver Findl and I have some plans after DOC to go Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) in Vienna, and do a compelling new KOL interview. It’s going to be a blast, with maybe more adventure interviews on the horizon!
10. Robert Schreier
Speaking of which, I have a new friend from Innsbruck. And his name is Robert Schreier. Mr. Schreier, who now works about two hours away from Innsbruck in Switzerland for Oertli, mentioned to ring him up anytime I’m in town. That’s great because Innsbruck is a paradise for alpine skiing, and Mr. Schreier is an avid one. Our next chance might be after Winter ESCRS in Athens in 2025. I’ll keep you posted!
Meanwhile, Oertli’s new Lean Factory has been fully operational since the winter of 2023.
“The primary objective of the Lean Factory is to increase the efficiency of work processes and production volumes to achieve set growth targets,” Oertli said. “With an investment of around 30 million Swiss francs, this new building underlines our commitment to a sustainable future and our clear commitment to Switzerland as the only production location.”
More about that here: https://www.oertli-instruments.com/en/about-oertli/lean-factory
11. Simon Bakker
Simon was all smiles at the release of the Asia Pacific Glaucoma Guidelines, because his company, Kugler Publications, is the publisher.
It was a deft feat of publishing, as really the guidelines were worked upon all within this year from start to finish.
I’ve seen Simon around the globe at the major shows, so he really is plugged in and a great publishing resource for further publications of this kind. Since 1974, Kugler Publications has been a reputable publisher of books and journals in the field.
12. Irene Gardiner
RXILIENT is a new company I came across for the first time at APGC 2024. The company is spearheading EyeOP1, which provides glaucoma treatment without surgical incision.
Hence, this isn’t even MIGS. Rather, it’s non-invasive.
Rather, it uses what Irene would call “Ultrasound Cyclo-Plasty”, or UCP.
“UCP procedure, the treatment of glaucoma by using high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), relies on a strategy to reduce the production of aqueous humor by partially coagulating the ciliary body, which is responsible for the secretion of aqueous humor,” according to the company. “The treatment is fast, non-invasive and can be performed with the sterile, single-use device consisting of an ultrasound therapy probe and a positioning cone.”
At less than 5 minutes, the procedure is fast!
13. Lena Jonsson
I’ve known Lena for more than a decade, and she’s always one of the friendliest faces at ophthalmology shows. That is, when you can catch her. Lena is always hugely busy at her booth, Aurora Surgical, which sells all sorts of ophthalmology tools directly.
One instrument that is a big new product for Aurora is the Covar Triple Chopper, an ambidextrous chopper with a 2.2 mm bulbous tip.
“It’s safe and effective in slicing and chopping all types of cataracts into nuclear fragments,” according to the company. “The sharp inner tri-edge allows for quick chop and side chop with less nuclear manipulation. The special angulation at almost 90 degrees, allows for a better hold at the edge of the nucleus and a more stable cut through thick and brunescent cataracts.”
14. Dr. Chelvin Sng
Dr. Sng, an advisory board member for CAKE Magazine, also has some incredible dance moves. She was part of a 70s inspired dance group that showed off their moves at the APGC gala dinner, my favorite of which was danced to the song “Car Wash.”
Other members of the ophthalmologist dance group included: Drs. Tina Wong, Ching Lin Ho, Zhu Li Yap and Shamira Perera.
For those who may not know, Chelvin now has her own eye center, Chelvin Sng Eye Centre and also is the co-inventor of the Paul Glaucoma Implant, which has CE mark clearance in Europe, among her many accolades.
Check out her website for further details: www.drchelvinsng.com
15. Team Media MICE
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the efforts of Team Media MICE at APGC. The film crews were out in force around the exhibition area, capturing the latest and greatest at Santen, Topcon and iCare. Further, our Chief Editor Gloria Gamat was hard at work behind-the-scenes interviewing for our video coverage.
Gloria, who is celebrating 10 years with Media MICE, helped put doctors at ease with her cheerful manner, and wealth of ophthalmic knowledge.
It was great to see Gloria, a native Filipina, in her element at such an important regional glaucoma show right in Manila.
As for the rest of the team, we worked around the clock to bring you our modern digital “show daily” efforts, covering the hot news out of APGC 2024. We also managed to distribute quite a few of our physical CAKE magazines, which are always sharing the latest updates on the anterior segment.
16. Yasir Iqbal
Yasir Iqbal now works for just about the coolest named company in eye care: SpyGlass Pharma.
To hear Mr. Iqbal tell it, SpyGlass was co-founded by Dr. Malik Kahook, and is currently in Phase II trials.
SpyGlass is “the world’s first, IOL-mounted, controlled release drug delivery platform capable of delivering multiple years of therapy,” the company notes.
Well, it’s just fascinating that the haptics are being put to use beyond just stabilizing the IOL in place.
Currently, SpyGlass is testing sustained delivery of the use of bimatoprost, implanted in glaucoma patients undergoing cataract surgery.
“Dual pads securely attached to each haptic are designed to elute treatment continuously for multiple years,” according to the company.
17. Prof. Ningli Wang
Prof. Wang, past president of the APAO, certainly is an influential figure in APAC.
Prof. Wang co-chaired the symposium “Artificial intelligence: where are we now, where are we headed & what does it mean for us?”, as well as a symposium on primary angle closure disease.
But we also became friends during APAO in Kuala Lumpur in 2023, as we performed what I call a “Walk & Talk” video, where we walk and interview a dignitary at the same time. It definitely adds another challenge to the interview, especially to the uninitiated, but Dr. Wang was a pro.
He also gifted me the brooch right off of his jacket, which was an extremely kind gesture, so I always consider Prof. Wang to be both a gentleman and a scholar. So it’s always great to meet up.
18. Dr. Robert Ang
Dr. Ang is a great supporter of Media MICE with his many interview pieces over the years. He is a senior consultant and Head of Cornea and Refractive Surgery Services at Asian Eye Institute in Makati City, Philippines.
This time, Dr. Ang presented on “Evolution of MIGS: an unmet need” as well as co-chaired the MIGS Controversies plenary session.
19. Dr. Cynthia Yu Wai Man
Dr. Man is MRC Clinician Scientist and Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at King’s College, London. She also has a handy WhatsApp.
Nowadays, I always get an e-SIM card when I land in foreign lands, and Manila was no different. However, when you download the e-SIM, you need to view it on your mobile device to activate the QR code. I only had my phone handy (and not a laptop), so I asked Dr. Man to WhatsApp the code to her phone, so I could view it on there with my own phone.
I’m sure there is an easier way to do this, but well, Dr. Man was a SIM-saver if not a life saver! And we have to be connected in this conference day and age, don’t we?
So for that, and her brilliance, Dr. Man makes #19 on my list. Thank you Dr. Man!
20. SOS Children’s Villages Philippines representative
I didn’t get her name, but for my final entry, I’d like to give a shout out to the anonymous SOS Children’s Villages Philippines representative, who was in the lobby of SMX Convention Center doing the difficult work of raising funds for her charity.
“Every child belongs to a family and grows up with love, respect and security,” according to the charity. “We build families for children in need, we help them shape their own futures, and we share in the development of their communities.”
It’s a thoughtful mission, and it also gets specific.
“Every SOS Children’s Village provides quality alternative care in a family environment and stability to children who have lost their parents or can no longer live with them,” the charity notes. “Four to ten boys and girls of different ages live together with their SOS parent(s) in a family house, and a village community tends to be made up of around eight to fifteen SOS Children’s Village families. In some locations, SOS families live side by side with neighbors from their communities. The children receive the same quality care as in other SOS Children’s Villages, but the SOS families are integrated in the wider communities. The children and young people in SOS Children’s Villages care attend schools and other facilities in the local community.”
It’s worth reviewing this video to get involved: https://youtu.be/e62PLtwfmuk
Here’s the website: https://www.sosphilippines.org/
Well, that’s a wrap: 20 Movers & Shakers at APGC 2024 in the eye care industry. And I’m glad it’s complete as APACRS in Chengdu, China is coming up quickly on the heels of this conference. Say hello if you’re in Chengdu, and let me know what you’re up to, for the possibility of making my Top 20+ conference list next!
