When 40 Years of Innovation Gather in One Place
Our 11-member team from KSA Silmakeskus attended the XXXV European Congress of Refractive and Cataract Surgeons in Lisbon from 7–11 October. It's the year's most important gathering for eye surgery professionals — and it shows.
Back in 1985, a few hundred surgeons met for a two-day seminar on refractive and cataract surgery. Today, that modest event has grown into the world's largest eye care conference and technology showcase. This year alone, over 9,000 delegates from 118 countries converged in Lisbon.
Why Europe Leads the Way
The congress has expanded far beyond specialist surgeons. Now it includes optometrists, nurses, clinic administrators, and support staff — all pushing the field forward together. An event of this scale demands world-class infrastructure: multiple lecture halls running in parallel, live surgery broadcasts, hands-on workshops, and a sprawling technology exhibition covering tens of thousands of square metres.
Europe holds a special position in refractive surgery. Thanks to more progressive regulation, we've historically moved faster than North America or Asia. That's why ESCRS attracts more delegates and innovation than comparable conferences anywhere else.
The Schedule That Never Stops
Mornings start at 8am. Lectures, seminars, and workshops continue back-to-back. If you commit to satellite sessions, you won't finish until 10pm. It's intellectually intense — but worth every moment. Our team split up across different specialties and workshops, regrouping only in the evenings over coffee in Lisbon's old town, sharing insights and discoveries.
Lisbon itself is stunning. October sun, warm weather, narrow cobbled streets — and yes, we barely saw any of it. (See our film below.)
What We're Bringing Home
We've returned with new knowledge, videos, photographs, and valuable connections. Some of these insights will soon find their way into KSA's practice. Events like this energise our clinic year after year. That's why we brought as many colleagues as possible.
This trip was only possible because Caroline, Ülle, Aljona, Irina, and Ave kept KSA running back in Tallinn and Tartu — answering phones, talking to patients, performing eye tests, so the rest of us could be fully present at the congress.
We're grateful to them, and to all our patients. You motivate us to keep learning, improving, and delivering the best care. That's why we can train our team with Europe's leading eye surgeons.
Related Resources
Film: "Lisbon — most of which we didn't actually see:)"
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