In December, Dr. Kokame traveled to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as an invited speaker for the 11th annual Asia-Pacific Vitreo-retina Society Congress (APVRS). The APVRS was founded in 2006 with the mission to assist in the development of vitreoretinal subspecialty in the Asia-Pacific region. This meeting is held at various locations around Asia and features speakers from all over the world. It is the largest and most notable vitreoretinal meeting in Asia.
Dr. Kokame was part of the Cutting Edge in Retina symposium that took place on Day 1 of the congress. His lecture was focused on the Long Term Results of the ARGUS II Epiretinal Prosthesis: The Long Road to Bioelectronics in Ophthalmology. During this lecture he shared his personal experiences with the ARGUS II, recent study results, and the future direction that this type of bioelectronic technology can have in ophthalmology.
Dr. Kokame also presented on Day 2 in the surgical video part of the program with leading vitreoretinal surgeons from the Asia-Pacific region. Dr. Kokame presented a surgical video of intrusion repair from a hydrogel scleral buckle. This type of buckle was known to swell and cause serious complications many years after the initial placement. Removal of this type of buckle should be treated with extreme caution as this could lead to recurrent retinal detachments or vitreous hemorrhages after removal. However, observation is an option under the right conditions. He reviewed his technique for removing the buckle with cryoprobe and the outcome of good vision after recovery. The moderator, Dr. Suber Huang, from the USA, felt that this was one of the most incredible surgical videos that he had ever seen.
This was Dr. Kokame’s first visit to Kuala Lumpur for APVRS. He is grateful for the invitation and is looking forward to attending next year’s meeting in Seoul, Korea.
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