In the United States young surgeons who wish to specialize in the retina and vitreous apply and complete a structured and intensive vitreoretinal fellowship; however, surgeons in Europe receive no formal, retina-specific training outside of what is learned in the hospital, from textbooks and journals, international medical congresses, and from occasional visits to observe more experienced colleagues. It is not common practice for new surgeons to have the opportunity to be true students of surgical technique and to apply their acquired skills under the tutelage of an accomplished surgeon.

Nine years ago, members of the European VitreoRetinal Society (EVRS) organized the first European VitreoRetinal Training School (EVRTS) in the spirit of providing young surgeons the opportunity to learn new techniques in surgery over the course of 2 intensive weeks. Recently, the 9th EVRTS was held in Bremen, Germany. To date, over 450 surgeons have participated in this program, with 53 this year alone. Klaus Lucke, MD, Medical Director of Augenklinik Universitaetsallee, Bremen, Germany, is one of the founding members.

“It is obviously beyond our scope to introduce a fellowship system into European countries. I thought that for young surgeons who did not have the opportunity to be exposed to one or two excellent surgeons for 2 or 3 years, however, the opportunity to train for an intensive 2 weeks with a selection of the best surgeons and teachers in the world might go a long way to improve the quality of vitreoretinal surgery in Europe and beyond,” said Dr. Lucke.

The concept behind the course, said Dr. Lucke, is to keep the classes small, no more than 50 students, to allow for intensive group discussions. The faculty consists of experienced high-volume vitreoretinal surgeons who are selected for their knowledge and experience with cuttingedge concepts, exceptional clinical skills, and enthusiastic and engaging teaching methods, according to Dr. Lucke.

AN ATTENDEE'S PERSPECTIVE
Maneesh Bapaye, DNB, FRCS (UK), MBA, who practices in Nashik, India, heard of the program via word-ofmouth and pursued the opportunity to learn alongside experts in retina. Dr. Bapaye spoke with Retina Today this past June at the World Ophthalmology Congress in Berlin about his experience attending EVRTS.

“The program was 10 working days covering various topics in retina. There were didactic sessions, video transmission from the OR, discussion and question-and answer sessions, and dry labs using the EyeSi surgical simulator (VR Magic, Manheim, Germany). The sessions were such that participants could ask questions at any time,” said Dr. Bapaye.

According to Dr. Bapaye, there were surgeons from approximately 19 countries in attendance. “To attend EVRTS, one must apply. Those selected were surgeons with ‘younger' careers who were perceived by the selection committee to have the potential to gain the maximum benefit from such a program,” he said.

Each student took an exhaustive multiple choice assessment test to evaluate how well he or she had absorbed the new concepts presented in lectures and live surgeries. Additionally, surgeons had many opportunities in dry labs using the EyeSi Surgical Simulator to practice these new skills.

There were numerous instructors available to the participants, including Cesare Forlini, MD; Frank Koch, MD; Colin McCannel, MD; Kirk Packo, MD; and Paul Tornambe, MD. The course directors are Dr. Lucke and Silvia Bopp, MD.

As to how the training program would affect his daily practice, Dr. Bapaye said, “I will use vital dyes for membrane staining more frequently for proliferative vitreoretinopathy cases, and for my 20-gauge procedures, I plan to try the sutureless technique. There are some elegant techniques that the instructors demonstrated such as blunt spatula dissection of diabetic membranes.”

Dr. Bapaye said that the social portion of the meeting was also an important component. “The social aspect opened a new network for those who participated. Attendees had access to top surgeons and we could discuss their techniques directly with them. We also had the opportunity to meet our international colleagues and forge lasting friendships,” he said.

The feedback from participants has been positive, said Dr. Lucke. “We regularly receive e-mails from or meet former participants at international congresses,” he said. “Most, if not all, report enthusiastically on the progress they have made since returning to their home countries regarding how helpful the course has proved to be for their professional development.”

Preparation for the 10th EVRTS in May of 2011 is currently under way. For more information, visit EVRS website at evrs.org and click on “Training School.”