Copenhagen came alive in early September as more than 15,000 participants gathered for the ESCRS 2025 Congress, including nearly 10,000 ophthalmology professionals from around the world. The program spanned five days of educational activity and networking in the field of cataract and refractive surgery.

At HOYA Surgical Optics, ESCRS is always a special opportunity to connect with customers and distributor partners. This year was no exception: our exhibition booth welcomed visitors for live product demonstrations, while side events created space for deeper discussions and collaboration.

Honoring Visionary Leaders: The Hall of Masters

One of the highlights of 2025 was the launch of our new award program, the Hall of Masters—a recognition dedicated to surgeons whose contributions have advanced the field of ophthalmology. We are proud to announce the inaugural 16 inductees :
Ashvin Agarwal | Natalia Anisimova | Romesh Angunawela | Amanda Carones | Francesco Carones | Nino Hirnschall | Dylan Joseph | Ramin Khoramnia | Erik Mertens | Anurag Mishra | Santiago Montolio | Zoltan Nagy | Bob Osher | Richard Packard | Shreyas Ramamurthy | Supriya Sriganesh

This marks the beginning of a tradition that will continue to celebrate leadership in ophthalmology.

Educational Program

In addition to the exhibition, HOYA Surgical Optics was represented in the scientific program with a free paper on the global consolidated outcomes from the Vivinex™ Gemetric™ clinical trials, and presented two posters featuring different data sets from the COMP study for Vivinex Impress™.

Customer Events

We also hosted five educational events tailored to local audiences. These sessions, delivered in native languages, focused on the needs of some of our most important markets. Nearly 200 ophthalmology professionals from 10 countries joined these interactive meetings, sharing practical insights and exchanging experiences.

Thank you

We close this year’s congress season with a sincere thank you — to our colleagues who supported the exhibition and local meetings, to our customers and distributor partners for joining us, to the ESCRS organizers, and to the many new connections we made in Copenhagen.

In the meantime, follow us on LinkedIn for regular updates across company news, product highlights, educational content, and congress impressions.

The spring congress season was a busy and rewarding time for HOYA Surgical Optics. Between April and June 2025, we participated in five key ophthalmology congresses across Europe — engaging with surgeons, sharing insights, and supporting clinical education. 

Ophthalpreneurs (OPS) | April 10–13, Taormina, Italy

We kicked off our spring activities at Ophthalpreneurs (OPS), a unique event dedicated to the business side of ophthalmology — an area often overlooked in medical training. This highly focused event brings together thought leaders and private-practice surgeons to strengthen their entrepreneurial expertise.

As a Champion Sponsor, HOYA Surgical Optics was proud to support OPS's mission: equipping ophthalmologists with the tools they need to thrive as practice owners and decision-makers. Thank you to the organizers and participants for creating a space that bridges clinical excellence and business leadership in our field.

Société Française d'Ophtalmologie (SFO) | May 10–12, Paris, France

At the 2025 SFO Congress, HOYA Surgical Optics France and the global team were on the ground to connect with customers and business partners. Our booth saw lively exchanges with surgeons, we sponsored a near-live surgery with Dr. Mickael Karcenty showcasing the Vivinex™ Gemetric™ Plus lens and we proudly honored two doctors with awards for their e-posters in cataract surgery.

Congratulations to Dr. Robert Benhamou and Dr. Massira S. for winning the 1st and 2nd SFO Prizes for Best Poster on Cataract Surgery. Special thanks also to Dr. Camille Bosc for his insightful presentation. With over 5,000 attendees and strong engagement throughout the event, SFO once again proved to be a key platform for education and innovation.

Internationaler Kongress der Deutschen Ophthalmochirurgen (DOC) | May 15–17, Nuremberg, Germany

The DOC 2025 brought together over 7,000 participants and exhibitors — and our booth was buzzing with activity. In addition to product demonstrations and in-depth conversations, we hosted an evening symposium moderated by Dr. Stefanie Schmickler, featuring a panel of cataract and refractive experts including Catharina Richt, Dr. med. Christian Ahlers and Dr. med. Harald Gäckle talking about the Vivinex™ Gemetric™ family. Thank you to all who visited our booth and joined the conversation around the future of surgical innovation. A detailed article about the evening symposium is available in German and can be accessed here.

Österreichische Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft (ÖOG) | May 29–31, Schladming, Austria

At the 65th ÖOG Annual Meeting, HOYA Surgical Optics welcomed over 800 participants and proudly contributed to the scientific and educational program. A particular highlight: our two wet labs for beginners in cataract surgery, led by Dr. Andreas Dimmer, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Claus Zehetner, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Teresa Rauchegger.

The “State of the Art: Cataract” session, organized by the Commission for Cataract and Intraocular Implants, provided further updates on clinical developments. Thank you to all the doctors, speakers, and organizers who made this event such a success.

American-European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery (AECOS) | June 5–8, London, UK

We were proud to support this year’s AECOS (American-European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery) in London as a Gold sponsor. AECOS provides a unique platform for collaboration between leading anterior segment surgeons, the ophthalmic industry, and technology innovators — and we were pleased to contribute to the dialogue. Our HSO team members actively participated in the programme:

Paul Wood shared advice in the Rising Stars in Ophthalmology session, offering insights on building successful partnerships with industry.

Antonio Gianno joined panel discussions on the key challenges currently facing both healthcare and industry professionals. He also took part in the joint AECOS Ophthalpreneurs session, discussing how effective communication between surgeons and industry can help patients better understand their vision correction options.

Looking Ahead

We sincerely thank everyone — teams, speakers, and partners — who made these events possible. Your efforts help us build stronger connections, share valuable knowledge, and move the field forward.

We’re already in full planning mode for the upcoming ESCRS 2025 in September. We look forward to meeting many of you there and sharing highlights from that event in the fall.

In the meantime, follow us on LinkedIn for regular updates across company news, product highlights, educational content, and congress impressions.

We are proud to sponsor this year’s Ophthalpreneurs in Taormina, Italy, from April 10–13.

Ophthalpreneurs bridges the gap between practicing medicine and running a business, offering valuable insights for ophthalmologists looking to build and manage successful private practices. The agenda is packed with sessions designed to equip attendees with the necessary skills to thrive in both clinical and business environments.

If you're still considering joining, act fast—only a few seats remain!

Find more details about the event here.

Running alongside Ophthalpreneurs, from April 11–13, is the TechTalks workshop, tailored for clinical and front-office staff. This program focuses on leadership and essential soft skills, including patient communication best practices, clinical workflow optimization, and leadership beyond the technical scope. As the backbone of every practice, well-trained staff play a crucial role in its success.

Interested in signing up? Click here. 

Celebrated for its commitment to excellence, the Masters Film Festival is expanding its global footprint with its debut in India at APAO-AIOC 2025. Previously hosted in Europe, this renowned event in ophthalmic education now brings its distinguished programme to New Delhi. Featuring a curated selection of educational surgical videos, exclusively produced for the festival, and guided by the esteemed Prof. Namrata, it offers an unparalleled opportunity for professionals to explore the latest advancements in surgical innovation.

Couldn't join us for the event?  Register on the Masters Video Library for free today and listen to Prof Namrata Sharma, Dr Erik Mertens, Dr Supriya Samak Sriganesh, Dr Shreyas Ramamurthy, Dr Ashvin Agarwal, and Dr Richard Packard along with the Panelists Prof Jeevan S Titiyal, Prof Dr Mahipal S Sachdev and Dr Sri Ganesh. The full recording is available after registration.

The recording can be accessed here.

WHEN: APAO-AIOC 2025 | Friday, 4 April | From 11:30 - 13:00
WHERE: Brahmkamal Hall - Auditorium B, Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, Dwarka, New Delhi
AGENDA:

Need more information? Get in touch with us.
 

Barcelona was alive with activity this September during the 2024 ESCRS. Over 13,000 participants, including more than 8,000 healthcare professionals specializing in ophthalmology, gathered for five days of intensive educational sessions aimed at advancing the fields of cataract and refractive surgery.

Our presence at this congress provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen our connections with customers and distributor partners, while further raising our profile in the ophthalmology community. We kicked off with the HSO Partnership Forum, a strategic meeting that brought together HOYA Surgical Optics colleagues and our distributor partners, setting the stage for a productive and successful congress. The Visionary Summit followed, gathering our top Key Opinion Leaders to discuss emerging trends in ophthalmology and future opportunities for HOYA Surgical Optics. Our exhibition space served as the central point to connect with customers and distributors, offering hands-on demos of our latest products.

Our Masters Film Festival at ESCRS was a unique video-based educational symposium, moderated by the esteemed Dr. Robert Osher. The event featured a distinguished panel of speakers, including Dr. Erik Mertens, Dr. Ashvin Agarwal, Dr. Romesh Angunawela, Dr. Francesco Carones, and Dr. Richard Packard. We are sincerely grateful to these engaging panelists for their contributions. If you missed the event, don’t worry—read here how you can access the full 1-hour recording.

We appreciate the collaboration and support that made ESCRS 2024 a successful and impactful experience. Special thanks to our colleagues who supported our exhibition presence and led the peer-to-peer sessions, as well as our customers, distributor partners, the ESCRS organizers, and all the new connections we made along the way.
 

SFO, ÖOG and DOC are part of our annual event season and every year we try to get the most out of each congress.

SFO, Paris, France - 04. - 06. May 2024

As in previous years, the event season for the HOYA Surgical Optics Event Team has kicked off with the Société Française d'Ophtalmologie (SFO) congress in Paris. A heartfelt thank you to the HOYA Surgical Optics Team, as well as to all our visitors, partners, and organizers who helped make the 2024 SFO Congress a tremendous success!

We extend our special appreciation to Pr Cochener, Pr Dot, Dr Bouchut, and Dr Bosc for their insightful presentations during our symposium on the Benefits of Combined Trifocal Implantation in Refractive Cataract Surgery. Their expertise offered valuable perspectives on advancing patient outcomes through innovative surgical approaches. A sincere thank you also goes to Dr Bouheraoua for his engaging and informative Premium Near Live Surgery demonstration, which was a highlight of the event.

Finally, we congratulate Nathan Courat and Cédric Boissiere, who were awarded the 1st and 2nd SFO Prizes, respectively, for the Best Poster on the theme of Cataract Surgery.

We look forward to seeing you at next year’s event as we continue to drive innovation and collaboration in the field of ophthalmology. Au revoir, Paris, until May 2025! 

ÖOG, Schladming, Austria - 09. - 11. May 2024

This year marked the 64th annual Österreichische Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft (ÖOG) Congress in Schladming, Austria. It was a pleasure to meet so many of our customers at our booth and engage in meaningful discussions about advancements in ophthalmology.

One of the highlights of the event was our sponsorship of the Phaco Wetlab, which was fully booked! Under the guidance of Chairman Dr. Gabriela Seher, the training provided participants with valuable hands-on experience. A special thank you to Dr. Rauchegger, Dr. Dimmer, and Prof. PD Dr. Steger for leading the sessions and sharing their expertise in cataract surgery techniques.

We look forward to seeing you again next year!

DOC, Nuremberg, Germany - 20. - 22. June 2024

Last but not least, we were off to Nuremberg to attend the Internationaler Kongress der Deutschen Ophthalmochirurgen (DOC), which took place from June 20–22.

Our booth was lively with visitors throughout the event, generating engaging discussions and showcasing product demonstrations. One of the highlights was our evening symposium, where experts Dr. Stefanie Schmickler, Prof. Dr. Ramin Khoramnia, and Prof. Dr. Hakan Kaymak shared their insights and experiences with the Vivinex™ portfolio, including Vivinex Impress™ and the Vivinex™ Gemetric™ family.

A big thank you goes out to everyone who attended, as well as to those who worked behind the scenes to make this event a success. See you next year, Nuremberg.

Keep reading for this year's highlights from the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) congress, where we'll be sharing insights from the event.

The full one hour recording of the session is now available on the Masters Video Library.  If you would like to watch this showcase of educational surgical videos and related discussions again and hear from the moderator Dr Robert Osher, and the panel of experts: Dr Erik Mertens, Dr Ashvin Agarwal, Dr Romesh Angunawela, Dr Francesco Carones and Dr Richard Packard, the recording can be accessed here.

If you’re not yet a member of the Masters Video Library, you can register here for free.
 

WHEN: ESCRS 2024 | Sunday, 8 September | From 13:00 - 14:00 (lunch box included) 
WHERE: Room 8.0 B 
AGENDA:

Need more information? Get in touch with us.
 

Incredible energy at ESCRS 2023! It was the biggest year yet with over 15,000 attendees and over 10,000 healthcare professionals in ophthalmology . Thank you to all our colleagues, distributor partners and customers who joined us for a whirlwind 5 days of educational activities to advance the field of cataract and refractive surgery.

Lights, camera, education! Our first Masters Film Festival at ESCRS was a huge success. Sincere thanks to our wonderfully engaging moderator and panelists – Dr Osher, Prof Khoramnia, Dr Mertens, Dr Ruiz Mesa, and Dr Kaymak. If you missed it, click here to learn how you can access the recording.

We also had the pleasure of hosting a Vivinex™ Gemetric™ user meeting to discuss the latest advancements in achieving spectacle independence. Special thanks to Dr Erik Mertens, Prof Hakan Kaymak, Dr Ramon Ruiz Mesa, and Dr Dylan Joseph for speaking and sharing their insights with participating ophthalmologists and clinical study investigators from around the world.

A big „Thank You“ to everyone who made ESCRS such a tremendous success this year! Our colleagues who supported our exhibition presence; our customers and distributor partners for joining our Masters Film Festival and our Vivinex™ Gemetric™ user meeting; the ESCRS organizers; and all the new people we met along the way. Extra special thanks to Robert Osher, Eric Mertens, Ramin Khoramnia, Hakan Kaymak, Ramon Ruiz Mesa and Dylan Joseph for your expert support throughout!

The full one hour recording of the session is now available in the Masters group on eLos. If you would like to watch this showcase of knowledge and innovation again and hear from the moderator, Dr. Robert Osher, and the panel of experts: Prof. Khoramnia, Dr. Mertens, Dr. Ruiz Mesa, and Prof. Kaymak, the recording can be accessed here.

If you’re not yet a member of Masters on eLos, you can register here for free. 
 

WHEN: ESCRS 2023 | Saturday, 9 September | From 13:00 - 14:00 (lunch box included) 
WHERE: Room A3 
AGENDA:

Need more information? Get in touch with us.
 

SFO, ÖOG and DOC are part of our annual event season and every year we try to get the most out of each congress.

SFO, Paris, France - 06. - 08. May 2023

In May 2023 we were back in Paris for this year's Société Française d'Ophtalmologie (SFO) and SAFIR congresses, where the event once again offered rich opportunities for networking and sharing experiences both in the exhibition hall and on the podium.

We would like to thank Pr Dot, Dr. Rozot, and Dr. Bosc for their insightful contributions during our SAFIR Symposium, which focused on enhanced monofocal, trifocal, and toric intraocular lenses (IOLs). A special thanks also goes to Dr. Auclin and Dr. Bosc for their role in the near-live surgery session at the SFO, where they demonstrated advanced surgical techniques.

Congratulations to Elena Razlog and Addnane El Hachem, who won 1st and 2nd prize, respectively, for the Best Poster Communication on Cataract Surgery at this year’s SFO. We can't wait to be back in Paris next year.
 

ÖOG, Schladming, Austria - 18. - 20. May 2023

We were back in Schladming, Austria to attend the 63rd annual Österreichische Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft (ÖOG) Congress, showcasing our commitment to advancing ophthalmic technology and education.

We had a powerful line up of presenters at our lunch symposium - Dr. Moussa, Dr. Leydolt, Dr. Hirnschall, and Dr. Ardjomand. Over 100 participants joined to hear about their experiences with our Vivinex™ IOLs, including our newest editions – Vivinex Impress™ and Vivinex™ Gemetric™.  And we once again sponsored a cataract wetlab with Dr. Rauchegger, Dr. Dimmer, and Dr. Zehetner teaching 2 groups of participants the ins and outs of cataract surgery.

Congratulations to our colleagues in Austria who won second place in the “Best of Industry” competition! Kudos to Constanze Klimburg, Bernhard Rudolf & Sebastien Franssens for your impressive presentation and display of teamwork.
 

DOC, Nuremberg, Germany - 15. - 17. June 2023

The 35th Internationaler Kongress der Deutschen Ophthalmochirurgen (DOC) took place in Nuremberg, from 15. - 17. June. It was a pleasure meeting many customers at our booth, demonstrating our products and discussing the latest in IOL technologies. We were proud to host an evening symposium, focusing on experiences with our Vivinex Impress™ and Vivinex™ Gemetric™ IOLs. Thanks to everyone for making this congress successful.


Keep on reading the next articles, if you would like to know more about ESCRS 2023 as well as our innovative Masters Film Festival.