PAAO President’s Message
June 2022
Paulo E.C. Dantas, MD PhD
PAAO President, 2022-2025
Dear Pan-American friends,
With great pride, I participated as a speaker and guest of honor at the Argentine National Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, held at the Hilton Puerto Madero Hotel from May 31 to June 3, 2022, a beautiful event that marked the return of face-to-face events after the COVID 19 pandemic. There were almost 3,000 people eager to enjoy socializing with friends and networking that only a face-to-face event can offer.
I had the pleasure of meeting old friends (such as Javier Casiraghi, Pablo Daponte, Julio Manzitti, Ernesto Ferrer, Roberto Ebner, Pablo Chiaradia, Josefina Botta and many others) and making new ones. Among them, the current president of the Argentine Council of Ophthalmology, Dr. Juan S. Rivero. As president of the Argentine Council of Ophthalmology, Juan has been investing in educational innovations for young ophthalmologists, with the goal of permanent environmental awareness. Here are some of his positions and words.
Sincerely,
Paulo E.C. Dantas, MD PhD
PAAO President
PD: I witnessed, with admiration and amazement, the organization of the CNO 2022. How was the early organization of the event in such unstable times?
JSR: First of all, Paulo, thank you for your presence and warmth, we had a great time at CNO22. Our congress was an event that was conceived as the “congress of all”, where all the scientific and provincial societies that make up the CAO were invited to participate. From the beginning of its planning, we knew that we had to innovate since the pandemic showed us that the theoretical concepts and master classes are all already on the web. So, we had to give ophthalmologists reasons to attend and witness a congress that offered something different from the traditional. That is why we think of the concept of skills transfer as the axis of work: take skills from the CNO22 and not just theoretical knowledge. So, we launched two work premises: the concepts presented in classes and talks had to have a purely practical focus, they had to answer: how do I do it? How do I diagnose it? Practical tips for procedures, etc. and on the other hand, we developed two activities that were extremely successful: the first, the practical part of skills transfer with Bioniko artificial eyes in microscope stations, use of diagnostic instruments such as OCT, topographers, lasers applied to artificial eyes, examination of premature infants in incubators, sutures, phaco emiliano airplane, corneal transplant, and many more activities… the second was the workshops, where a small group of people addressed issues based on clinical cases presented by young people where the experts helped to solve and develop practical diagnostic thinking and Especially useful for young people. It was a challenge to think of this congress in a short time and with the instability that the pandemic still brings, but even so we are extremely happy for the success it had.
Juan S. Rivero and Paulo Dantas at CNO22
We ophthalmologists must work together to strengthen our profession and redefine the course after this pandemic.
PD: What is your message for the Pan American Congress?
JSR: I ask colleagues from all over the Americas to reach out to their national institutions. We ophthalmologists must work together to strengthen our profession and redefine the course after this pandemic. Undoubtedly, meeting at the Pan American 2023 will be another occasion for this and to once again enjoy the pleasure of sharing knowledge.