July 2024

Sankara Nethralaya Leads the Fight Against Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) at 6th Retina Summit 2024

The 6th Retina Summit 2024 and 8th iROP Annual Meeting took place from July 11 to 13, 2024, at the Shri V. D. Swami Auditorium, Sankara Nethralaya, Dr. S. S. Badrinath Campus, Nungambakkam, Chennai. This event brought together over 250 delegates and featured presentations and panel discussions by 50 Indian and international experts focusing on the management of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP).

Distinguished dignitaries such as Dr. E. Theranirajan, Dean MMC & RGGGH, Dr. Rema Chandramohan, Director ICH, Dr. Chandra Kumar, Project Director TNBCS, Dr. Mohan Rajan, Chairman Rajan Eye Hospital, Dr. Rajvardhan Azad, President i-ROP Society and APAO, Dr. Thangerani Raajaseharan, Director RIO-GOH, Dr. Pramod Bhende, Director of VR Services at Sankara Nethralaya, and Dr. Anand Vinekar, Hon Secretary of i-ROP Society, graced the summit with their presence.

ROP is a critical retinal disorder that can lead to blindness in infants, particularly those born prematurely with low birth weights. In India, with around 2 million low birth weight babies born annually, the risk of ROP is significant due to inadequate neonatal care, low awareness, and a lack of trained specialists.

Sankara Nethralaya’s Shri Bhagwan Mahavir Vitreoretinal Department annually hosts focused, theme-based meetings to advance ROP management and training. This year’s Retina Summit, in collaboration with the Indian ROP Society (iROP), emphasized the importance of early detection, uniform screening guidelines, treatment strategies, and specialist training to prevent ROP-related blindness.

The summit was preceded by two key events: an ROP training workshop for young ophthalmologists and an awareness program for medical and paramedical personnel involved in premature infant care, organized in collaboration with the Institute of Child Health, Egmore, Chennai. These initiatives aim to enhance the skills of healthcare professionals and raise awareness about the critical need for early intervention in ROP cases.

The inaugural ceremony of the event happened on July 12 followed by dinner at the Regency Ball Room, Hyatt Regency, Anna Salai, Tynampet.

ESO & TSNA Students Shine at 60th Indian Contact Lens Education Programme

Our Masters Optometry students from the Elite School of Optometry (ESO) and The Sankara Nethralaya Academy (TSNA) won a feat of awards at the “60th Indian Contact Lens Education Programme (ICLEP)” held at LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), Hyderabad on July 14th, 2024.

Ms. Janani B from ESO, SASTRA, emerged as the “WINNER” for her oral presentation titled “Cost and Benefits of Availing Specialty Contact Lenses from the Perspective of Patients.” Her research, supervised by Dr. Anuradha, Ms. Swetha, and Ms. S. Madhumathi, impressed the judges and highlighted the economic and therapeutic advantages of specialty contact lenses.

Ms. Archita Kakti from TSNA secured the “RUNNER UP” award for her insightful presentation on “Evaluation of Changes in Ocular Surface Parameters in Neophyte Soft Contact Lens Users.” Her study, under the guidance of Ms. S. Madhumathi and Mr. Ronit Dutta, shed light on the impact of contact lens use on ocular surface health in new users.

In addition to these top honors, four abstracts from our Masters students were selected for oral presentations at the conference, showcasing their innovative research and clinical findings:

Ms. Sindhu Vaishnavi from TSNA presented her work on “Quality of Life in Pediatric Patients Wearing Scleral Lenses,” supervised by Ms. S. Madhumathi, Ms. Akshaya Balakrishnan, and Ms. S. Karpagavalli. Her research focused on the positive impact of scleral lenses on the quality of life in young patients.

Mr. Priyom Parashar from TSNA shared a “Case Report on Managing Nystagmus: A Comprehensive Approach for Improved Outcomes,” guided by Mr. Praveen Kumar, Mr. Amit Bhowmick, Mr. Krishna Shah, and Ms. S. Madhumathi. His detailed case study provided valuable insights into managing nystagmus for better patient outcomes.

New Sky Lounge and Renovated Auditorium Inaugurated at Sankara Nethralaya

Sankara Nethralaya is delighted to announce the inauguration of the Sky Lounge, a new dining area, on July 9, 2024. The lounge is located on the 8th floor of the KNBIRVO Block at the Dr. S. S. Badrinath Campus. This modern dining space promises a refreshing experience for visitors, staff, and guests, offering stunning views and a serene atmosphere.

In conjunction with the Sky Lounge, the newly renovated Shri V. D. Swami Auditorium was also unveiled. This state-of-the-art facility now boasts cutting-edge features, enhancing its capability to host conferences, seminars, and events with improved audio-visual technology and comfort.

Expert-Led “Fracture Repair and Clinical Tips” Event Held at Sankara Nethralaya

On June 23, 2024, the Jayshree Venkatraman Auditorium at the Sri A Sivasailam Block, JKCN Complex, Sankara Nethralaya, hosted the “Fracture Repair and Clinical Tips Under Real Experts” event. The program, designed to share valuable insights and practical knowledge on fracture repair, attracted an impressive lineup of medical professionals and eager participants.

The event commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Md Shahid Alam, setting the stage for the day’s activities. The first session, chaired by Dr. Nirmala Subramanian, featured an expert panel including Dr. Md Shahid Alam, Dr. Marian Pauly, Dr. Ananthanarayan P, Dr. Yogeshwari, and Dr. Pratheeba Devi Nivean, with Dr. Vathsalya Vijay serving as the moderator. Following this session, Dr. Raghuraj Hegde, Dr. Veena Noronha, and Dr. Tarjani Dave delivered their insightful lectures.

The second session focused on case presentations related to orbital fractures. Chaired by Dr. Kirthi Koka, the session saw judges Dr. Bipasha Mukherjee, Dr. Roshmi Gupta, Dr. Priti Uday, and Dr. A Samarpuri evaluating the presentations, with Dr. Preeta Nair moderating. Esteemed speakers, including Dr. Nidhi Pandey, Dr. Tejaswi K, Dr. Mohan Gowda, Dr. Snigdha Mishra, Dr. Priyanka Saini, and Dr. Prerana Patil, covered various relevant topics.

In the third session, another series of case presentations were chaired by Dr. Suresh Bapu, with panelists Dr. Tarjani Dave, Dr. Senthinathan, Dr. Sumathi V, and Dr. D Ramesh. The session judges were Dr. Raghuraj Hegde, Dr. Sumathi V, Dr. Kavitha Kalaivani, Dr. Elavenil P, and Dr. Vishwaraj Ratha, moderated by Dr. Anju V Chandran. Subsequent speakers, including Dr. Amirtha Varshini VS, Dr. Mughdha Sardessai, Dr. Pragya Singh, Dr. Maalavika, Dr. Kavya Annamalai, Dr. Durga Priyadarshini, and Dr. Varsha Backiavathy, provided further insights, followed by a lecture from Dr. Elavenil Paneerselvam.

The fourth session featured video presentations chaired by Dr. Roshmi Gupta, with judges Dr. Md Shahid Alam, Dr. Tarjani, Dr. Elavenil P, and Dr. P Senthilnathan. Dr. Mrithika Sen moderated this engaging session, which included lectures by Dr. Senthilnathan, Dr. Priti Uday, Dr. Ruhi Jange, and Dr. Sharmika Patoria. A lecture by Dr. Ananthanarayanan P was followed by an interactive quiz on ocular trauma.

The day concluded with two hands-on workshops and a prize distribution ceremony recognizing the standout participants. This event, marked by the presence of distinguished experts and dynamic sessions, underscored Sankara Nethralaya’s commitment to advancing medical education and fostering expertise in fracture repair.

Sankara Nethralaya Honored with Sri Sant Hirdharam Sewa Award at Vision 2020 Conference

The 18th annual conference of Vision 2020, a significant event in the field of ophthalmology, was held from July 5 to 7, 2024, at Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana. The conference brought together leading experts and institutions dedicated to eradicating preventable blindness and enhancing eye care services globally.

During the event, the Sri Sant Hirdharam Sewa award was awarded to Sankara Nethralaya for our innovative eye care practices. Our Senior Consultant, Dr. R R Sudhir, received the award on behalf of Sankara Nethralaya.