[Sportschosun Jang Jong-ho] "When the concerns and experiences of medical staff in clinical settings are shared, more patients can benefit. The Kim's Eye Hospital Symposium has been a place where ophthalmologists exchange their experience and knowledge, helping raise the standard of ophthalmic care in Korea together."
Kim Cheol-gu, director of Kim's Eye Hospital under the Konyang Medical Foundation, explained the significance of the 24th Kim's Eye Hospital Symposium, held on the 9th at Myeonggok Hall on the 7th floor of the hospital's Retina Hospital.
The Kim's Eye Hospital Symposium is an academic event held every year to select major diseases and clinical challenges in each ophthalmology field and share medical staff's experience and the latest medical insights. Since its first event in 2002, it has covered a wide range of areas, including retina, glaucoma, cataract and refractive surgery, and oculoplasty, while seeking solutions to problems encountered in actual clinical practice.
This year's symposium focused on glaucoma. As the clinical importance of glaucoma grows amid an aging population and an increase in myopia, the event aimed not only to deliver theoretical knowledge but also to share difficult clinical situations and treatment experiences from the examination room.
More than 250 people, including private practitioners and residents, attended the symposium, and advance registration closed early, reflecting strong interest. A total of 21 presentations were delivered, followed by active discussions among medical staff on diagnosis and treatment strategies based on patient conditions.
The program consisted of six sessions: ▲ Glaucoma Diagnosis: Practical Tips You Can Use in Clinical Practice ▲ Judging Glaucoma Progression: Common Clinical Dilemmas ▲ Hidden Causes of Elevated Intraocular Pressure: Beyond Glaucoma ▲ Myopia and Glaucoma: An Unresolved Challenge ▲ MIGS Complications: Lessons from Real-World Experience ▲ The Basics of Glaucoma for Residents and Private Practitioners.
In particular, the symposium focused on topics that are difficult to judge in real-world practice, such as how to diagnose patients whose test results do not match, how to distinguish myopic changes from glaucomatous damage, causes of elevated intraocular pressure other than glaucoma, and the management of complications from minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS).
The speakers shared how to interpret test results, the criteria for determining disease progression, and the factors to consider when choosing a treatment approach, all based on a range of clinical cases. They also introduced difficulties and complication cases encountered during treatment, offering practical know-how that can be applied in clinical care.
Director Kim said, "The Kim's Eye Hospital Symposium has continued to its 24th edition thanks to the valuable knowledge and experience shared every year by the session chairs and speakers, as well as the active participation of medical staff in discussions. We will continue to provide a forum for academic exchange where medical professionals can freely share clinical experience and jointly explore new treatment directions."
Meanwhile, at the awards ceremony for the 5th Kim's Eye Hospital Myeonggok Clinical Medicine Award, held before the afternoon program, Professor Tae-Woo Kim of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital received the grand prize, while Professor Seong Joon Ahn of Hanyang University Medical Center received the Young Expert Award.
Professor Tae-Woo Kim received the grand prize in recognition of his research on precision diagnosis and personalized treatment for glaucoma, as well as his contribution to the development of precision medicine for glaucoma by establishing diagnostic and prognostic indicators that can be used in actual clinical practice.
Professor Seong Joon Ahn received the Young Expert Award in recognition of his contributions to patient care and clinical medicine, including research on hydroxychloroquine retinopathy that established a diagnostic system suitable for Asian patients and provided academic evidence needed to develop international clinical guidelines.
In 2022, when the hospital marked its 60th anniversary, Kim's Eye Hospital established the Myeonggok Clinical Medicine Award to identify and support physicians who have contributed to the specialization of ophthalmology and the advancement of clinical medicine. The award is notable for evaluating not only research achievements but also practical clinical experience and contributions in actual medical settings. The grand prize winner receives 25 million won, while the Young Expert Award winner receives 5 million won.
Kim's Eye Hospital plans to continue supporting the active sharing of research achievements and clinical experience through the symposium and the Myeonggok Clinical Medicine Award, so that such academic exchange can lead to better patient care.
Jang Jong-ho, bellho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
