The International Congress of Ophthalmologists of Serbia, the 23rd in a row, together with the ninth symposium on modern trends in ophthalmic surgery, was officially opened in the House of the Guard of the Serbian Armed Forces.

The event, which this year brought together more than five hundred participants from the country and abroad, during three days of lectures, workshops, and live broadcasts from the operating rooms of the MMA, will provide an opportunity to see the power of civilian and military healthcare in action, as well as how many fields of eye treatment in our country they follow international trends.

Head of the Military Medical Academy, Colonel Prof. Dr. Miroslav Vukosavljević emphasized at the ceremony that this year's expert meeting also marked the jubilee - 70 years of the Eye Diseases Clinic of the Military Medical Academy, but also 138 years of the development of military ophthalmology, and all this in the year of the celebration of the 180th anniversary of the Military Medical Academy. Quoting Ivo Andrić, who called the present without the past unfinished, he said:

"During three days, we will consolidate the past, the valuable lessons learned so far, and at the same time, plan and see the future." So far, we have already had the opportunity to hear about young ophthalmologists, and our future, and we have something to be proud of. We leave behind great people, enthusiasts, ready to accept new technologies and quickly master new techniques, which is of indisputable importance for our branch of medicine."

He also added that since the first head of the Ophthalmology Department, Lieutenant Đorđe Nešić, the unbreakable connection between military and civilian healthcare continues and that, with a shared past and future, eye surgery in the country and neighboring countries maintains a high place in terms of innovation and the introduction of the latest techniques.

Traditional prizes were also awarded at the ceremony. The Lifetime Achievement Award of the Association of Ophthalmologists of Serbia, the president of this organization, prof. Dr. Milenko Stojković presented to Prof. Dr. Svetislav Milenkovic. Colonel Prof. Dr. Miroslav Vukosavljević, Head of MMA, and Colonel Prof. Dr. Mirko Resan, Head of the Clinic for Eye Diseases of the MMA, presented the award "prof. Dr. Milorad Savićević" for the highest achievements in the field of cataract surgery to Dr. Ratko Drinčić, while prof. Dr. Dragan Vicić was posthumously awarded the "Prof. Dr. Zoran Petrović" for the highest achievements in vitreoretinal surgery.

Lecturers at the congress include renowned world names in ophthalmology, such as Hasan Mortada, Tomas John, Bojan Pajić, and many others, who will present the participants with contemporary trends in ophthalmic surgery. The Congress participants will watch from the operating theaters of the MMA live performance of more complicated cataract operations with new technological approaches and the placement of special types of lenses and operations on the back segment of the eye. to Lectures by young ophthalmologists, as well as nurses and health technicians are dedicated as a special part of the congress.

The International Congress organizers are the Association of Ophthalmologists of Serbia, the Vitreoretinal Association of Serbia, the Association for Cataract and Refractive Surgery of Serbia, and the Military Medical Academy.