Manila, Philippines — The 18th Congress of the Asia-Pacific Vitreo-Retina Society (APVRS) was held in Manila, Philippines, bringing together nearly 3,000 delegates comprised of retinal specialists, researchers, clinicians, trainees, and industry leaders from across the world.
Over three days, attendees participated in a comprehensive scientific program that addressed both everyday clinical challenges and emerging frontiers in vitreoretinal research, combining high-level academic discourse with practical, hands-on learning opportunities.
Vinit Mahajan M.D., Ph.D., Stanford professor and vice chair of ophthalmology research, said, “The conference provided an opportunity to meet face-to-face with our colleagues in Asia and share the common experiences of our global patients and the technologies we use to treat them.”
The scientific rigor of the meeting was highlighted during the poster sessions, which showcased innovative research. Mahajan and fellow SurgMapAI co-founder David Almeida M.D., M.B.A., Ph.D., C.E.O. of Erie Retina Research, were recognized in a special session for their conference submission, “Preoperative OCT-Based Classification System Optimizes Outcomes in Epiretinal Membrane Surgery.”
Almeida said, “Our study demonstrates that there is a safer, more predictable way to perform surgery for epiretinal membrane removal from the retina. Mahajan and I have been using this surgical technique for some time, and we were thrilled to share our findings from our study.”
The congress theme, “Retina 360,” emphasized a holistic, 360-degree approach to retinal care, integrating advances in diagnostics, therapeutics, surgical techniques, and systems-level strategies aimed at improving patient outcomes. Scientific sessions highlighted emerging long-acting therapies for age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, with a strong focus on treatment durability and real-world applicability.
Mahajan and Almeida also spoke in various sessions on liquid biopsy proteomics, human gene therapy, and how to optimize clinical trials for efficiency and patient benefit.
Mahjan said, ‘Beyond its scientific content, APVRS 2025 celebrated Filipino culture and hospitality. The warmth and generosity of our hosts really contributed to the overall success of the meeting.”