Innovation, grit and global perspective shaped this year’s meeting in Cancún.
The 22nd European VitreoRetinal Society Meeting (EVRS 2025) in Cancún gathered vitreoretinal surgeons from every corner of the map for four days of shared problem solving and surgical know-how.
The retina may be delicate, but here it carried a much heavier load as cases pushed judgment, instrumentation and instinct to work together. From macular holes that refuse to close to pediatric detachments that stretch every tool in the tray, the meeting showed how quickly the field continues to evolve and how much of that progress comes from strategy exchanged openly between colleagues.
Where complexity becomes the curriculum
Day 1 opened with the EuroLam Retina Symposium chaired by Dr. Jesús Gonzalez-Cortes (Mexico) and Dr. Giampaolo Gini (Italy). Dr. Gini began with his structured approach to retinal detachment linked to vascular tumors, followed by Dr. Virgilio Morales-Cantón (Mexico), who outlined four-point fixation for secondary intraocular lens (IOL) implantation with the ease of someone who has navigated the full range of OR scenarios.
Dr. Gonzalez-Cortes then shifted to trauma, reviewing under-recognized hemorrhagic patterns in closed-globe injury. Dr. José Dalma-Weiszhausz (Mexico) expanded the discussion with prophylactic chorioretinectomy for posterior segment injuries, and Dr. Renata Garcia (Brazil) demonstrated how chandelier lighting keeps proving its value as cases become more demanding.
Macular surgery rebuilt layer by layer
The full-thickness macular hole session, moderated by Prof. Carsten Meyer (Switzerland) and Prof. Gürsel Yılmaz (Turkey), moved through the modern closure playbook: internal limiting membrane peeling, inverted flaps, human amniotic membrane grafts and Descemet membrane epiretinal grafts. Prof. Meyer demonstrated subretinal hydrodissection as a rescue option, while Prof. Yılmaz outlined gas-based approaches for holes.
Trauma returned with Dr. Tansu Erakgün (Turkey) and Dr. Ludovico Iannetti (Italy). Dr. Alvaro Bofill (Chile) discussed “a notable rise in padel-related ocular trauma in Chile,” a reminder that community habits can rewrite clinic patterns. Dr. Bence Kolozsvári (Hungary) presented a one-session strategy for zone IIIA injuries, and Dr. Erakgün closed with grounded principles for globe-rupture repair when both time and tissue are unforgiving.
The day ended with the Zivojnovic Award Lecture, where Dr. Steve Charles (USA) discussed Advanced Fluidics, translating flow dynamics into practical choices for cases that wander off-script. It was a fitting close to a day built on the idea that complexity is not an obstacle in VR surgery, it’s part of the learning curve.
Pediatric retina and the stakes of early vision
Day 2 opened with a Re-Live Surgery session led by Prof. Donald D’Amico (USA) and Prof. Barbara Parolini (Italy). Intravitreal alteplase use during endophthalmitis vitrectomy, different techniques of lens fixation without capsular support, complex diabetic delamination and segmental scleral buckle surgery.
Prof. D’Amico returned for the EVRS Award Lecture, Progress in Macular Surgery, tracing how traction release, tamponade selection and small-gauge refinement have shaped decades of outcomes.
The pediatric retina program was moderated by Prof. Shunji Kusaka (Japan) and Prof. Şengül Özdek (Turkey). Dr. Priyanka Raj (India) walked through ranibizumab versus biosimilar data, while Dr. Lalit Agarwal (Nepal) outlined tele-retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) incidence trends that are reshaping early screening in low-resource settings. Prof. Özdek’s work on progression predictors in familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR).
A follow-on panel featuring Prof. Kusaka, Dr. Nimesh Patel (USA) and Prof. Maria Ana Martinez-Castellanos (Mexico) walked through persistent fetal vasculature, retinal hemangioblastoma with detachment, adolescent ROP and advanced FEVR.
Retinal detachment and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) took over the afternoon. Talks covered long-term tamponade considerations, pneumatic vitrectomy and the growing role of swept-source OCT biomarkers. Dr. Rajeev Muni (Canada) provided a useful framework for pneumatic retinopexy and suprachoroidal viscopexy (SCVEXY). Dr. André Messias (Brazil), Dr. Gonzalez-Cortes and Dr. Hussein Almuhtaseb (UK) demonstrated how portable electroretinography is expanding diagnostic flexibility.
Scleral buckling from fundamentals to macular precision
Day 3 turned its attention to scleral buckling, a technique that continues to matter particularly in young adults and pediatric retinal detachment. The morning covered foundational and segmental approaches before narrowing followed by a macular buckling course for myopic traction maculopathy chaired by Prof. Parolini.
Dr. Kourous Rezaei (USA) delivered the day’s EVRS Award Lecture on the “aggregation of marginal gains,” highlighting how surgical mastery often grows through small, layered refinements. The RETINAWS session that followed echoed this idea as panelists dissected “heart stopping” and “hair greying” cases in a way that turned pressure points into practical teaching.
Sessions on diabetic retinopathy (DR) and imaging pushed the conversation into more technical territory. Tractional retinal detachment cases prompted discussion of blood-air exchange and tranexamic acid, while imaging biomarkers showed how planning and follow-up are beginning to align more closely.
Global symposia and new directions
Day 4 opened with the AMR Symposium chaired by Dr. Patricio José Rodriguez Valdes (Chile) and Dr. Gonzalez-Cortes. Cases involving diabetic redetachment, hypotony, viral retinitis and choroidal detachment emphasized how steady technique can stabilize even unpredictable pathology.
The Retina World Congress session continued in that vein. Prof. Fernando Arevalo (USA) delivered the Zivojnovic Award Lecture on intraocular foreign bodies, outlining decision paths shaped by trajectory, visibility and timing.
The Vit-Buckle Society session chaired by Dr. Danilo Iannetta (Italy) introduced one of the day’s practical case reviews. After a welcome from President Prof. Aleksandra Rachitskaya (USA), short videos from Dr. Matteo Forlini (Italy), Dr. Andrea Cardenas (Guatemala), Dr. Nur Acar (Turkey) and Dr. Daniel Moreno-Paramo (Spain) demonstrated how frame-by-frame review turns difficult cases into shared problem solving.
The SPVR Symposium, chaired by Prof. Arevalo and Prof. Mauricio Maia (Brazil), covered modern subretinal hemorrhage management, giant retinal tear strategy, vitreoretinal interface updates and new thinking around endophthalmitis. A joint BRAVS–SARyV video symposium followed with case-driven exchanges that were grounded in everyday decision-making.
From Central and South America
The South American Societies session shifted the lens toward resource-aware VR surgery. Moderators Dr. Samuel Gomez (Mexico) and Dr. Andrea Cárdenas (Guatemala) presented cases shaped as much by local constraints as by pathology.
Dr. Gomez walked through platelet-rich plasma for macular holes, focusing on how the technique fits into day-to-day practice rather than theory. Dr. Cárdenas followed with operating room strategies from Guatemala, showing how small adjustments can make a big difference when equipment options run thin.
Dr. Alejandro Olguin (Bolivia), who described “the cruel reality of working in a Bolivian mine” and its connection to delayed high-impact trauma. Dr. Aldo Muñoz Quiñones (Peru) closed with clear guidance to adapt quickly, decide with confidence and make sure that every tool earns its keep.
Closing notes from Cancún
By the time EVRS President Dr. Giampaolo Gini announced Athens as the 2026 venue, it already felt like the meeting had pointed the way forward. EVRS 2025 showed how much the field grows when surgeons treat complexity as a shared curriculum and speak honestly about what works, what fails and what still needs refining.
Editor’s Note: The 22nd EVRS Meeting was held in Cancun, Mexico from 12th-15th November 2025. Media MICE is a media partner of EVRS. This content is intended exclusively for healthcare professionals. It is not intended for the general public. Products or therapies discussed may not be registered or approved in all jurisdictions, including Singapore.