The two-day event of the Intraocular Implant and Refractive Society of India (IIRSI) got underway in Chennai on December 4^th 2021. It aimed to showcase the skills of Ophthalmologists and present the latest advancements in the field of ophthalmology, especially cataract and refractive surgery.

Addressing the distinguished gathering Siva. V. Meyyanathan, Hon'ble Minister for Environment and Pollution Control, Youth Welfare and Sports Development said, "It gives me great pleasure to be part of the inaugural function of the 36th Intraocular Implant and Refractive Surgery Convention. This convention is being attended by doctors from India and other countries creates a platform for interaction in respect to the development of new diagnostic and treatment modalities in Ophthalmology. South India and especially Tamil Nadu has always been a forerunner in healthcare particularly in ophthalmology and hosts many of the premier eye institutes from where aspiring ophthalmologists embedded with skills and advanced technology pass out and serve different parts of the country. There is a huge prevalence of eye disorders in India. According to the World Health Organization, India has an estimated 12 million blind people and additional 450 million people who require vision correction. Conferences like the IIRSI play a very important role in enhancing the skills of Indian eye surgeons."

Speaking on the occasion Prof. Amar Agarwal, Secretary-General, IIRSI, and Chairman, Dr Agarwal's Eye Hospital said "The annual conference of IIRSI has become a pivotal event in the ophthalmology calendar of India centred on global ophthalmic innovations. This year, top eye surgeons are participating to showcase the surgeons the latest advancements in the field. This conference will provide a platform for aspiring surgeons to know different ways of tackling the difficult situations of cataracts and their surgery.  Overall, IIRSI has been instrumental in significantly increasing the capabilities and offerings of the eyecare sector in India in terms of diagnostics and treatment."

"Intraocular lens (IOL) implant is one of the most common eye surgeries. But in some cases, the patients don't have back support due to the absence of a lens in the eye. In such cases, the surgeons use the iris-claw lens, which has an advantage - it can be fixed to the iris without sutures because the peripheral iris is incarcerated between the claws" added Prof. Amar Agarwal, Secretary-General, IIRSI, and Chairman, Dr Agarwal's Eye Hospital.

IIRSI 2021 aims to bring together Ophthalmologists across India and abroad to discuss the advancement in technology and their experience in IOL implantation and Refractive Surgery and contribute towards the treatment of preventive blindness. The conference includes lectures from overseas professors, sessions for young ophthalmologists, Hands-on Wetlab courses, Ophthalmic Premier League competition, Court Martial in Ophthalmology, Company-sponsored symposiums, IIRSI Film Festival Award Show, IFFA, IIRSI Photography Competition.