Symposium in Skopje organized by Sistina Ophthalmology and Svjetlost

Skopje, November 4, 2017 – For the second consecutive year, Svjetlost Eye Clinic, in cooperation with Sistina Ophthalmology, an eye clinic in Skopje, organized the scientific symposium “Advances in Ophthalmology.”

Around 300 guests attended the symposium, including ophthalmologists, general practitioners, endocrinologists and residents from Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania and Croatia. The main focus of the symposium was an integrated approach to addressing eye health problems.

The symposium consisted of two sections. The first focused on cataract surgery and refractive surgery. Ante Barišić, MD Head of the Cataract Department at Svjetlost, delivered a presentation in this section. Dr. Barišić presented a cataract surgery procedure involving the implantation of a modern extended-depth-of-focus lens, representing Svjetlost, which is among Europe’s leading clinics in terms of experience with the implantation of extended-depth-of-focus Symfony lenses.

Dr. Maja Bohač, Head of the Refractive Surgery Department, explained the application of the Athens Protocol when performing corneal cross-linking in patients with keratoconus. Dr. Bohač also presented the advantages of implanting phakic lenses in patients with high refractive errors who are not candidates for laser vision correction.

The second part of the symposium focused on vitreoretinal surgery—the surgical treatment of conditions affecting the posterior segment of the eye.

The presentation was delivered by Associate Professor Ratimir Lazić, Head of the Retina Department at Svjetlost. Associate Professor Lazić presented videos of complex surgeries performed at Svjetlost on patients who had suffered severe eye injuries, retinal detachments and other serious eye conditions.

Prof. Nikica Gabrić, Director and Founder of Svjetlost, also addressed the audience at the Marriott Hotel in Skopje with a lecture entitled “Manager or Leader.” He emphasized the importance of management education in healthcare, as doctors without formal management training often hold managerial positions. The lecture highlighted the difference between managers and leaders, as well as the qualities required for successful leadership.

“Both management and leadership can be learned, but the fundamental difference is that leadership also contains a spiritual component. It is a set of values that a person carries within themselves and that enables other people to follow them. A manager’s authority comes from their position, while a leader’s comes from charisma. A leader inspires and motivates, they ‘shine in the dark,’ and people recognize that,” said Prof. Gabrić.