EuroVeRsion 2026 Finalists Take Center Stage in an enjoyable interactive session
The EuroVersion International surgical video case contest returns to the Euretina Congress for its 11th time in 2026. Judging from past years, Congress registrants who add the session to their meeting planner can expect to be both entertained and educated as they watch and listen to contest finalists vying for three prizes, says Shohista Saidkasimova (UK) who co-chairs the contest with Alistair Laidlaw (UK).
The contest is open to retina specialists who are <40 years of age, in the first three years of their career, and have participated in the case featured in their 3-minute video. All entrants must be nominated by a senior vitreoretinal surgeon.
Following is a list of this year’s finalists and a description of the case in their video:
Gokcen Deniz Gulpinar Ikiz will be presenting the surgical management of a mixed-type persistent fetal asculature in a 4-month-old infant, complicated by an iatrogenic retinal tear during extensive fibrovascular membrane dissection. The video demonstrates the potential value of Tenon’s capsule grafting as a rescue technique for retinal tears encountered during complex paediatric vitreoretinal surgery.
Ami Konno (Japan) is presenting a case of retinal detachment with a subretinal band that prevented retinal reattachment. It shows how the subretinal band was successfully removed using an ab externo approach, allowing direct access to the band without creating an additional retinotomy.
The case in a video from Boris Marguier (France) involves a patient who presents with a macula-off retinal detachment with an umbrella configuration (funnel detachment), alongside brown cataract nuclear material in the posterior segment following complicated cataract surgery three weeks earlier. The video shows surgical repair of the retinal detachment combined with secondary implantation of a sutureless scleral-fixated Carlevale lens.
Lucas Valadão (Brazil) is also showing a video involving a cataract surgery patient who was suspected to have sustained globe perforation during peribulbar block delivery. It shows the surgical decision-making and technique applied in this challenging complication where there was concern about risk of retinal detachment and intravitreal anaesthetic toxicity
Pedro Nuno Pereira (Portugal) will present the management of a 61-year-old patient with a retinal detachment and severe ocular infection 34 years after retinal detachment surgery with a radial sponge buckle. At presentation the sponge was found to have eroded through the sclera, causing severe scleromalacia and an infected, proptotic eye.
Spyridon Koronis (Greece) is presenting the management and outcome of a case where a catastrophic complication occurred while injecting perfluorocarbon liquid with a soft tip cannula during pars plana vitrectomy for macula-off retinal detachment. The cannula dislodged from the syringe, pierced the posterior pole, and the resulting full-thickness hole was quickly complicated with extensive subretinal bleeding that approached the fovea.
After showing their video, the contestants will be asked questions about the case by members of a distinguished group of judges. In addition to Drs. Saidkasimova and Laidlaw, this year’s panel includes Maria Berrocal (Puerto Rico), George Caputo (France), Manuel Falcao (Portugal), Sengul Ozdek (Turkey), Mario Romano (Italy), and Panos Stavrakas (Greece).
The judges consider the contestants’ responses to the experts’ questions along with the quality of the video, its scientific/clinical value, and take-home messages to determine the winner and second and third place runners-up for the EuroVeRsion Jury Prize.
Adding an element of fun, two Audience Prizes will also be awarded – one based on subjective audience reaction and the other determined by online voting.
The EuroVersion International Surgical video case contest takes place on Friday, 2 October 2026 from 12:15 – 13:15 CEST in Room 4.
