557
Uvodnik/Editorial
MNOGE VIZIJE SO URESNIČENE,
ČAS JE ZA NOVE
Letos praznujemo 115 let obstoja samostojne Očesne klinike in 60 let Katedre za oftalmolo-
gijo Medicinske fakultete v Ljubljani. Čas je za pogled na prehojeno pot in dovolite mi
ugotovitev, da obstaja kar nekaj razlogov za zadovoljstvo. Slovenci imamo nekaj več kot
100 aktivnih oftalmologov, v Evropi imajo manj oftalmologov glede na število prebivalcev
le Nizozemska, Velika Britanija in Irska. Mnogi slovenski oftalmologi so aktivni in se stalno
izobražujejo: do konca letošnjega leta bomo imeli 10 doktorjev znanosti in 13 magistrov,
skoraj vsi so to dosegli v zadnjih 10 letih. Imamo 3 profesorje, eno znanstveno svetnico, 6
primarijev in 2 docentki, eno tudi v Mariboru, kjer v akademskem sodelovanju z Ljubljano
nastaja drugi univerzitetni center. V zadnjih desetih letih smo slovenski oftalmologi objavili
več kot 80 člankov v revijah, ki jih indeksira SCI. Vsekakor pa je za stroko izrednega
pomena tudi naš in, cenjeni kolegi drugih strok, tudi vaš pregled nad delom in razvojem
oftalmologije, ki ga podajamo tudi v tej tretji oftalmološki številki Zdravniškega vestnika.
Splošen vtis o kakovostnem delu v oftalmologiji je namreč nedvomno prispeval k zavesti o
potrebnosti uresničitve dolgoletne vizije nove očesne klinike v letu 2001 in dokončanja
novega univerzitetnega očesnega oddelka v Mariboru v prihodnjem letu. Nova oblika
nastaja iz ustvarjalne vsebine. Tudi drugi očesni oddelki in zasebniki v Sloveniji so sledili
trendu in solidno opremljeni in obnovljeni izvajajo vsebinsko enotno in sodobno doktri-
no, ki si jo izmenjujemo na številnih strokovnih prireditvah. Naša stroka je usposobljena za
vse najzahtevnejše terapevtske in diagnostične postopke, pri čemer interdisciplinarno
sodelujemo z mnogimi ustanovami, tako kliničnimi kot bazičnimi, doma in v tujini. V regiji
smo v marsičem vodilni in smo ena redkih držav v kateri se planirane operacije katarakte
100% izvajajo s fakoemulzifikacijo z malo incizijo, kar omogoča, da večino posegov izvede-
mo ambulantno. To ob več kot 12.000 operacijah letno pomeni prihranek več tisoč ležalnih
dni. Ker verjamemo, da vrhunski dosežki v stroki dolgoročno temeljijo na pozitivni atmo-
sferi in motivaciji za delo v zgodnjih letih izobraževanja, smo v okvirih možnosti posodo-
bili vire in pristope do učenja, a tudi povečali zahtevnost, tako študentom medicine kot
specializantom. Rezultati so dobri in študenti poleg kliničnega znanja pri nas uspešno
pridobivajo tudi raziskovalne izkušnje, o čemer priča več fakultetnih in prestižna univerzi-
tetna Prešernova nagrada. Specializanti pa se preko štipendij Evropskega oftalmološkega
združenja (SOE) izobražujejo tudi v tujini, aktivno predstavljajo svoja dela na kongresih in
pomembno sodelujejo pri objavah v domačih in tujih revijah. Naš program specializacije je
s prvim mestom naše specializantke na evropskem specialističnem izpitu letos v Parizu
doživel tudi prijetno mednarodno priznanje. V raziskovalnem delu smo v zadnjih letih
uspešno končali več temeljnih in aplikativnih projektov in se v letu 2003 uvrstili med tiste
klinike, ki so uspele pridobiti stabilno programsko financiranje Ministrstva za visoko šol-
stvo znanost in tehnologijo. S tem je bila uresničena tudi vizija klinično usmerjenih eksperi-
mentalnih laboratorijev, ki bodo po vzoru vodilnih zahodnih klinik tudi na naši kliniki
ustvarjali znanje za razvoj novih terapevtskih možnosti, npr. z uporabo zarodnih celic.
Očesna klinika je bila kot izobraževalna ustanova 10. oktobra 2005 visoko ocenjena tudi s
strani inšpektorjev European Board of Ophthalmology (uradno telo UEMS) in bo prvi
akreditirani oftalmološki učni center v novih državah EU. O ugledu slovenske oftalmologi-
je poleg predstavnikov v evropskih strokovnih asociacijah priča tudi pridobitev štirih
evropskih simpozijev v prihodnjih letih in kongresa European Association for Vision and
Eye Research (EVER), ki bo od leta 2007 dalje tri leta zapored pri nas. Veliko dela je
opravljenega, mnoge vizije so uresničene. Čas je za kozarec šampanjca, razmislek in svež
pogled naprej. »Oči so pa le oči«, vedo povedati naši bolniki, in tega se zavedamo.
Marko Hawlina, predsednik Združenja oftalmologov Slovenije
ZDRAV VESTN 2005; 74: 557–8
558 ZDRAV VESTN 2005; 74
MANY VISIONS HAVE COME TRUE,
IT IS TIME FOR NEW ONES
This year we celebrate 115 years of our University Eye Hospital and 60 years of Chair of
Ophthalmology of Medical Faculty Ljubljana. It is time to look back and evaluate our deve-
lopment. Slovenia has just over 100 ophthalmologists, in Europe this is fourth smallest num-
ber per poulation just after The Netherlands, Great Britain and Ireland, however many are
continuously educating themselves: by the end of this year, we will have 10 PhD’s, 13 MSc’s,
almost all of them in last 10 years. We have 3 professors, one scientific consultant, 6 have
title of primarius and 2 associate professors, one in Maribor where new university centre is
being developed in academic collaboration with Ljubljana. Although we also publish
abroad, we have published more than 80 papers in SCI-indexed journals in last 10 years, we
regard it very important to publish locally and to give ourselves, and yourselves, respected
colleagues, an overview of work and development of our profession, which is exemplified
here in this third ophthalmic issue of Zdravniški vestnik. Namely, general impression of
quality work in ophthalmology has undoubtedly contributed to the awareness of need of
realisation of most important vision: completion of new University Eye Hospital in Ljublja-
na in 2001, and new University Eye Department in Maribor in 2006. New form is taking
shape out of creative contents. Also other eye departments and private ophthalmologists
have followed the trend and work in renovated premises and modern equipment to offer
equal standards of ophthalmic care along the lines of common doctrine that we share at
numerous professional symposia and meetings. Slovenian ophthalmology is now capable
to perform most demanding therapeutic and diagnostic procedures, by which we collabo-
rate interdisciplinarly with numerous institutions, at home and abroad. In the region, we
have leaders in many subjects and we are one of rare »100% planned small incision phaco
countries«. This allows for outpatient surgery which, by more than 12.000 cataract opera-
tions per year per 2 million population, saves thousands of hospital days. We believe that
top achievements in profession are based on positive atmosphere and motivation in early
days of education. We have therefore, as much as possible, modernised teaching sources
and practices and also increased the demand both for medical students and residents.
Results are good and students, beside of clinical knowledge, also come to learn research
practices. Success of this is manifested by several Medical Faculty and one prestigious
University Prešeren award for students. Residents are also trained abroad through stipends
of European Society of Ophthalmology (SOE), present actively at meetings and contribute
to our papers in local and international journals. Our residency program has received the
nicest international acclaim as one of our residents was graded the best overall at the
European Board of Ophthalmology exam this year in Paris. In research activities we have
successfully completed a number of fundamental and applicative projects in last years and
in 2003 we have succeeded to obtain stable programme financing by the Ministry of
Science. This enabled realisation of the vision of clinically dedicated experimental laborato-
ries at our clinic that will, as at other leading western eye clinics, create new knowledge to
investigate new methods of treatment, such as use of stem cells. Our University Eye Hospital
has been visited and graded favourably in October this year by inspectors of European
Board of Ophthalmology (official body of UEMS), to be formally accredited as the first
teaching centre in the new 10 EU countries. Additional indication that Slovenian ophthal-
mology is respected in Europe is the fact that we will host 4 european meetings in the follo-
wing years, including European Association for Vision and Eye Research (EVER), which will
take place in Portorož, Slovenia for 3 years starting in 2007. Lots of work has been done and
many visions have come true. It is time for a glass of champagne, and then recollection and
fresh look ahead. »Eyes are eyes« say our patients and that is what we are well aware of.
Marko Hawlina, president of the Slovenian Society of Ophthalmology