Breakthrough in Myopia
Management?
Patient Case Study:
Continued myopic progression observed despite conventional myopia control treatments over multiple years Axial length shortening observed following initiation of Repeated Low-Level Red Light (RLRL) therapy
“RLRL can be highly effective for patients who are not responding to current myopia treatments or who have rapid progression rates.”
Philip Cheng B.Optom, GCOT, FIAOMC, IACMM Eyecare Concepts Optometry, Australia
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APVRS 2026 Congress 28–30 August
The Asia-Pacific Vitreo-Retina Society (APVRS) will hold its 19th Annual Congress, one of the most important vitreoretinal meetings in the world, from 28–30 August 2026, at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.
With an anticipated attendance of more than 2,000 delegates from around the world, this marks the return of the APVRS Congress to Australia for the first time since 2015.
“We are delighted to bring the APVRS Congress back to Australia after more than a decade,” said Professor Andrew Chang AM, Congress President and Secretary-General of APVRS. “The Gold Coast is an exceptional destination, offering a perfect blend of world-class meeting facilities and an inviting environment for delegates and their families to combine professional development with a memorable vacation.”
Dr Anil Sharma, a Queensland- based member of the APVRS 2026 Organising Committee who presented the winning bid, shared his enthusiasm: “Securing the APVRS 2026 Congress for the Gold Coast is a tremendous honour for Queensland. We are eager to showcase our region’s state-of-the-art facilities and warm hospitality to over 2,000 global delegates, fostering collaboration and innovation in vitreoretinal care.”
Scientific Sessions and Networking The APVRS 2026 Congress will build on the society’s mission to engage, advance, and further research, education, and academic exchange in vitreoretinal diseases with cutting-edge scientific sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities.
Equipment Specialists Establish Optopol ANZ JV
Two of the ophthalmic equipment industry’s most experienced figures have joined forces with Polish manufacturer Optopol to create a dedicated, Australian-owned distribution entity, bringing the company’s Revo optical coherence tomography (OCT) and visual field perimeter range under specialist management.
William Robertson and John Larkin – who between them carry decades of diagnostic imaging equipment experience across optometry and ophthalmology – have established the joint venture with Optopol as exclusive distributors for Australia and New Zealand. Operating under the banner Optopol ANZ, Mr Larkin will serve as Chief Executive Officer, with Mr Robertson taking the National Sales Director role.
“It’s this versatility that excites us the most about the Revo,” Mr Robertson said. “You’ve got this extensive repertoire of functions that equips the user to examine the anterior, the posterior of the cornea, lens, and angle, as well as the central and peripheral retina, so the potential for detecting disease is greatly enhanced, even at the earliest stages.”
The arrangement sees Optopol hold a stake alongside the two founders, making it a genuinely collaborative venture rather than a traditional agency agreement. For Mr Larkin, who has been working with the Revo platform since it was first introduced to the Australian market through OptiMed in 2012, this new structure matters.
Though “predominantly sold in optometry because it’s such a versatile device”, Mr Larkin said, due to its multimodal functionality, the “Optopol is now very much emerging in the ophthalmology world as well”.
“It’s industry specialists doing what they do best, taking real ownership of the company, and that carries weight. It brings together deep experience, genuine expertise, and a strong customer-first focus,” he said.
TAKING ON THE EXISTING MARKET First installed in 2015, over 630 units have now been installed across Australia and New Zealand, making the region Optopol’s highest per-capita sales territory globally. The new entity will assume responsibility for servicing these devices and for all existing warranties held by the previous distributor.
Mr Robertson said the formation of Optopol ANZ follows a broader shift in how diagnostic equipment is managed, with optometry practices and surgeons expressing their wish to “have equipment people they know and trust selling and servicing their equipment business”.
To deliver on this promise, Optopol ANZ has launched with a team that has experience selling and servicing the device. Staff are strategically positioned in key locations to provide rapid service in both metropolitan and regional areas.
The Revo range sits at the centre of the venture’s initial offering. With optional modules, its capability can be expanded from a basic OCT to include comprehensive multimodal functionality, combining OCT with fundus camera, topography, biometry, myopia forecast software, artificial intelligence-driven segmentation, angiography capability, intraocular lens calculators, and comprehensive reporting. With a compact form, it can sit unobtrusively in a corner while the clinician operates it remotely from a workstation, with real-time voice guidance in multiple languages.
Mr Larkin stated that servicing existing installed equipment is as central to the business model as building sales. “When you are direct to market, you carry the brand, and you go above and beyond to support your clients,” he said. “Our mission is to exceed expectations, both from a service and clinical standpoint.”
“We’ve got the right partners, the right people, and the right product,” Mr Larkin said. “Now it’s about execution.”
Optopol was the first OCT manufacturer to introduce spectral-domain OCT technology into the market.
“Few people know about Optopol’s rich heritage of innovation,” said Mr Larkin. “Its latest Revo HR platform delivers three-micron resolution, enabling clinicians to view subtle changes at a microvascular level. With age-related macular degeneration a key area of focus, this level of detail is highly sought after.”