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Up Front | Nov/Dec 2016

Celebrating More Than a Decade

“It is our goal to become one major source of information in the field of cataract and refractive surgery for European surgeons who are forward-thinking and committed to providing the absolute best care for every patient.”

— Joseph Colin, MD

After a decade plus in print, CRST Europe proudly celebrates the prophetic accomplishment outlined by our late colleague in the inagural editorial of this publication. It is sad that Joseph, one of the founding medical editors of CRST Europe, is not here today to join us in celebrating the catalog of comprehensive, cutting-edge, and balanced material printed in our pages (Joseph died from metastatic cancer on February 24, 2013).

I was privileged to be Co-Chief Medical Editor alongside Joseph when CRST Europe launched as a bimonthly publication in January 2006. Using the same format as the US publication, which already had a 5-year track record of incredible success, CRST Europe quickly rooted itself in providing a realistic perspective of the ophthalmic landscape in Europe. Not only am I continually gratified by our accomplishments over the years, but I am most proud that CRST Europe remains a main fixture in the world of European cataract and refractive surgery. We now publish 10 issues per year, each of which is packed with a phenomenally diverse range of topics including new technologies, techniques, debates, roundtable discussions, practice management pointers, and initiatives to tackle world blindness.

To commemorate our milestones, a few of us medical editors nominated what, in our opinions, are the best 20 articles published between 2006 and 2016 in CRST Europe. Starting on page 30, these lists of favorites not only demonstrate the range of topics covered in the publication but also act as a Who’s Who of authors that includes, for instance, Charles D. Kelman, MD, who contributed to the birth of modern cataract surgery.

Going through each publication for me was a trip down memory lane. It helped me recall some of the more prominent debates over technologies that, today, are either mainstream or have all but disappeared. I also re-read with interest comments from the usual yay- and nay-sayers of these technologies, and their remarks reminded me of just how far ophthalmology has come.

Re-reading the issues also reminded me of the lively breakfast meetings CRST Europe has hosted over the years, where board members discussed the development of the publication and suggested what to include in future issues. Our editorial board is a major strength and contributor to our success. The diversity of board members, global rather than just European, and their considerable knowledge and enterprise has helped us to understand what readers want—no mean feat considering the publication is read in so many countries. I know from speaking with many appreciative colleagues at meetings all over the world how much impact and influence CRST Europe has had over the years.

For me personally, the journey from 2006 to 2016 has been a great privilege and opportunity. My involvement in CRST Europe has been useful in so many ways: It has allowed me to stop and reflect on the events taking place in our specialty and to have an avenue in which I can be opinionated. I have made great friends and value the sense of camaraderie among all of CRST Europe staff and contributors.

I would like to thank David Cox, Adam Krafczek, and the Bryn Mawr Communications team. In particular, Laura Straub, our Editor-in-Chief, who between having two young children and competing in triathlons, manages to badger us into getting our work accomplished. Thanks also to Senior Editor Callan Navitsky as well as Gaynor Morrison, a very determined and enterprising publisher who also celebrates a decade with CRST Europe. Furthermore, we could not accomplish what we do without the contributions of my friends and colleagues Erik L. Mertens, MD, FEBOphth (Co-Chief Medical Editor), Arthur B. Cummings, MB ChB, FCS(SA), MMed(Ophth), FRCS(Edin) (Associate Medical Editor), A. John Kannellopoulos, MD (Associate Medical Editor), and Khiun F. Tjia, MD (Editor Emeritus), and not least our talented and genius editorial board. I would also like to acknowledge the support of the ophthalmic industry, with which we work closely as partners to provide what we need to practice in our specialty. Finally, we thank you, our avid readership, for your support and feedback.

With the festive season coming, let us raise our glasses in celebration of more than a decade of CRST Europe. Here’s to continued success for decades to come.

Sheraz M. Daya, MD, FACP, FACS, FRCS(Ed), FRCOphth
Chief Medical Editor

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