50^th National Congress of the Ophthalmological Society of South Africa

Invitation from the Chair

Dear Friends and Esteemed Colleagues

On behalf of the Pretoria contingent of OSSA, it is my pleasure to invite you to the half century Congress of the Ophthalmological Society of South Africa. This will hopefully be the first OSSA congress held since 2019, and it promises to have 3 years worth of academic, practical and social content.

It will be held at the newly renovated Sun City Convention Centre from 10 - 13 March 2022, with a ‘new swing’ on the much-loved pre-congress imaging classes to be held on 9 March. There will also be an all-new ‘Back to Basics’ Saturday morning programme hosted by big names from across the globe.

We have already confirmed world-class international, as well as local speakers, to fill the diverse programme, ranging from anterior to posterior and beyond the orbit, to the grey matter behind the most important part of our anatomy.

Come and join us in the family-friendly land of the sun. Enjoy the much anticipated, power-packed knowledge sharing sessions, the much-needed collegial interactions and the memorable social events.

We hope to see you there!

Clayton Erasmus

Congress Chair

Sun City Convention Centre

Sun City is universally renowned for its world class resort with 4 top quality hotels, self-catering units being Sun Vacation Club, one of Africa’s game reserves where the “big five” can be seen, two famous golf courses, water park and other forms of family entertainment.

For South Africans and International visitors alike this combination of comfort and leisure close to the convention centre facilities represents excellent value for money.

Only 187 km from Johannesburg the resort in situated in the North West province and surrounded by the imposing mountains of the Pilanesberg.

Website:  http://www.suninternational.com/sun-city/Pages/default.aspx

Further Information & Important Dates

Deadline for submission of abstracts:      30 June 2021

Acceptance of abstracts:                          30 July 2021

Programme on congress website:            12 August 2021

Deadline for early bird registrations:         19 November 2021

Block bookings expire at hotels                16 February 2022

Enquiries

Organisational & administrative aspects
Exhibitions & sponsorships

RK Communication
Rhyno Kriek            General
Heyns du Preez      Sponsorships & Exhibitions
Amelia Koch           Registration
Tel.:                          Domestic calls:         051 436 7733
                                 International calls:    + 27 51 436 7733
E-mail:                     ossa2021@rkcommunication.co.za
Fax:                          086 60 60 555

OSSA matters & membership
Please click here to apply for OSSA membership.

National Secretariat
Sharon Beeming
Tel:               012 347 0048
E-mail:         info@ossa.co.za
Website:      https://www.ossa.co.za/

Postal address:
Turners House
38 Jonsson Lane
Durban
4000

Only enquiries relating to the contents of the academic programmes

CONGRESS CHAIR

Dr Clayton Erasmus
Tel:     012 343 6154
E-mail:    DrErasmus@eyeconsult.co.za

VICE-CONGRESS CHAIR

Dr Petrus Gous
Tel:     012 343 8035
E-mail:    pgous@me.com; pgous@global.co.za

OPHTHALMOLOGISTS PROGRAMME

Dr Cor van Zyl

Tel:     012 343 8035

E-mail:     drcorvanzyl@gmail.com

Dr Jan Talma

Tel:         012 343 2250

E-mail :   talma@global.co.za

SASPOS PROGRAMME

Dr Claire Cullen
E-mail:    ccullen1611@gmail.com
Prof Chris Tinley
E-mail:    christopher.tinley@uct.ac.za

MASTERCLASS 1 – ANTERIOR SEGMENT IMAGING AND CORNEAL "BACK TO BASICS"

Dr Tony Dos Ramos
Tel:     011 869 1733
E-mail:    Tonydosramos@gmail.com

MASTERCLASS 2 – RETINAL IMAGING & SURGICAL TECHNIQUES

Dr Bernard Wolff
Tel:     010 110 0369
E-mail:    berwolff@gmail.com

YOUNG OPHTHALMOLOGISTS

Dr Sanushka Moodley
Tel:     012 373 0760
E-mail:    drmoodley@theeyesite.co.za

MANAGERS & ADMINISTRATORS PROGRAMME

Mr Casper Venter
Tel:         011 340 9000
E-mail:    casperv@healthman.co.za

OPTOMETRISTS PROGRAMME

Dr Alic Jacobsz
Tel:          012 343 3598
E-mail:    jacobsz@worldonline.co.za

OPHTHALMIC ASSISTANTS PROGRAMME

Mrs Marié Oosthuizen
Tel:          012 343 8035
E-mail:    marie@eyeline.co.za

OPHTHALMIC NURSES PROGRAMME

Mrs Rene Blake
Tel:          012 933 3169
E-mail:    renes@eyeinstitute.co.za

Mrs Augusta Pretorius
Tel:          012 427 0207
E-mail:    augustap@eyeinstitute.co.za

OSSA Matters & Membership

Please click here to apply for OSSA membership.

National Secretariat
Sharon Beeming
Tel:               012 347 0048
E-mail:         info@ossa.co.za
Website:      https://www.ossa.co.za/

Postal address:    
Turners House
38 Jonsson Lane
Durban
4000

Invited International Speakers

Scientific Programme, Masterclasses & Workshops

The entire Scientific Programme, as well as details regarding the masterclasses and workshops, will be on the Congress website download page by 12 August 2021.

Masterclasses

Wednesday, 9 March 2022

Registration fees:

Fee / masterclass:                                  R 950

Attendance of both masterclasses:        R1 500

Refreshments and lunch included.

Medical Officers and Registrars registered for the congress may register for one or both of the masterclasses at a discount of 50%.

Wednesday, 9 March 2022

09:00   Registration

10:00   Masterclass 1: Anterior Segment Imaging and Corneal “Back to Basics”

Sponsored by: Alcon

This masterclass will be led by Dr Tony dos Ramos and he will be joined by a panel of anterior segment specialists.

A session on imaging modalities of the anterior segment.

Preliminary topic list:

• Understanding Epithelial Mapping
• Keratoconus and the Pentacam
• PTK in Keratoconus
• Corneal Suturing Skills – Lacerations and Grafts
• Corneal Gluing – Hard and Soft
• Alcohol Delamination of Corneal Epithelium – Diagnostic and Therapeutic Indications

13:30   Lunch

14:15       Masterclass 2: Retinal imaging and surgical techniques

Sponsored by: Novartis

This masterclass will be led by Dr Bernard Wolff from Johannesburg and he will be joined by by a panel of retinal specialists.

They will cover a wide range of topics relevant to a wide audience of ophthalmologists:

• Diagnosis and decision making in retinal surgery
• Surgical pearls and pitfalls
• Surgical outcomes we can expect nowadays from different pathologies
• What I have learned from the cases I should not have operated on
• Angio-OCT introduction and interpretation
• Autofluoresence imaging

17:30   Adjourn

Social functions

Wednesday, 9 March, 19:30

Welcoming Function

Venue:         Valley of the waves
Dress:          Casual
Cost:            Free of charge for all registered delegates. R300 for additional guests.

Friday, 11 March, 19:00

Young Ophthalmologists Symposium
(For Registrars & Ophthalmologists in their first five years post-graduation)

Venue:         Warriors Hall
Dress:          Casual
Cost:            Free of charge all registered young Ophthalmologist. R300 for additional guests.

Free evening for all other delegates

Saturday, 12 March, 19:00 for 19:30

OSSA Banquet (Limited seating)

Venue:         Ballroom
Dress:          Black Tie / Day suit / Traditional
Cost:            R400 for all delegates and additional guests. Limited seating.

Accommodation Arrangements

 You are responsible for your own accommodation arrangements and payment. We urge you to book NOW!

We have secured group accommodation at the following four hotels:
The Cabanas, Soho Hotel (Sun City Hotel), The Cascades and The Palace.

Please scroll down to view the special rates for these four hotels.

These rooms will be reserved for congress delegates until  16 February 2022 and will be available on a first-come, first serve-basis.

How to make a reservation at these hotels:

Option 1:                Preferred option: Please click one of these links to make an online reservation at the relevant hotel.

Cabanas

Soho (Sun City Hotel)

Cascades

The Palace (Does not have a booking link, please make use of the reservation form found on this download link and e-mail it to grpresv@suninternational.com)

Option 2:                Please fax the Sun City accommodation reservation form found on this download link on the congress website to Group Reservations on +27 (0) 11 780 7596.

Option 3:                Please e-mail the Sun City accommodation reservation form found on this download link on the congress website to grpresv@suninternational.com

Option 4:                Please phone the call centre on 011 780 7800.

You will receive written confirmation of your booking within 24 hours.

How to pay for your reservation:

Please note that full prepayment for any accommodation booked is required within ten days of making your booking, alternatively your booking will be released.

Option 1: Credit Card

Fax or email the credit card form found on this download link on the congress website to Group Reservations on + 27 (0) 11 780 7596 or to grpresv@suninternational.com

Option 2: EFT

If you do not have a credit card, you will be required to make an eft / cash deposit into Sun International’s bank account within 10 days of making the reservation, alternatively your booking will be released.
Fax your deposit slip to the Advance Deposit Manager at +27 (0) 11 780 7168.
Please include your reservation number and contact telephone number on the deposit slip.

Banking Details:

Sun International Limited c/o Local Advance Deposits Standard Bank
Sandton Branch, 019205,
Current account account number: 02 267 1889

Terms and Conditions:

Accommodation will be allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. On arrival at your hotel, you will be required to provide a credit card guarantee or cash deposit, to cover charges you may incur over and above your accommodation.
The rates quoted are net, per room, per night including Bed & Breakfast, tourism levy and 15% VAT.
These rates are valid for the period of the OSSA 2022 only.

Cancellations:

A cancellation made 7 days prior to arrival date will entitle you to a full refund of the amount paid, upon written request faxed to the Advance Deposit Manager on +27 (0) 11 780 7168.
A cancellation made within 7 days of arrival date will result in the forfeit of one night’s accommodation including the relevant taxes.
In the event of a “no-show” the full package price will be retained.
For sub blocks please see Terms & Conditions on your pro forma invoice.

Accommodation rate schedule:

Please reserve your hotel room as soon as possible. Rooms will be released from the public block as the congress dates approach. The hotel block bookings expire on 16 February 2022.

• • Check-in time: 14:00 (An early check-in, if required, may be requested from the hotel and will be prioritised. This is, however, not guaranteed.)
  • Check-out time:10:00
  • The accommodation establishment’s cancellation policy will apply.

Click here for more information on the hotels listed above.

Please reserve your room before

16 February 2022

You are responsible for your own accommodation arrangements.

Travel Arrangements, Shuttle Service & Car Rental

• You are responsible for your own travel arrangements.
  A shuttle service will be provided, for times specified below, by the congress organisers between the OR Tambo International Airport and Sun City.
  Duration of the trip between OR Tambo International Airport & Sun City: Approximately 2,5 hours
  Return fare: R 900 / person

Shuttles between OR Tambo International Airport and Sun City:

Shuttles from OR Tambo International Airport to Sun City Resort:
Tuesday, 8 March                  Departure time:       17:00
Wednesday, 9 March            Departure times:    07:00, 09:00, 11:00, 14:00 & 16:00
Thursday, 10 March              Departure times:    08:00

Shuttles from Sun City Resort to OR Tambo International Airport:
Saturday, 12 March                Departure times:       12:30
Sunday, 13 March                  Departure times:       08:00 & 11:30
Please register accordingly.

Mankwe Gametrackers:

If these arrangements do not suit your needs, please contact Sun City’s preferred shuttle service Mankwe Gametrackers.

Tel: 014 552 5020
E-mail:        suncity@mankwegametrackers.co.za
Website:     https://www.mankwegametrackers.co.za/

Please feel free to have a look at the other companies for shuttles listed below.

Hylton Ross - https://hyltonross.co.za/shuttle-service-sun-city/
Shuttle King - https://www.shuttleking.co.za/sun-city-shuttle/
Airport Shuttle SA - https://www.airportshuttlesa.co.za/our-low-rates/
Shuttle Sun City - https://shuttlesuncity.co.za/
Deeprift Ventours - https://www.deeprift.co.za/transfers.html

Car Rental:
Renting a car from either OR Tambo or Lanseria Airports is also a good and affordable option. If delegates do not mind sharing a vehicle, the cost per rental car will be much cheaper per person.

Registrar Awards

Please visit the Congress website for details and guidelines regarding the registrar awards OR Click here to download the Abstract submission form. (Please pay special attention to point 4 of the abstract submission form.)

OSSA Registrar Award for best ORAL PRESENTATION

A session will be held during the congress for the presentation of oral papers by registrars.

The presenter of the best oral presentation will be awarded the Registrar Award to attend an international ophthalmology congress, if the sponsorship to the value of R 42 000 has been secured from a sponsor.

OSSA Registrar Award for best POSTER PRESENTATION

A poster session will be held during the Saturday lunch break in the exhibition hall for the adjudication of posters by registrars.

The presenter of the best poster presentation will be awarded the Registrar Award to attend an international ophthalmology congress, if the sponsorship to the value of R 24 000 has been secured from a sponsor.

Call for Abstracts

Update: Presenters will be notified of the acceptance of their abstract by the end of September 2021.

Before starting the submission process, please carefully read the criteria and conditions below:

Abstracts submitted for OSSA 2021

• All abstracts that have been received for the OSSA 2021 congress that has been cancelled due to COVID-19 precautions will be considered for the OSSA 2022 Congress programme.
• You may also amend your OSSA 2021 abstract. Please contact the organisers to receive the edited version to make any amendments to your abstract.
• If you would like to retract your abstract from consideration for OSSA 2022, please send the organisers a mail by 30 June 2021.
• The registrar presentations and posters that have been accepted for 2021 will still be considered as registrar presentations and considered for the registrar awards for 2022.

Abstracts submission for OSSA 2022

• Only papers by Ophthalmologists and Registrars will be considered for presentations.
• Inclusion of abstracts into the programme of abstracts require full payment of registration fees for the congress.
• Abstracts should be submitted before 30 June 2021. There is no possibility for late abstract submissions.
• If you have not received acknowledgment of receipt of you abstract within 4 working days, please e-mail the organisers again.
• Authors will be informed of the acceptance of their abstracts by 30 July 2021. Confirmation will also be given as to whether it will be an oral or a poster presentation.
• Withdrawal of an abstract: In case you want to withdraw your abstract after submission, please send an e-mail before 30 June 2021 to ossa2022@rkcommunication.co.za
• All expenses such as registration, travel and accommodation associated with the presentation of an abstract remain the responsibility of the presenter.
• Please visit the congress website to download the Abstract Submission Form http://www.ossa2022.co.za/ OR Click here to download the Abstract submission form.

Two options:

1. Oral presentation: 10 minutes for presentation (Discussion will take place at the end of the session).
2. Poster presentation (There will be a poster session during lunch on Saturday in the exhibition hall.)

Guidelines:

• Only ophthalmologists & registrars in ophthalmology are invited to submit abstracts for consideration and inclusion in the Ophthalmologists programme.
• Authors must state whether they wish their presentation to be considered as oral OR poster presentation or whether they would be prepared to do a poster presentation if their oral presentation cannot be accommodated. Please refer to the Abstract Submission Form.
• Abstracts should not exceed an A4 page and have a maximum of 400 words excluding title in MS Word Format.
• The Academic Committee will make every effort to accommodate all qualified abstracts within the programme. Final determination of the type of presentation to be given and placement within the program will be the responsibility of the Programme Committee.
• Language: Abstracts must be written and presented in English. Careful typing and proofreading are essential. A programme like Grammarly could be helpful https://www.grammarly.com/.
  If accepted, the abstract will be published as submitted. Errors, misspellings, incorrect hyphenation, and deviations from the use of correct English will be glaringly apparent in the published abstract. Once the abstract is submitted, changes, corrections or rewording will not be possible.
• Images, tables and graphs: Images are not permitted, as they do not reproduce well. Brief and clear tables or graphs are accepted (maximum of 1 page). If the tables / graphs submitted exceed 1 page, those exceeding the limit will be excluded from publication.
• Standard abbreviations may be used without definition. Non-standard abbreviations should be kept to a minimum and placed in parentheses after the first use of the word or phrase.
• Papers will only be accepted on the understanding that the main author or a co-author will personally present the paper.
• Supplemental materials are not required, but you may provide information sheets to fellow attendees.
• Co-authors must agree with the results stated and have consented to be included as authors.
• All participants must disclose any significant financial interest or other relationships they may have with the manufacturers of commercial products discussed in their presentations, panel or written materials.
• OSSA will take it for granted that good clinical practice is observed in the conducting of all research. This applies especially to clinical studies involving patients and patient care and includes the understanding that the appropriate Ethics committee approval had been secured.
• The Congress Organisers & OSSA accept no responsibility for copyright infringements.
• Acceptance and presentation of oral presentations and posters require full payment of registration fees for the Congress.
• Registrars who want to be considered for the registrar award, must clearly indicate this on their abstract submission form and the form must be accompanied by a letter from their academic Head of Department confirming that they are registrars or have qualified within the last three years (an exception for OSSA 2022) and the research being presented was commenced during their registrar time.
• It is your responsibility to ensure that the Organisers have received your abstract.

Structure of abstract:

TITLE:

• Centre the TITLE in capital letters at the top of the page - use Arial font type (BOLD) and 14 font size.
• Authors should be listed by surname, followed by initials and affiliation (upper & lower case) – underlining the presenting author’s name.
  DO NOT include degrees, titles, institutional appointments or addresses. Do not use abbreviations.

Example:

A PROSPECTIVE COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN THE
SIMPLE CONJUNCTIVAL CLOSURE AND THE ROTATIONAL CONJUNCTIVAL FLAP TECHNIQUES FOR PTERYGIUM SURGERY

Eksteen PJ, Stulting AA & Nel M
University of the Free State

BODY (Arial, 14 font size)

OBJECTIVES: State the main question / objective of the study / hypothesis tested

DESIGN & METHOD: Briefly describe the design of the study and how it was conducted, indicating sampling and inclusion criteria, sample size, treatment, duration of observations, etc.

RESULTS: Present the main results with an indication of variability (e.g. SD) and precision of comparison (e.g. 95% confidential intervals) where appropriate.

CONCLUSION: Limit the conclusion to those findings that are directly supported by the results. Implications and generalisations may be outlined briefly. Do not leave open lines between sections and do not indent headings. Headings should be underlined.

Guidelines for the preparation of posters:

• Click here to download a suggested poster template from the website. It is NOT compulsory to use this template.
• Our suggestion would be to make an A0 (118.9 cm x 84.1cm) poster (Portrait style). As this a standard size it is also more cost efficient when printing and laminating the poster.
• All posters should be laminated if they need to be used after the congress again. Unlaminated posters might get damaged when being removed from the poster boards. (Do not mount abstracts on heavy board - this does not hang properly.)
• Please bring your poster to the congress office upon registration. The organisers are responsible for pasting your poster to the poster boards with double sided tape.
• Posters will be displayed from the Thursday morning till the Saturday afternoon. It is the responsibility of the presenter to remove his / her poster(s) immediately after the afternoon poster session concludes and before the afternoon refreshment break on Saturday, 12 March ends.
• Indicate the title of the presentation and its authors.
• Use block lettering for other portions of your presentation to add emphasis and easy readability.
• Keep illustrative material simple in using charts, graphs, drawings and pictures. Remember that illustrations must be viewed from 1 to 2 meters.
• Make captions brief, levels few and both clear.
• Make posters as self-explanatory as possible.
• Do not be overly ornate or artsy (this distracts from impact of your information).
• Do not make posters elaborate or costly, although it is necessary for posters to be made professionally.

Poster font sizes

• Text on the poster must be readable from a distance of 1 to 2 meters.
• The following font sizes work well:

• Titles:         72+
• Sub-titles:   54+
• Text            30+
• Sub-text     20+

• The actual font used can affect the appropriate font size: keep to a standard sans-serif font such as Arial, Helvetica or Trebuchet.

Golf day & Game Drive

Golf day

Being at Sun City, OSSA golfers can’t miss the opportunity to play golf at the magnificent Lost City Golf Course on Friday, 11 March.
All golfers are invited to join us for the OSSA 2022 Golfing afternoon.
Please register accordingly.

Tee-off time
Starting at 10:30 with 10 minute intervals. Thirteen four-balls are available.
Please view the current tee-off roster via this link and e-mail us your provisional tee-off time to be included in this roster.

Format
Fourball alliance

Fees
R750 (Golf cart & halfway included. Not refundable)
If you would like to make use of the service of a caddy / spotter, you can arrange and pay for this on the day at the golf course.

Prizes

• Three best Fourball alliances of the day

• Longest drive on 18^th hole

Arrangements and enquiries

Heyns du Preez
Tel:              051 436 7733
E-mail:        ossa2022@rkcommunication.co.za

Game drive in Pilanesberg National Park

For all those who would not like to participate in the golf day there will be game drives on Friday afternoon.
The game drives will take place in the 55 000 hectare, malaria-free Pilanesberg National Park. The park has a wide variety of African wildlife including the Big Five – lion, rhino, elephant, buffalo and leopard – and borders the north eastern side of the Resort.
Please register accordingly.

Departure times:

The game drives will depart from the shuttle pick-up spot outside the welcome centre, next to the Convention Centre. The departures will be between 13:30 and 15:00 and the drive will be 3 hours long.
More details to follow on congress website and congress programme book regarding departure intervals, dress code, guest conduct, etc.

Fees
R740 (Not refundable)

CPD

Discovery Health is facilitating the CPD process at this congress.

Delegates will receive a username and password within 10 - 14 working days after the Congress via e-mail that will enable them to access and download the CPD certificate from the www.mycpd.co.za website.

No hard copy certificates will be available at the Congress. International delegates can request a certificate and will need to provide Discovery Health with their contact details.

Kindly ensure that your QR code is scanned twice daily, once during the morning and once during the afternoon sessions. Please note that all Ethics sessions will be scanned separately outside the presentation venue (upon exit) where the Ethics session is held.

For any queries please contact:
Aneekah Jansen
E-mail: AneekahJ@discovery.co.za / CPD@discovery.co.za
Tel:      021 527 1327

Tourism & Activities

Please refer to the official Sun International website for comprehensive information on activities at Sun City - https://www.suninternational.com/sun-city/activities/

General Information

Annual General Meetings
Thursday, 10 March 2022
OSSA AGM      17:15
OMG AGM        18:15

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points
The Congress will be accredited by the Health Professions Council of South Africa and registered for CPD points.

Language
The official language of the Congress will be English. No simultaneous translation into any other language will be provided.

Currency
ZAR South African Rand.

Climate
Average temperatures: 16 – 29^o C. Light jacket essential for the evenings.

Electricity
The electricity supply in South Africa is 220 / 230 volts, AC 50 Hz.

If you are visiting from another country and would like to know if you will need an adapter, please follow this link to get the answer https://world-power-plugs.com/south-africa

Insurance
The Congress Organisers cannot accept any liability for personal injuries sustained, or for loss of, or damage to, property belonging to Congress participants (or their accompanying persons), either during or as a result of the Congress. Please check the validity of your own insurance.

Visas
It is strongly recommended that all travellers check the latest visa requirements with the nearest South African Embassy or Consulate before travelling,      
OR click here or click here
The passports of all travellers entering South Africa must contain at least two clean (unstamped) visa pages each time entry is sought.
Travellers entering South Africa from countries where yellow fever is endemic are often required to present their yellow World Health Organisation (WHO) vaccination record or other proof of inoculation. If they are unable to do so, they must be inoculated at the airport in order to be permitted entry.

Special dietary requirements
Halaal & vegetarian: Please indicate your requirements on the registration form.
Kosher meals & other dietary preferences: Please contact the organisers in this regard.

Time zone
South Africa is GMT + 2 hours.

Opportunities for Sponsorship / Exhibition

Click here to download all the applicable documents.

Approximately 750 delegates (based on the 2018 and 2019 numbers, excluding the trade) are expected to attend the 2022 National Congress of the Ophthalmological Society of South Africa in Sun City.

This Congress is the number one event on the Ophthalmology calendar, with quality presentations and lectures by world-renowned keynote speakers supporting our mission -“prevention of blindness”.

A variety of opportunities remain for companies to promote themselves at this congress. The Organising Committee, chaired by Dr Clayton Erasmus, will compile a summary of these opportunities and invites interested companies to select the option best suited to their marketing strategies and product profile.

The participation of the trade is the backbone of a successful congress.    
We have great appreciation for your continued support of our congresses in the past.

The Organising Committee would be most grateful if your company would consider participating in this congress.

In the current budget-constrained environment the organisers would like to encourage participating exhibitors to carefully reconsider the use of expensive promotional displays in the exhibition area. A trend towards simplicity and relevance is considered more appropriate at this time. We think you will agree.

Please contact the organisers for more trade related information.