iSCOPE is Bringing Hands-On Ophthalmic Training to the Heart of Europe
- Andrea JANEKOVÁ, MD, PhD
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
For many young ophthalmologists, the most difficult part of their training is not the theory. It's the moment when they need to perform their first real surgical steps. Dr. Andrea Janeková, founder and course director of iSCOPE: Prague Ophthalmic Wetlab, knows this experience very well.
When she herself was beginning her surgical career, there were only limited opportunities to practice in wetlabs. Hands-on surgical training was rare, often difficult to access, and usually available only abroad.
Even today, despite rapid progress in ophthalmology, there is still a shortage of practical wetlab courses in Central Europe. Young surgeons often attend congresses full of lectures, but have very little opportunity to actually practice surgical techniques under the supervision of experienced mentors.
This is exactly why iSCOPE was created.
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A New Goal: Making Practical Training Accessible
The goal of iSCOPE is simple but ambitious: to make high-quality practical ophthalmic training available to as many young surgeons as possible – not only from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, but also from neighbouring European countries and beyond. The course was designed as a complete, structured educational experience where participants can spend several days fully immersed in surgery, step by step, with direct supervision from leading instructors.
Unlike many traditional congresses, iSCOPE isn't based on long theoretical lectures. It is a course built almost entirely around practice. Participants spend up to 30 hours in the wetlab, working on porcine eyes, learning the essential steps of surgery, repeating them, and gaining confidence. Theory is reduced to the absolute minimum necessary to understand the procedure; everything else is learned by doing.
“What matters in surgery isn't only what you know, but how confidently you can apply it,” says Dr. Andrea Janeková, who performs nearly 3,000 intraocular procedures every year and has spent years teaching young surgeons. Her vision was to create a course that she herself would have wished for at the beginning of her career: practical, intensive, personal, and internationally connected.
Why Prague?
Why Prague? The answer is natural. Prague has never hosted an international ophthalmic wetlab of this scale before, yet it is perfectly located in the centre of Europe. It is easily accessible from Western and Eastern Europe alike and offers an ideal meeting point for participants from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Poland, France and many other countries.
Beyond its location, Prague offers a unique atmosphere: a city rich in history, culture, and international spirit, making it the ideal setting for building a new European community of young ophthalmic surgeons.
What Does iSCOPE Include?
The educational programme is divided into several highly focused modules, allowing participants to choose the course that best matches their level of experience and professional interests.
The Cataract Surgery Basic Course is designed for beginners who want to learn the fundamental steps of phacoemulsification. For more experienced surgeons, the Cataract Surgery Advanced Course focuses on more complex techniques and advanced surgical procedures.
Participants interested in posterior segment surgery can choose the Vitrectomy Surgery Course, where they work with high-fidelity simulators and porcine eyes. Corneal surgeons can attend the DMEK/DSAEK Keratoplasty Course, dedicated to endothelial keratoplasty and graft preparation.
Another highly specialised module focuses on Secondary IOL Implantation Techniques, including the Yamane technique, flange fixation and Artisan or Verisyse lenses.
It is important to emphasize that this is a highly hands-on wetlab, with a strong focus on practical training and minimal theory.
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What Makes iSCOPE Different?
One of the greatest strengths of iSCOPE is its faculty. The instructors are not only internationally recognised surgeons with thousands of procedures behind them, but also teachers who remember their own beginnings. They understand how difficult it is to gain confidence in the first years of surgical practice, and they know that true learning requires patience, support and individual guidance.
The faculty includes Czech and international experts in cataract surgery, vitreoretinal surgery, corneal transplantation and secondary lens implantation. Participants work in small groups, with direct supervision and immediate feedback, which allows every trainee to improve quickly and safely.
Another unique advantage of iSCOPE is its collaboration with MTS – The Wetlab Company, one of the world’s leading organisers of ophthalmic wetlabs at major international congresses such as ESCRS, ASCRS, AAO and EURETINA. For the first time, MTS is bringing this level of expertise and technical support to Prague.
More Than a Course
But iSCOPE is not only about surgery. It is also about creating an international network of future colleagues and friends. Throughout the programme, participants will have many opportunities to meet the faculty informally, discuss their cases, exchange experiences and build long-term professional relationships.
The course also includes a guided clinic tour, social events, a tour of Prague, breakfast with experts and a gala evening with diploma ceremony.
In the end, iSCOPE is much more than a course. It is an investment in the future of ophthalmic surgery – a place where knowledge becomes skill, skill becomes confidence, and confidence becomes better care for patients.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrea JANEKOVÁ, MD, PhD, FEBO, FEBOS-CR
