As a core objective of the AAPPO is to advance academic exchange and knowledge in ophthalmology across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, the Council resolved during the 2025 Annual General Meeting to prioritize the development of consensus and guidelines papers for important and blinding eye diseases. These consensus papers are critical for setting new standards in patient care, bridging gaps in clinical decision-making, and shaping the future of ophthalmology. By providing evidence-based recommendations, they will enhance clinical practice, improve patient outcomes, and promote consistency across diverse healthcare settings.
While many consensus papers exist, there is no universally accepted definition or criteria on how to reach consensus for a statement. Taking reference form the consensus paper on PCV by APVRS (Asia-Pacific Vitreo-Retina Society), consensus was defined as at least 75% of responses indicating agreement (i.e. strongly agree or agree) with the statement, a definition proposed by one of the authors (Dennis Lam) of the paper and endorsed by all the APVRS PCV panel experts1. This establishes a clear framework for defining consensus. Fan et al commended highly on this new definition. This new approach may become a benchmark on how to reach agreement on a consensus statement for consensus and guidelines papers in the future2. We will adopt this new approach for our consensus projects.
The AAPPO shall collaborate with APVRS, AMPS (Asia-Pacific Society of Myopia), APSOII (Asia-Pacific Society of Ocular Inflammation and Infection), APGS (Asia-Pacific Glaucoma Society), and APOIS (Asia-Pacific Ocular Imaging Society) to address controversies, foster debate, and establish 10 – 25 consensus papers and guidelines in 2025.
As of July 2025, 12 consensus documents have been ready and 6 papers have been accepted for publication by internationally reputable journals, marking significant progress toward achieving the goal for 2025.
Prof. Charles McGhee, AAPPO President
References:
1. Ruamviboonsuk P, Ng DSC, Chaikitmongkol V, et al Consensus and Guidelines on Diagnosis and Management of Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy (PCV) from the Asia-Pacific Vitreo-retina Society (APVRS). Asia Pac J Ophthalmol. 2025;14:100144.
2. Fan X, Tham CC, Leung CKS, et al. Definition for consensus statement much needed. Asia Pac J Ophthalmol. 2025;14:100141.
Consensus Projects Update:
AAAPO (Academy of Asia-Pacific Professors of Ophthalmology)
APMS (Asia-Pacific Myopia Society); APOIS (Asia-Pacific Ocular imaging Society)
APOIS (Asia-Pacific Ocular imaging Society)
APSOII (Asia-Pacific Ocular Inflammation and Infection Society)
APVRS (Asia-Pacific Vitreo-retina Society)
| No. | Eye Disease | Collaborating Societies | Key Coordinator | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Posterior Chamber Phakic Intraocular Lens (ICL) | AAPPO, APMS | Zhou Xingtao (China) |
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| 2 | Macular Hole Surgery | AAPPO, APVRS | Dennis Lam (Hong Kong) |
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| 3 | Acute Primary Angle Closure Attack (APACA) | AAPPO, APGS | Clement Tham (Hong Kong) |
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| 4 | Cataract Surgery | AAPPO | Jorge Alio (Spain) |
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| 5 | Intraocular Foreign Bodies (IOFB) | AAPPO, APVRS | Dennis Lam (Hong Kong) |
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| 6 | Small Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE) | AAPPO, APMS | Dennis Lam (Hong Kong) |
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| 7 | Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) | AAPPO, APVRS, APOIS | Tien Wong (China) |
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| 8 | Fungal Endophthalmitis | AAPPO, APVRS, APSOII | TP Das (India) |
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| 9 | Endophthalmitis After Cataract | AAPPO, APVRS, APSOII | Namrata Sharma (India) |
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| 10 | Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration (nAMD) | AAPPO, APVRS | Tim Lai (Hong Kong) |
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| 11 | Coat’s disease | AAPPO, APVRS | Mahesh Shanmugam (India) |
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| 12 | Ocular Behcet’s Disease | AAPPO, APVRS, APSOII | Mary Ho (Hong Kong) |
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| 13 | Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR) | AAPPO, APVRS | Dennis Lam (Hong Kong) |
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| 14 | Multifocal Intraocular Lenses | AAPPO | Jorge Alio (Spain) |
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| 15 | Central Serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) | AAPPO, APVRS | Camil Boom (Netherland) |
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| 16 | Pachydrusen | AAPPO, APVRS | Marisko Sasaki (Japan) |
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| 17 | Keratoconus | AAPPO |
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| 18 | Microbial Keratitis | AAPPO, APSOII | Namrata Sharma (India) |
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| 19 | Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Retinitis | AAPPO, APSOII, APVRS | Yong Tao (China) |
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| 20 | Ocular Toxoplasmosis | AAPPO, APSOII, APVRS | Rupesh Agrawal (Singapore) |
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| 21 | Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment | AAPPO, APVRS | Paisan Ruamviboonsuk (Thailand) |
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