Dear Colleagues,

The International DMEK/PDEK Surgical Course, organized by the Society of Cornea and Ocular Surface of the Turkish Ophthalmological Association, will be held on 2–4 October 2025 at TOA Training Center (TOATC) Ankara and Ankara Bilkent City Hospital. It is my great pleasure and honor to invite you to this special educational event.

The course program has been designed to cover all the details of endothelial keratoplasty surgery. It will feature step-by-step sessions on DMEK and PDEK surgical techniques, live surgeries, wet-lab applications using both animal and human donor corneal tissue, complication management, strategies for challenging cases, and concise, focused presentations. Participation in the hands-on sessions will be limited to ensure direct interaction and the sharing of experience between faculty and participants. This arrangement will allow attendees to communicate directly with instructors through interactive Q&A during the training.

This year, we are honored to welcome Dr. Preethi Naveen from Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital in India—the center where PDEK surgery was first performed and is most widely practiced—as our guest instructor.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Executive Committee Members of the TOA, the Board Members of the Society of Cornea and Ocular Surface for their contributions to the organization and preparation of the scientific program. I also extend my thanks to our colleagues who will participate as course instructors and share their knowledge and experience with us; to all surgeons who will perform the DMEK/PDEK procedures; to the TOA Training Center Management for their support in providing the technical infrastructure and all necessary materials; and to Ankara Bilkent City Hospital for hosting the event and opening its operating rooms, making this program possible.

I believe this high-quality program will help advance our knowledge and surgical skills in the field of endothelial keratoplasty, and I look forward to meeting you in Ankara.

Sincerely,

Prof. Dr. Özlem Evren Kemer
President, TOA Society of Cornea and Ocular Surface