In May 2025, the annual scientific meeting of the ECVO was held in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. Edinburgh, with its rich history and vibrant contemporary culture, is a UNESCO World Heritage site, where old-world charm meets modern sophistication. The conference was held at the Assembly Rooms, an 18th century landmark in the heart of Edinburgh. The highly popular hybrid format from recent years was continued in 2025.

The conference gathered a diverse, international community of veterinary ophthalmologists and practicing veterinarians, all very passionate about ophthalmology, as well as industry exhibitors to share cutting-edge discoveries, discuss the latest advances, and explore innovative products. We are deeply grateful to all the exhibitors whose continued sponsorship made this event again possible.

The Scientific Committee, led by Charlotte Dawson, created a program on the topic of ‘Intraocular Surgery’ with a very high-quality content. Renowned experts, including Marta Leiva, Rob Lowe, Chris Dixon, Larry Benjamin, Peter Wilson, and Charlotte Dawson, shared their extended knowledge, tips, and experiences with the attendees. 

The ECVO conference included a continuing education day on Thursday, the scientific program on Friday and Saturday and the conference was concluded on Sunday with a masterclass.

The continuing education day covered complications in both veterinary and human cataract surgery as well as vitreoretinal surgery. The scientific program was filled with case reports, clinical presentations and research findings from international specialists. Larry Benjamin (MD) was the keynote speaker and gave an extraordinary, fascinating and inspirational presentation about the flying eye hospital, a unique mobile surgical and teaching initiative. The masterclass on Sunday focused on simulator training, managing complex cataracts, complications in glaucoma and vitreoretinal surgery, and the influence of bias in surgical outcomes.

Of course, no ECVO conference would be complete without the social events. The welcome reception on Thursday evening took place at the Assembly Rooms. The gala dinner on Friday night was held at the Signet Library, one of Edinburgh’s most stunning Georgian buildings, known for its elegant atmosphere and award-winning catering.

Prizes were awarded to:

Best and second best oral resident presentation
1. Anna C. Piroth: Postoperative antibiotics do not prevent surgical site infections after routine ophthalmic soft tissue surgeries in dogs.

2. James Bryan: Healing outcomes and complications of spontaneous chronic corneal epithelial defects (SCCEDs) in French Bulldogs compared with Non-French Bulldog breeds.

Best oral presentation
Freya Mowat: An immense but diminishing world – prevalence of multisensory impairments (vision, hearing, olfaction) in older companion dogs: a preliminary report. 

Best and second best poster presentation
1. Anna C. Piroth: Purulent ocular discharge: just the tip of the iceberg? Why cross-sectional imaging can save the surgeon’s day – a case report.

2. Laura Zuzzi-Krebitz: Reconstruction of medial canthal defects with a modified House-Inverted Triangle Blepharoplasty and additional sliding flap: a retrospective study of 8 cases.

ECVO president, Christine Watté, closed the annual ECVO meeting by announcing the 2026 congress to be held in Madrid, Spain, May 27-30.