Medical Saigon Group

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2026 Scientific Conference: Advancing Clinical Knowledge and International Standards in Medical Practice

A prestigious scientific forum bringing together leading healthcare experts from Vietnam and around the world to exchange knowledge and explore the application of emerging technologies in clinical practice.

The 2026 Scientific Conference, organized by Medical Saigon Group (MSG), concluded successfully, bringing together more than 600 ophthalmologists, clinicians, and healthcare professionals from Vietnam and abroad to engage in scientific discussions and share the latest advances in ophthalmology and clinical practice.

Dr. Hoang Trung Kien, Group Chief Medical Officer at Medical Saigon Group (MSG), presented commemorative plaques to the international faculty members.

Beyond serving as an in-depth scientific forum showcasing the latest advances in ophthalmic care, the conference also underscored Medical Saigon Group’s leadership in healthcare quality. During the event, Medical Saigon Group and the Saigon Eye Hospital System were honored as the world’s first ophthalmology healthcare system to receive JCI Enterprise Accreditation. This globally recognized achievement reflects the Group’s commitment to a rigorous clinical risk management framework, providing a strong foundation for the safe adoption and implementation of advanced medical knowledge and innovative technologies in clinical practice.

A New Milestone in Corneal Transplantation: Safer, More Effective, and Technology-Driven Care

One of the conference’s most anticipated presentations was delivered by Professor Marcus Ang, MD, PhD, Senior Consultant at the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) and President of the Singapore Society of Ophthalmology. A leading authority in corneal transplantation, Professor Ang previously served as an Honorary Consultant at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, United Kingdom—one of the world’s most prestigious ophthalmic institutions. He has authored more than 215 peer-reviewed scientific publications, making significant contributions to the advancement of corneal diseases and transplantation worldwide.

Professor Marcus Ang highlighted the significant transition from traditional full-thickness penetrating keratoplasty (PK) to lamellar keratoplasty techniques, which aim to minimize severe complications and improve visual outcomes. He provided an in-depth overview of two major approaches:

  • Replacing only the deeper anterior layers (Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty – DALK): This technique preserves the patient’s innermost corneal layer, the Descemet’s membrane and endothelium, thereby reducing the risk of graft rejection to approximately 1–5%. The graft also demonstrates superior long-term survival, with a 10-year graft survival rate of up to 93.9%, significantly higher than the approximately 70% survival rate reported with traditional penetrating keratoplasty.
  • Replacing only the innermost layer (Endothelial Keratoplasty, particularly Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty – DMEK): Currently considered the gold-standard treatment worldwide for suitable cases, DMEK enables faster visual rehabilitation and a lower risk of graft rejection. For challenging cases, particularly in Asian patients, Professor Ang introduced the use of specialized graft insertion devices, which facilitate safer and more controlled graft delivery during surgery.

In addition, the presentation highlighted emerging trends in corneal transplantation, including the growing support from eye banks through pre-prepared graft tissues and orientation marking to enhance surgical efficiency; the application of artificial endothelial implants such as EndoArt—a cell-free implant designed to address donor tissue shortages; the use of Boston Keratoprosthesis Type I (Boston KPro) for severe corneal diseases; and, notably, the application of femtosecond laser technology for precise removal of corneal scar tissue, optimizing outcomes in anterior lamellar keratoplasty procedures.

Professor Marcus Ang (Singapore) shared the latest advancements aimed at enhancing the safety and efficacy of corneal transplantation surgery.

Professor Marcus Ang’s comprehensive presentation not only provided valuable clinical insights but also highlighted the potential for strategic collaboration between Medical Saigon Group (MSG), the Saigon Eye Hospital System, and this internationally recognized expert. Future collaborative initiatives are expected to bring advanced corneal transplantation techniques and optimized treatment solutions to Vietnam, offering new hope for patients with complex corneal disorders.

Comprehensive Advances in Refractive Surgery: From Complex Corrections to Optimized Primary Procedures

The conference demonstrated strong academic depth through two international presentations on refractive surgery, providing a comprehensive perspective on two leading technological approaches within the SCHWIND (Germany) ecosystem. Together, these presentations showcased the capability to address the full spectrum of refractive challenges—from common myopia and astigmatism cases to highly irregular and severely distorted corneas.

Dr. Jerry Tan shared advanced solutions in “virtual surgery” and personalized refractive procedures for complex corneal cases.

Advanced Personalization with Excimer Laser Technology. Dr. Jerry Tan is one of the pioneers who introduced LASIK surgery to Singapore, performing the country’s first LASIK procedure in 1996. To date, he has performed more than 13,000 refractive surgeries, providing advanced solutions for challenging cases through surface ablation techniques, including Customized Wavefront-Guided TransPRK (CWFG TransPRK).

Leveraging Total Corneal Wavefront measurements obtained from the MS-39 anterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) and corneal analysis platform, Dr. Tan utilizes Smart Foresight software to perform “Virtual Surgery” simulation. This technology enables precise prediction of postoperative corneal morphology and visual outcomes, playing a critical role in the management of irregular corneas, keratoconus (KCN), and the correction of complex higher-order aberrations (HOAs) such as glare and night halos resulting from previous refractive procedures.

Dr. Kishore Raj Pradhan presented clinical data on the application of next-generation femtosecond technology featuring ultra-low energy levels.

Advanced Optimization with Next-Generation Femtosecond Technology: At the forefront of primary refractive interventions, Dr. Kishore Raj Pradhan (Nepal) is recognized as one of Nepal’s leading refractive surgeons, with more than 23 years of clinical experience. He was among the pioneers in introducing advanced technologies such as ReLEx SMILE and SmartSight to Nepal.

Dr. Pradhan presented real-world clinical data from more than 1,200 eyes treated using a next-generation laser platform. The technology’s key advantages include the CenTrax intelligent centration system, which automatically compensates for eye movements and ensures precise alignment during treatment, as well as the use of ultra-low femtosecond laser pulse energy (averaging only 85 nJ) to create an exceptionally smooth and precise lenticule interface.

The clinical outcomes demonstrated impressive results: 100% of eyes achieved 20/20 visual acuity at the one-month follow-up, and 99% achieved accurate astigmatic correction.

Comprehensive Updates on Modern Myopia Control Strategies

Within the scope of the conference, Dr. Sun Chen-Hsin also shared insights into contemporary approaches for myopia management. Dr. Sun is both a physician and biomedical engineer, having graduated in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University (USA) before earning his Doctor of Medicine degree from Duke-NUS Medical School (Singapore).

He specializes in progressive myopia control in children and has directly contributed to the development of medical devices designed to support advancements in this field.

Dr. Sun Chen-Hsin presented an alarming epidemiological overview of the rising prevalence of myopia across Asia, including Vietnam. Recent studies have reported myopia prevalence rates ranging from approximately 37–51% among students in Hanoi and 53–75% among students in Ho Chi Minh City, highlighting the growing burden of myopia among school-aged children in Vietnam.

Sun Chen-Hsin (Singapore) shared in-depth insights into currently implemented multimodal myopia control protocols.

Rather than focusing solely on conventional interventions, the presentation provided a comprehensive analysis of treatment strategies through Network Meta-Analysis of various myopia control approaches. Dr. Sun Chen-Hsin highlighted the clinical efficacy of Atropine therapy, particularly 0.05% atropine, which has demonstrated an optimal balance between controlling myopia progression and minimizing potential adverse effects. He also discussed the role of next-generation spectacle lenses with specialized optical designs that help slow myopia progression.

Notably, Dr. Sun introduced the application of a fundus biomarker measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a rapid and objective tool for evaluating the effectiveness of different myopia management protocols.

Standardizing Dry Eye Disease Management Through Objective Diagnostics

Dr. Khaw Hoon Hoon is the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of OasisEye Specialists (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) and a member of the World College of Refractive Surgery. With more than 20 years of clinical experience, she is recognized as one of the pioneers of refractive surgery in Malaysia’s private healthcare sector.

She has also participated in the Harvard Medical School Southeast Asia Healthcare Leadership Program, focusing on healthcare quality systems and patient safety. Dr. Khaw has driven a significant paradigm shift in Dry Eye Disease (DED) management, moving beyond symptom-based treatment approaches, such as the use of artificial tears, toward disease modification strategies that address the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of the condition.

Standardizing Dry Eye Disease Management Through Objective Diagnostics and Multimodal Treatment Approaches

The session on standardizing dry eye disease management through objective diagnostics and multimodal treatment approaches attracted significant interest from conference participants.

A key focus of the approach is the objective assessment of ocular surface status before initiating treatment. Based on these diagnostic findings, ophthalmologists can develop a structured, stepwise treatment protocol combining eyelid hygiene, warm compress therapy, and, most importantly, intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy. IPL helps improve meibomian gland function, reduce ocular surface inflammation, and restore tear film stability, with studies reporting that up to 75% of patients experience improvement in dry eye symptoms following treatment.

This comprehensive protocol not only addresses dry eye disease (DED) but also plays an important role in optimizing the ocular surface prior to refractive surgery and cataract surgery, thereby improving surgical outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Optimizing Energy Efficiency in Cataract Surgery with FLACS

Drawing from clinical practice in Vietnam, the study presented by Dr. Nguyen Thi Xuan Huong (Cao Thang Ophthalmology Hospital – a member of Medical Saigon Group) provided a detailed analysis of the effectiveness of Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery (FLACS) compared with conventional phacoemulsification (Phaco) techniques in cataract treatment.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Xuan Huong, Specialist Level II, presented clinical research on energy optimization in cataract surgery using FLACS technology.

By utilizing femtosecond laser technology to pre-soften the crystalline lens nucleus prior to surgery, this advanced approach reduced the amount of ultrasound energy required during cataract surgery by 31.6%. As a result, patients demonstrated clearer vision on the first postoperative day, reduced corneal edema, and better preservation of corneal endothelial cell integrity.

When Medical Knowledge Advances Alongside Safety Standards

The international expertise and clinical insights shared throughout the conference demonstrated that the 2026 Scientific Conference was not only a platform for exchanging global clinical experience and technological advancements, but also a strong reflection of Medical Saigon Group’s vision for modern healthcare development.

Successfully translating medical innovations into improved real-world patient care requires a highly rigorous foundation of governance, quality management, and operational excellence. The synergy between the Group’s commitment to advancing academic excellence and its achievement of JCI Enterprise Accreditation for global quality and risk management standards represents a powerful affirmation: every medical advancement and technology adopted within the healthcare system is rigorously evaluated and governed according to the world’s most stringent safety standards, ensuring sustainable treatment value and improved outcomes for patients in Vietnam.

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