On May 14–15, 2026, the Scientific and Practical Conference “Filatov Memorial Lectures”– 2026: Current Issues in Ophthalmology” was held in Odesa, Ukraine. The event was organized by the State Institution V.P. Filatov Institute of Eye Diseases and Tissue Therapy of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine and the NGO Ophthalmologists’ Society of Ukraine.

The conference was held in a hybrid format and brought together more than 700 participants from 22 regions of Ukraine and Kyiv city.

Representatives from the following regions took part in the conference: Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Zakarpattia, Zaporizhzhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, Ternopil, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Chernivtsi, Chernihiv regions, as well as the city of Kyiv.

Overall, 182 scientific presentations were delivered during the conference. In addition to Ukrainian specialists, international experts from Denmark, Spain, Australia, Switzerland, and the United States actively participated in the scientific program.

Key international presentations included:

• Jesper Hjortdal (Aarhus, Denmark) – presentation on the current state of European corneal banks and transplantation
• Barbany M. (Spain) – “Surface reconstruction in complex cases”;
• Justin Smith (Adelaide, Australia) – presentation on ocular toxoplasmosis;
• Karl P. Herbot Jr., Ioannis Papasavas (Lausanne, Switzerland), and P.B. Henrich (Basel, Switzerland) – presented modern approaches to the treatment of uveitis, complications after anti-VEGF therapy, and cataract surgery
• A joint session of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Ophthalmic Trauma (USA) dedicated to rehabilitation of patients after ocular trauma, with participation of Grant A. Justin, Kristen M. Hawthorne, David Fleischman, Brittany E. Powell, Volodymyr S. Jacobson, and Ethan Lester

The scientific program covered a wide range of current issues in ophthalmology, including:

• corneal pathology and modern keratoplasty techniques ;
•  military ocular trauma and reconstructive surgery ;
• retinopathy of prematurity ;
• pediatric ophthalmology ;
• glaucoma ;
• uveitis;
• neuro-ophthalmology ;
• fundamental scientific research ;
• modern approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of patients with ophthalmic disorders.

Special attention was given to the presentation of new clinical guidelines and the standard of medical care “ Military Ocular Trauma”, issues of diabetic retinopathy, modern reconstructive surgical technologies, and the implementation of innovative treatment methods.

The conference also included:

• Opening ceremony and the V.P. Filatov Memorial Lectures
• Аwarding of the V.P. Filatov Medal
• Meeting of the Ophthalmologists’ Society of Ukraine
• Thematic symposia
• Panel discussions
• Free Papers / Case Marathon session
• 3rd Filatov Film Festival

The conference served as an important professional platform for the exchange of experience between Ukrainian and international specialists, presentation of modern scientific achievements, discussion of current challenges in ophthalmology, and the identification of prospects for the further development of the field in Ukraine.