The Beginning (1975-1981)

Everything started in the year 1975 in the city of Buenos Aires during a course of Angiography of Fluorescein (AFG), coordinated by Dr. Arturo Alezzandrini, pioneer of this exploration in Latin America. There, after several meetings, coffees and dinner, Dr. Alezzandrini though it would be a good idea to form a group with those who, at the time, dedicated themselves to do Angiography of Fluorescein. Drs. Dario Fuenmayor and Alfonso Garmendia from Venezue-la, Dr. Pedro Saenz from Peru and Dr. Suel Abujamra from Brazil agreed to form a research group to encourage and exchange knowledge.

They named the group “South American Council of Angiofluoresceinografía (COSADA), in-spired, at that moment, by the Latin American Council of Strabismus (CLADe). Shortly after a couple of meetings , the name was changed to the “Latin American Association of Angioflu-oresceinography (ALADA)”. However, this name did not last long. By then, not only AFG was being performed but they also started using laser in the treatment of diseases of the retina. So, once again it was decided to change the name of the group to the Latin American Group of Ocular Angiography and photocoagulation in ophthalmology (GLADAOF).

The GLADAOF Forum (1981-2002)

During the 3rd Venezuelan Congress of Ophthalmology in 1981, Dr. Alezzandrini through that congresses were missing something, there needed to be a place to share and discuss the new advancements in the ophthalmological field. That is why he decided to organize inde-pendent meetings, which will be named Forums, and they were going to be held every two years. Right after that, he organized the 1st GLADAOF Forum in Buenos Aires (Argentina) on October 24-26, 1984.

After that year the Group organized eight Forums more: the II GLADAOF Latin American Forum in Belo Horizonte (Brazil) in 1986, the III GLADAOF Latin American Forum in Caracas (Venezuela) in 1988, the IV GLADAOF Latin American Forum in Lima (Peru) in 1991, the V GLADAOF Latin American Forum in Cancun (Mexico) in 1992 under the pre-cidency of Dr. Hugo Quiroz Mercado, the VI GLADAOF Latin American Forum in Santiago (Chile) in 1994, the VII Latin American GLADAOF Forum in Bogotá (Colombia) in 1996, the VIII GLADAOF Latin American Forum in Buenos Aires (Argentina) in 1999 and the IX GLADAOF Latin American Forum in São Paulo (Brazil) in 2002.

The Pan-American Society of Retina and Vitreous Meetings (2003-2022)

In 2003, during the Pan-American Congress of Ophthalmology in Puerto Rico, the GLADAOF group was renamed again. A group of members of the Latin American Group Angiography, Laser and Vitreoretinal Surgery (GLADAOF) and the PAAO Board of Direc tors decided to create the Sociedad Panamericana de Retina y Vitreo (GLADAOF SPRV) as a subspecialty affiliated society to PAAO.

In 2004 the I SPRV Congress (X GLADAOF Forum) was organized in Quito (Ecuador), the President was Dr. Gregorio Gabela.

And after that the next Congress was II Congress of the SPRV (XI Forum of GLADAOF) in Cartagena de Indias (Colombia), in 2006 under the presidency of Dr. Francisco Rodríguez, the III Congress of the SPRV (XII Forum of the GLADAOF) was in Isla Margarita (Venezuela), in 2008 under the presidency of Dr. Fernando Arévalo, the IV Congress of the SPRV (XIII GLADAOF Forum) was in Lima (Peru), in 2010 under the presidency of Dr. José Antonio Roca, the V Congress of the SPRV (XIV GLADAOF Forum) was in San José (Costa Rica), in 2012 under the presidency of Dr. Lihteh Wu, the VI Congress of the SPRV (15th Forum of the GLADAOF) was in San Juan (Puerto Rico), in 2014 under the presidency of Dra. María H. Berrocal, the VII Congress of the SPRV (XVI Forum of the GLADAOF) was in Natal (Brazil), in 2016 under the presidency of Dr. Michel e. Farah, the VIII Congress of the SPRV (XVII GLADAOF Forum) was in Cancun (Mexico) in 2018 under the presi- dency of Dr. Virgilio Morales Canton and this one the IX Congress of the SPRV (XVIII GLADAOF Forum) is tak-ing place in Buenos Aires (Argentina) from November 15 to November 18, 2022 under the presidency of Dr. Arturo Alezzandrini Jr.