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firstquarter2015

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Magazine del Instituto Oftalmolgico

F E R N N D E Z -V E G A

Luis del Olmo: i dont like everythings ok, but everything can improve

retinitis Pigmentosa, in the spotlight

the channel OftalmologatV is born

pg. 38pg. 30pg. 18

the fundacin fernndez-Vega and Cambodia, a reality with future

Recognition as an incentive

While it is true that the best recognition to our work is the tens of thousands of patients that distinguish us every year with their trust, it is very satisfying that the Corporate Reputation Business Monitor (MERCO in Spanish) within the Spanish health field, based on thousands of surveys to professionals, includes the medical director and the medical deputy director of the Institute amongst the five best ophthalmologists in Spain

and that, at the same time, Forbes states that Dr lvaro FernndezVega is one of the three best professionals in Spain within his field.

This recognition is undoubtedly due to a continuous effort in which constant training and the use of proven technologies by an excellent team are paramount in the care of patients; in this, the human factor is still the priority.

This is the path we chose to follow some decades ago in our professional activity, and well stick to it in the future, supported by the incentive of these recognitions.

Prof Luis Fernndez-Vega.

The best recognition to our work is the tens of thousands of patients that distinguish us every year with their trust.

2 Editorial

The surname FernndezVega has been linked to the practice of this speciality for over 125 years. At present, the Institute devotes all its efforts to the prevention, diagnosis and medical and surgical treatment of those diseases that jeopardise vision.

Currently, the facilities of the Institute in Oviedo occupy a surface area of approximately 12,000 square metres, in which close 200 people work. Every year over 100,000 patients are seen and 8,000 surgeries are performed.

100,000 patients8,000 surgeries

In order to stay ahead in innovation and to return to society part of what its patients have given to the Institute, the IOFV has launched the Fundacin de Investigacin Oftalmolgica (FIO) (Eye Research Foundation). The Foundation carries out biomedical translational research in ophthalmology and vision sciences in conjunction with the generous contribution of other entities and foundations committed to the fight against this disease.

The InsTITuTo ofTalmolgIco feRnndez-Vega (IofV) Is an eye hospITal.

about us

All this activity generates a great teaching capacity for health professionals devoted to vision (ophthalmologists, opticiansoptometrists, nurses and Medicine students), it materialises through different pre and postgraduate programmes in collaboration with the Universidad de Oviedo.

Furthermore, the Institute cares for disadvantaged people through the Fundacin Fernndez-Vega, present in Spain as well as in international missions, such as the ones carried out in the past few months in Peru, Liberia and Cambodia.

3About us

MIRA AL HORIZONTE Y PIENSA EN TODO LO QUE TE QUEDA POR VER

Ms del 99% de pacientes satisfechos

Proteje tus ojos de los rayos UV

High Deenition Vision Invisible Reversible

Table of contentsDirection and coordination, content writing and editorial management:Atlntica Empresas

Advertising:SGANMEDIOS 678 684 457

Design:Eteria, Marketing y Comunicacin

D.L. AS 5668-2007

MAGAZINE OF THE INSTITUTO OFTALMOLGICOFERNNDEZ-VEGA

Avda. Dres. Fernndez-Vega, 34 33012 OVIEDOT. 985 240 141F. 985 233 288www.fernandez-vega.com

pg. 6 Making headlinesThe Instituto Oftalmolgico Fernndez-Vega, case study in the IESE Business

School of the Universidad de NavarraOviedo, headquarters of the II European Meeting of Young

OphthalmologistsProf Luis Fernndez-Vega participates in the Forum of El Comercio on

Medicina e industria biosanitaria: oportunidad para Asturias (Healthcare and Biosanitary Industry: opportunity for Asturias)

The director and the deputy director of the Institute amongst the best physicians of the country

The Institute hosts the XI Spanish National Conference of Health InformersOur physicians, in Facoelche 2015Experts gather at the Institute to analyse the latest news on cataract and

presbyopia surgeryChristmas announcement of the Asociacin Belenista de OviedoThe king of Saudi Arabia at the InstituteThe channel OftalmologaTV is bornThe mobile application of the Institute, now in English tooThe Fundacin Fernndez-Vega checks the eyestrain of 400 people during

the World Glaucoma Day

pg. 23 the most + 2.0

pg. 24 fundacin fernndez-VegaThe Foundation in CambodiaAt the Asociacin de Sndrome de Down de Asturias

pg. 30 Medical article/report

Retinitis Pigmentosa, in the spotlight

pg. 32 art

Ametrine eyes

pg. 34 Our departments, one by one

The importance of a smile

pg. 36 research

Should one invest in basic and translational research?

pg. 38 they look kindly upon usLuis del Olmo: I dont like ,

but

pg. 40 Lets seeDr Carlos Lisa answers the questions of our patients about

the care of their eyes

pg. 42 Gastronomy

Elite pourers

pg. 44 Crossing of glancesJessica Chastain

5Table of contents

The Instituto oftalmolgico fernndez-Vega, case study in the Iese Business school of the universidad de navarra

The IESE Business School has chosen to use the Institute as an example of success in its classrooms. The two teachers who have developed the case, Alejandro Serrano and Philip G. Moscoso, have focused on the organisation of processes and on the practical application of the tools for continuous improvement used at the practice. Throughout the case one can see the direct impact of operational excellence both in the patients satisfaction and in the profitability of the centre.

The case has a total of 20 pages and it will be translated into several languages as it will be taught in different countries.

Oviedo will host the second European Meeting of Young Ophthalmologists that will be held in June 24 and 25 and which will gather approximately 300 professionals of the field coming from 27 different countries.

The Spanish Society of Ophthalmology and its European counterpart have taken this decision by choosing the application submitted by

the Asociacin de Jvenes Oftalmlogos Espaoles (AJOE Spanish Association of Young Ophthalmologists) led by its president, Dr FernndezVega CuetoFelgueroso, and Dr Ignacio Rodrguez Ua, vicepresident of the organising committee.

The Spanish Association of Young Ophthalmologists emerges in 2013 in order to support the teaching activities

of the Spanish Society of Ophthalmology. Its focus is on the resident doctors of the specialty, acting as a contact forum to enable the inclusion of the youngest professionals in the ensemble of ophthalmologists of the country.

oviedo, headquarters of the II european meeting of young ophthalmologists

Dr Rodrguez Ua and Dr Fernndez-Vega Cueto-Felgueroso.

The assocIaTIon Is launched In 2013 aImIng To supplemenT TeachIng acTIVITIes.

approximately 300 professionals of the field from 27 different countries will attend.

7Making headlines

prof luis fernndez-Vega participates in the forum of el comercio on medicina e industria biosanitaria: oportunidad para asturias (healthcare and Biosanitary Industry: opportunity for asturias)The medIcal dIRecToR of The InsTITuTe, pRofessoR luIs feRnndez-Vega paRTIcIpaTed lasT decemBeR 18Th In The foRum oRganIsed By The newspapeR el comeRcIo, In collaBoRaTIon wITh The saBadell heRReRo Bank, on medIcIna e IndusTRIa BIosanITaRIa: opoRTunIdad paRa asTuRIas (healThcaRe and BIosanITaRy IndusTRy: oppoRTunITy foR asTuRIas), TogeTheR wITh The mInIsTeR of healTh, fausTIno Blanco, The pResIdenT of The medIcal college of physIcIans of asTuRIas, alejandRo BRaa; and The dIRecToR of The cenTRo euRopeo de empResas e InnoVacIn del pRIncIpado (ceeI), eVa pando, wITh whom he analysed aT The aBBa-playa gIjn hoTel The new nIche maRkeTs offeRed By The healTh secToR In The RegIon.

8 Making headlines

the present, where nearly 200 professionals work in 12,000 square meters attending over 110,000 patients every year and performing approximately 9,000 surgeries. These amounts underscore the repercussion of the Institute, supported by the 50 million euros of benefit that it generates each year for the region, as is evident from the study carried out in 2012 by Universidad de Oviedo, according to which 70% of the patients who come to the Naranco facilities do so from outside the Principality.

We have received many offers to leave Asturias, several of them from investment funds, but we have always known that we should make

this our home, assured Prof Fernndez-Vega who, however, took the opportunity to call for an improvement in both air and railway communications, to bet on the value of healthcare as a business opportunity and an economic driver. Every time a new airline is opened, the

number of patients increases. This has become obvious with the flights to Lisbon, which bring us many patients from Portugal, he stated.

The medical director of the Institute also highlighted the need to bet on advances and biomedicine, and reiterated that todays research is tomorrows cure; ; he also defended the collaboration that according to him must exist between public and private healthcare.

The Professor, who is also the president of the Spanish Society of Ophthalmology, provided an overview of the Institute from its origins, 125 years ago, to

The attendees to the Forum analysed the new horizons of the health sector.

Prof Fernndez-Vega, during his intervention.

attending over 110,000 patients every year and performing approximately 9,000 surgeries.

9Making headlines

The prestigious publication, pioneer in the business field and with 26 editions all over the world, focused the last issue of 2014 to the field of health. It thus elaborated, in collaboration with the Corporate Reputation Business Monitor (MERCO in Spanish), a list of the best physicians in Spain, featuring three for each specialty; Dr lvaro Fernndez-Vega can be found amongst them.

The study in which Forbes relies is the first healthcare reputation monitor done in Spain and it includes the rankings of the best hospitals, both private and public, as well as the best hospital services and medical professionals according to specialty.

In the field of ophthalmology, both the deputy director of the Institute and the director, Professor Luis Fernndez-Vega,

were chosen amongst the five best professionals in Spain; the Institute is meanwhile placed amongst the first six positions in its specialty.

The study, carried out by Anlisis e Investigacin -the first Spanish market research institute- and funded by MERCO, gathers the assessment of 1014 physicians, 745 nurses, 430 patient associations and 208 journalists.

The director and the deputy director of the Institute amongst the best physicians of the country

The depuTy dIRecToR of The InsTITuTe, dR lVaRo feRnndez-Vega, was feaTuRed as one of The ThRee BesT pRofessIonals In spaIn In hIs specIalTy In The lIsT puBlIshed In foRBes magazIne In decemBeR.

Drs Luis and lvaro Fernndez-Vega.

11Making headlines

The Instituto Oftalmolgico Fernndez-Vega will host next April 10, 11 and 12 the eleventh edition of the Conference on Health Journalism and Communication, which will gather in Oviedo scores of informers specialised in this field.

On this occasion, the Ebola virus outbreak will be the common thread to analyse the treatment of information both by the political and institutional arenas and by the media. There will also be a table on cheese and health, as well as a section devoted to analyse

the healthscienceenvironment synergies.

Established in 1994, the Spanish National Association of Health Informers organises an annual meeting to analyse and share professional practices.

updaTe couRse In glaucoma

The Instituto Oftalmolgico FernndezVega will host next April 24 and 25 an update course in Glaucoma, in which it will once more gather the ophthalmological community to share, during two days, the latest knowledge in the field.

Headed by Dr Pedro Pablo Rodrguez Calvo this course is included within the continuous training program in Vision Sciences of Universidad de Oviedo.

24-25APRIL

10,11,12APRIL

Two moments of the last edition.

The Institute hosts the XI spanish national conference of health Informers

12 Making headlines

Furthermore, the host of the meeting recognised Prof Fernndez-Vega for the constant support given by the Instituto Fernndez-Vega to this project over such a long period of time.

Amongst other interventions, Prof Fernndez-Vega gave the special lecture on Selection of multifocal lenses according to biometric criteria, and Dr Alfonso related at the meeting La grada

solidaria, the national and international work carried out by the Fundacin FernndezVega with disadvantaged groups.

Drs Luis FernndezVega CuetoFelgueroso and Ignacio Rodrguez Ua also attended the conference.

our physicians, in facoelche 2015A team of four physicians from the Institute visited this year Alicante to attend the first ophthalmology conference of the year: Facoelche. Together with the mayor of Elche, Mercedes Alonso, and the event organiser, Dr Soler, Prof Luis Fernndez-Vega and Dr Jos F. Alfonso were part of the opening table of the event as presidents of the Spanish Society of Ophthalmology and the SECOIR.

Prof Fernndez-Vega receives the award.

Opening table of Facoelche 2015.

13Making headlines

One of the most relevant technological innovations for the experts is, according to what they analysed during the meeting, the femtosecond laser, which has contributed to ease the whole cataract surgery procedure, providing greater safety throughout the intervention, and thus minimising complications, assured the director of the Institute and president of the Spanish Society of Ophthalmology, Professor Luis FernndezVega.

experts gather at the Institute to analyse the latest news on cataract and presbyopia surgeryThe InsTITuTo ofTalmolgIco feRnndez-Vega hosTed In noVemBeR a meeTIng oRganIsed By alcon ThaT gaTheRed leadIng eXpeRTs To addRess The laTesT news In cRysTallIne suRgeRy, a fIeld In whIch TechnologIcal InnoVaTIons haVe pRogRessed sIgnIfIcanTly In The lasT yeaRs.

Some of the participants before the facilities of the Institue.

One of the reasons is that cataracts are the main cause of avoidable blindness in the world, affecting 18 million people and causing poor vision in several more millions. For this reason, 22 million cataract surgeries are performed each year, thus becoming one of the most common interventions in the world.

approximately 400,000 cataract surgeries are performed each year.

14 Making headlines

This statement was supported by the medical director of the Centro de Oftalmologa Barraquer, Dr Rafael Barraquer, who summed up the great advances of cataract surgery in two lines: physical therapy, with the major milestone of intraocular lens implantation, and the safety of the surgical intervention, linked to a progressive decrease in the size of the incisions and to the development of technology in surgical devices to remove cataracts. In both cases he added femtosecond laser has provided previously unknown accuracy and versatility.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at Hospital Universitario

Donostia and medical director or Begitek Clnicas Oftalmolgicas, Dr Mendicute, stressed the importance of minimising the risk associated to the human factor, which helps to perform a higher number of procedures and to solve extreme situations, as it enables access to intraocular structures with micrometric precision.

Professor Luis FernndezVega explained that in the case of Spain, approximately 400 000 cataract surgeries are performed each year so the significance of these advances is crucial. On this matter, the medical director of Alcon in Spain and Portugal, Dr Xavier Puig, reiterated the

commitment of its company to keep working to provide professionals all its innovative capability in order to develop the most stateoftheart technology in the field of eye surgery.

christmas announcement of the asociacin Belenista de oviedoA realistic, resounding and positive song to hope. This was Professor Luis Fernndez-Vegas wish for the Christmas announcement that he proclaimed for the Asociacin Belenista de Oviedo at the end of last December. Because this time of year and these times call for it; because it seems that there are dangers lurking, because nights are longer and thicker and because common sense is saying to all of us that it is best to have some than just a little or nothing at all. These are times of disappointment and confusion in which, however, there is still cause for hope, as long as human goodwill imposes itself, even to good reason.

The medical director of the Institute demonstrated his absolute trust in the power of Christmas, a time of the year that arouses even in the less passionate such philanthropic and fraternal feelings that it is an honour to proclaim it, he thanked. And he relied in the great ones. In Cervantes. In Palacio Valds. In Giovanni Papini. In Philo of Alexandria. In Nicolas Chamfort. And in Jean Paul Sartre, greatest exponent of existentialism who, however, reflected in Bariona the hope brought by the Child of Bethlehem. In this historical postmodernity that we are living in culture of replacements, of theoretical and practical assertions on the death of God, of the decline of the values that laid the foundation of society it is significant that, sometimes, we can observe in those who preach emptiness or nothingness surprising and paradoxical things that may be at odds with their ideas, he stated.

Despite this, Professor Fernndez-Vega believes that Christmas has no borders and that its a holiday for everyone. Likewise, it has much to do with his everyday life, he stated. Our mission and profession is to bring light to tired or ill eyes, betting always on light and doing everything in our power to achieve it.

our mission and profession is to bring

light to tired or ill eyes, betting always

on light and doing everything in our

power to achieve it.

ThIs TIme of yeaR and These TImes call foR IT

Photography: Miki Lpez.

16 Making headlines

The king of saudi arabia at the Institute

After consulting with the best specialists of the world, the thenPrince and governor of Riyadh came to the Instituto Oftalmolgico FernndezVega following the recommendation of his friend the King Juan Carlos, where the medical director, Professor Luis FernndezVega, treated him.

The new king of Saudi Arabia, Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, visited the Institute in August 2006, suffering from a disease that was causing him progressive loss of vision.

The king with Luis and lvaro Fernndez-Vega at the Institute.

The channel oftalmologaTV is born

Which has 40 videos on all types of pathologies, questions and advice in relation to eye health.

The physicians form the Institute are in charge of explaining every week a new theme in an approximately two minutes long video that can be seen both in MedicinaTV and in the digital platforms of the Institute: Facebook, Twitter or its webpage.

The Instituto fernndez-Vega, in collaboration with medicinaTV has launched oftalmologaTV, an educational project about ophthalmology that can already be found on the Internet.

www

18 Making headlines

The mobile application of the Institute, now in english too

From EyeVega you can access the most relevant information on the Institute (location, medical team, history, etc.), as well as obtain an appointment.

There is also an ophthalmological atlas where you may look up any query about the field of ophthalmology.

Furthermore, a feature has been developed to enable, in gamemode, to check ones vision with the most common eye exams.

Downloading the app EyeVega is completely free of charge and is available both for IOS (iPhone, iPad) and Android, in telephones and tablets. And now, it is available in English too.

The app EyeVega is already bilingual. From now on, all patients and friends of the Instituto Oftalmolgico FernndezVega will be able to benefit both in Spanish and in English from an app thought by and for patients; it gathers the most frequently asked questions by our patients, so that you can obtain your answers as quickly and as excitingly as possible.

downloading the app eyeVega is completely free.

19Making headlines

The fundacin fernndez-Vega checks the eyestrain of 400 people during the world glaucoma dayon maRch 12 lasT, coIncIdIng wITh The celeBRaTIon of The woRld glaucoma day, The fundacIn feRnndez-Vega seT up a TenT In The cenTRe of oVIedo wheRe They checked-up The eyesTRaIn of oVeR 400 people.

20 Making headlines

With this initiative the Foundation provides continuity to this activity, which has been carried out for several years, aiming to make society aware of the importance of regular check-ups for the early detection of a pathology already considered the second cause of blindness in the world. The fact that the most common type of this disease presents no symptoms until its very advanced is the reason why over 50% of those affected in developed countries and 90% in developing countries are unaware of having the disease.

Therefore, a team constituted by Dr Ignacio Rodrguez Ua, optometrists Alberto Barros, Manuel lvarez, Henar Morchn and Elena Alonso and secretaries Silvia Alonso and Carmen Miranda went on the World Glaucoma Day to the tent set up in the vicinity of the Teatro Campoamor, which was visited by over 400 people that wanted to check their eyestrain quickly, easily and for free.

The Instituto Oftalmolgico FernndezVega, through its Fundacin de Investigacin Oftalmolgica (Eye Research Foundation), devotes

part of its resources to the research of this disease. In fact, last 6th of March a team of the Institute received, during the X Conference of the Spanish Society of Glaucoma, an award for the scientific paper Comparative proteomic study in serum of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma. Published last year, it has obtained the third THEASEG de Investigacin en Oftalmologa 2014 Award (Research in Ophthalmology) for the best publications. Prof FernndezVega and

Dr Pedro Pablo Rodrguez Calvo amongst others were in charge of its presentation.

The InsTITuTo ofTalmolgIco

feRnndez-Vega, ThRough ITs

fundacIn de InVesTIgacIn

ofTalmolgIca (eye ReseaRch foundaTIon),

deVoTes paRT of ITs ResouRces To The ReseaRch of ThIs

dIsease.

Third Thea-seg award on Research in ophthalmology 2014 for the best publications.

Drs Rodrguez Ua and Fernndez-Vega Cueto-Felgueroso, during one of the check-ups on the Glaucoma World Day.

21Making headlines

La vida sin cataratas...y sin astigmatismo.Hoy en da, existe una solucin real a la hora de afrontar la ciruga de la catarata con astigmatismo.

Las lentes intraoculares actuales permiten corregir el astigmatismo proporcionando una ntida visin a media y larga distancia sin necesidad de gafas.

Su oftalmlogo le asesorar sobre las opciones disponibles.

2014 Novartis Material revisado en marzo de 2014. SG/IOL/IOLGE/AD/140310/ES

The most + 2.0

This is what our followers have liked the most since our last issue of Vega.

The acTIVITy of The InsTITuTe on socIal neTwoRks Is huge, and ITs followeRs aRe BecomIng moRe and moRe aBundanT. ThRough faceBook and TwITTeR we shaRe The laTesT news on lIfe aT The InsTITuTe, aT The fundacIn feRnndez-Vega and aT The fIo, cuRIosITIes RegaRdIng ophThalmology and oTheR RelaTed news In geneRal.

23The most + 2.0

The foundation in cambodia

Cambodia. Its name evokes a land full of Buddhist temples, sunny rice fields

and exotic landscapes And if we add to it the name Kike Figaredo everything

changes and acquires another dimension. The magnanimity of his commitment,

motivation brought about by humanitarian help.

Victoria CuetoFelgueroso Botas Director of the Fundacin Fernndez-Vega

24 Fundacin FernndezVega

The idea originated five years ago. The team was set up last October. It was constituted, on this occasion, by professor Fdez.Vega Sanz, his son Lus Fdez.Vega CuetoFelgueroso, and the head of optometrists of the clinic, Javier Lozano.

The trip took place in December, making use of the Inmaculada long weekend.

We were full of hope for this stimulating project and thankful for receiving the opportunity to take care of and help people without financial resources, many of them mutilated by antipersonnel mines. Priest Kike Figaredo has been fighting tirelessly for 30 years so that the Cambodian families who survived the dictatorship of the Khmer Rouge (1975-1980) can recover their lives and their dreams.

We travelled loaded with suitcases full ophthalmological equipment, glasses with different prescriptions and drugs. Of course, in this luggage we couldnt forget sweets and balloons for the kids, as science must be seasoned, from time to time, with some happiness.

We finally arrived, after 24 hours of neverending flights, to Battambang, NorthEast of Cambodia. The city impresses at first glance due to its abundant rice fields, peculiar trees and to landscapes characteristic of an impressionist painter.

We were received with a surprise: a mass chanted and danced by the Cambodian children of the TaHem Parrish that we will never forget. The church flaunted right at the top the Cruz de la Victoria, so fully ours, so fully Asturian. Devotion was joined by the most sincere jubilation of each and every participant.

And then it was time to perform the activity to which the Instituto Oftalmolgico FernndezVega had committed itself. Approximately 450 Cambodians attended the practice in those days of exhaustive work in which the team checked the patients eyesight, prescribed glasses and performed small surgeries to those in need. The workday started at eight in the morning and ended at seven at night, with an hour for lunch that sometimes turned into half an hour. And we can say, unanimously, that unforgettable human beings appeared before our eyes in that dispensary, individuals full of gratitude and gifted with a kindness and happiness that soon would translate into teaching and learning for each one of us.

ThIs was The puRpose of The fIfTh eXpedITIon of The fundacIn feRnndez-Vega To camBodIa: To help By means of checkIng The eyesIghT of Those In need aT The pRefecTuRe of monsIgnoR kIke fIgaRedo In BaTTamBang.

In this luggage we

couldnt forget

sweets and balloons for

the kids.

Enrique Figaredo and the team of the Fundacin Fernndez-Vega. With them, Sombrita.

Parrish of Ta-Hem, with the Cruz de la Victoria.

25Fundacin FernndezVega

We wont forget Toi, the boy who lost a leg to an anti-personnel mine and who had his shrapnel scars examined by Professor Fdez.Vega. His wheelchair is his most precious possession to move about.

Nor will we forget Sombrita, nearly blind and deaf-mute, pickedup by Kike Figaredo and, this year, as happy as a sandboy because the ophthalmologists from Oviedo had brought her a pair of pink glasses that balanced out her 17 dioptres of hyperopia. She was really excited holding Luis Fdez.Vega Jr.s hand while he checked her eyesight, she then held up her hand in a sign of victory.

I could name many unique characters from that Mission. Special people, as were the volunteers. Jimena Alonso, an Asturian in charge of the dispensary, poured her energy into helping us understand the needs of those people with

her command of the Cambodian language. Along with her were Jaime Rubio, Irene Rehberger, Lorenzo Zabala All of them wonderful.These young people put on hold their

degrees, their families and their hobbies to provide invaluable support. This is also a privilege, as the training and the human value that they acquire while performing these activities isnt easy to acquire.

The days flew by. On the last day, the ophthalmological practice moved to the textile factory La Paloma. This is one of the latest projects of Monsieur Figaredo; over 60 individuals work making clothes that are subsequently exported to different countries. The Cambodians were thrilled to have a salary and a job that helped them support their families. Many of them were disabled, used wheelchairs and had poor eyesight, so they came to the improvised dispensary in a warehouse annexed to the factory to correct, cure or check their eyes. At the same time as we were running out of glasses, eye drops and other drugs leaving their packages in improvised bins our addiction to Kikes Prefecture grew. So did our sadness, as we knew that our time there was drawing to an end and we had to come back.

These young people puT on hold TheIR degRees, TheIR famIlIes and TheIR hoBBIes To pRoVIde InValuaBle suppoRT.

Luis Fernndez-Vega Cueto-Felgueroso observing an eye fundus.

26 Fundacin FernndezVega

use your knowledge, success and wealth as a means for action, not as something to boast about.

That is how each and every one of the team members of this 5th expedition of the Instituto Fdez.-Vega that took place in December 2014 feels about it. I recall, to finish off, the words that Pericles pronounced in Ancient Greece and that can be applied to all types of aid provided to our fellow men. And these are: use your knowledge, success and wealth as a means for action, not as something to boast about.

From Oviedo, we often return to Cambodia using our imagination. To Batambang and to Tahem to the happy faces of children running and playing to the generosity of Kike Figaredo and those who were helping him to all those that had their eyes checked by the FernndezVega family and to those who were put on hold until next time.

CHUM RIED LIE Goodbye See you soon and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your everlasting smile and for allowing us to get to know you.

I believe that whatever happens to us in life can either go unnoticed or, on the other hand, make an impression. If the latter are experiences that surprise us and transform us, they become -forever- unique and unforgettable experiences.

Luis Fernndez-Vega and his son greeting a patient.

Javier Lozano doing a prescription.

27Fundacin FernndezVega

at the asociacin de sndrome de down de asturias

Furthermore, on the 3rd of November los Drs Luis FernndezVega CuetoFelgueroso, Dagoberto Almanzar and Ignacio Rodrguez Ua, together with optometrists Elena Alonso and Elena del Val and Abraham lvarez, from the maintenance service, visited the care centre for the elderly Residencial Balbona, 10 minutes away from Oviedo, where they checked the eyes of 40 elderly people.

Last 16th of January, a team of the Fundacin Fernndez-Vega visited the Down Syndrome Association in Asturias to perform a total of 24 exhaustive eye check-ups. Drs Dagoberto Almanzar and Ignacio Rodrguez Ua and optometrists Pedro Estvez and Borja Martnez worked, together with the intensive collaboration of the workers of the Association and the families of the patients, till late at night; they especially detected high astigmatism.

It was the first time that the Foundation worked with these patients; this collaboration is expected to continue in the future.

Eye examination at Residencial Balbona.

Dos momentos de la visita a la Asociacin de Sndrome de Down.

29Fundacin FernndezVega

Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited condition that can often cause cataracts at an early age, macular complications such as cystoid macular oedema or epiretinal membranes and even lead to blindness. Even though, unfortunately, this condition cannot be currently treated, it is possible to address many of its complications. Dr lvaro FernndezVega, head of the Retina and Vitreous Department of the Institute, stressed this point last September 28 on the occasion of the International day of this disease; the Spanish Federation of Retinitis Pigmentosa Associations (FARPE in Spanish Federacin de Asociaciones de Retinosis Pigmentaria de Espaa) commemorated it under the slogan Our dream is to see. Lets boost research.

Retinitis pigmentosa, in the spotlightIt is a rare disease that, currently, has no specific treatment. However, important lines of research are being developed. The Instituto Oftalmolgico Fernndez-Vega is involved in several of these lines.

Dr lvaro Fernndez-Vega.

30 Medical article/report

Indeed, it is research that has enabled the development of important strands work in different aspects of the pathology that may be useful in the medium term. The Institute is one of the centres actively working on this.

In the specific case of our Eye Research Foundation (Fundacin de Investigacin Oftalmolgica FIO), one of the few private centres in Europe devoted to ocular research, we are working in the development of neuroprotective measures to avoid the deterioration of certain cells of the retina. We know that some stimuli, like the blue component of sunlight, are prejudicial for these cells and can foster the progression of the disease. At this point we research which substances or which types of protection will prevent the deterioration of the retina, explains Dr lvaro FernndezVega.

Furthermore, the Institute also researches the genetics of this disease and works in the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa through the implantation of an electronic device, or chip, in front of the retina. This chip takes over the function of those cells damaged by the disease and electronically stimulates live cells, generating a visual sensation of contrasts. With regard to the latter line of research, the doctor explains

that only those patients whose external retina is completely damaged, i.e. completely blind patients (a small percentage of those who suffer from retinitis pigmentosa), are eligible for this treatment. Another line of research, based on cell transplants, is taking its first steps.

25,000 SPANIARDS AFFECTED Retinitis pigmentosa is the most common cause of inherited retinal degeneration. It is characterised by an initial peripheral vision loss that, in some cases, can lead to vision similar to what one would see if one looked through the barrel of a shotgun and may finally lead

to blindness. In Retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive destruction of some of the cells of the retina occurs, leading to the progression of the disease. One of the initial symptoms is

poor vision in dimly lit areas or low light conditions.

It is estimated that this inherited degenerative disorder of the retina affects approximately 25,000 people in Spain, of which one quarter will progress to functional blindness. Even though the onset of this disease varies, the first symptoms usually appear in the second or third decade of life. The first symptom of this condition is usually night blindness, which is to say, a slow ability to adapt to darkness. Those affected have

difficulties in seeing at night or in dimly lit areas, and have difficulty distinguishing shapes and objects. They also find it difficult to calculate distances or catch objects in movement. Subsequently, they progressively loose their lateral visual field.

The progression of this condition is slow and silent; patients wait an average of 15 years to go to the ophthalmologist since they feel the first symptoms of night blindness. It is not just one condition, but a group of chronic eye disorders of genetic origin and degenerative nature that are grouped under this name. It is occasionally associated to other diseases or syndromes, like hearing impairments, deafness, (USHER syndrome). There are many types of retinitis pigmentosa, depending on the gene that affects its development, and therefore its evolution is always different; progression can also vary for different members of the same family affected by this hereditary disorder, concludes Dr FernndezVega.

ReTInITIs pIgmenTosa Is The mosT common cause of InheRITed ReTInal degeneRaTIon.

Retinography of a retinitis Pigmentosa.

31Medical article/report

I believe that the eyes are the window to the soul. And not only in humans, I love animals. If one looks into the eyes of an elephant one can never doubt their intelligence, strength and tranquillity, explains Bndicte Parnaudeau, who underwent eye surgery at the Institute 2 years ago. I had a rough ametrine

stone and I thought of making a twocoloured eye, yellow and purple, taking advantage of the chromatic peculiarity of this gem, which is only found in one mine worldwide in Bolivia. I loved it and I wanted to try and make an eye with it. It was quite a surprise to receive the second prize, so I told

Dr Alfonso, who was the one to operate on me.

a Rough sTone of ameTRIne -a VaRIeTy of quaRTz ResulTIng fRom The fusIon of ameThysT and cITRIne-, an Idea and a mIXTuRe of passIons. These aRe The IngRedIenTs ThaT BndIcTe paRnaudeau, paTIenT aT The InsTITuTo feRnndez-Vega, needed To desIgn a masTeRpIece of jewelleRy woRThy of The second pRIze In an InTeRnaTIonal compeTITIon. specIfIcally, The IV pRemIo anTonIo negueRuela, wheRe she was a fInalIsT wITh el ojo del poeTa (The eye of The poeT), a pIece ThaT shows heR eXpeRIence as a gemmologIsT, heR passIon foR desIgnIng jewels and heR fascInaTIon wITh eyes.

ametrine eyes

Bndicte parnaudeau

obtained the second

prize in the category sparkle.

32 Art

With the El ojo del poeta she has obtained recognition, but it is not the first piece nor will it be the last. She will combine her training as a gemmologist and her work as a teacher assistant at the Instituto Gemolgico Espaol with the design and manufacture of jewels, in which allusions to eyes do not go amiss.

The Antonio Negueruela awards aim to pay tribute to the pioneer in the marketing and distribution of coloured gems in Spain and in honing the renovation of jewellery design and the dissemination of knowledge and

charm of this type of stones. Bndicte Parnaudeau obtained the second prize in the category Sparkle, which rewards design and the size of the coloured

gems according to the difficulty, perfection in the execution, originality and use of the optical properties of the material.

I BelIeVe ThaT The eyes aRe The wIndow To The soul. and noT only In humans, I loVe anImals. If one looks InTo The eyes of an elephanT one can neVeR douBT TheIR InTellIgence, sTRengTh and TRanquIllITy.

the now coordinator of the Nursing Department came to the Institute the team was constituted by three nurses who just needed operating theatre courses. Things have changed a lot since then. There are now eleven professionals in the workforce; which also includes Raquel Ramos in the facilities in Madrid and two more from the Masters in Ophthalmic Nursing a Masters that has been carried out for the last four years at the Institute in collaboration with the Universidad de Oviedo. Technology, IT, lasers, etc. have also changed; and the appropriate specific training is both vital and difficult to obtain. That is the reason why the Institute is now offering this training. Every year we choose two nurses who are in agreement with Universidad de Oviedo and we train them for nine months; thus, in the last two months we already know if they know how to do what is needed.

For example, this has enabled Mara Garca Villamil who was a student of the Masters last year to cover the maternity leave of a coworker, Mara Requejo. We had trained her ourselves, so it was perfect, explains Ojanguren.

Natalia Gonzlez is studying the Masters this year. When she came for the first time to the Institute back in October she didnt know much about eyes, but this didnt last for long. This is a world benchmark centre and we students get to see all areas, so Im very happy. Furthermore, we get to see the patient from the moment he

The importanceof a smileThey are barely seen in the corridors where the physicians offices are, unless as a first contact to those who have suffered some kind of accident and usually come through an insurance company, just before they see their ophthalmologist. However, they are present, putting their knowhow and their smiles at the service of the surgeon and the patient. The team of nurses of the Instituto Oftalmolgico FernndezVega spends half its time at the operating theatre. They provide assistance to surgeons and show a friendly face to all those who put the health of their eyes in our hands. A friendly face and simple words accessible to all. Sometimes patients are nervous when they come out of the surgeons office, they get to the operating theatre and ask the same questions theyve already had answered by the surgeon. It is not about repeating things, it is about make things easier. It is also with us with whom they speak after the surgery. And in the next days followup. We also carry out an intermediation activity of some sort between the ophthalmological jargon and common language, something that is more notable with nerves. Avelino Ojanguren has been with the department for 14 years. So many years, that when

eVeRy yeaR we choose Two nuRses who aRe In agReemenT wITh unIVeRsIdad de oVIedo and we TRaIn Them foR nIne monThs.

one comes happy

to work.34 Our departments, one by one

When the night comes and her co-workers leave the centre, Vanesa Aller comes through the doors of the Institute to start her working day. She is the nurse in charge of the night shift, she who stays with those patients that for one reason or another need to stay hospitalised and she who makes the patients health and safety her priority. She is the most seasoned member of the department. She will have been at the Institute for fifteen years this summer; she came at a time when there were only three nurses and when there was no hospital pharmacy at the centre. The Institute has progressed a lot in these last fifteen years: the amount of patients, the team and the way of addressing eye diseases with new technologies. Even the way in which drugs are managed at the ward has changed a lot in the last few years; this change has been brought by the changes in the pharmacology market and in postoperative treatments. Thus, it is paramount that we receive constant training, explains Vanesa.

Applying postop treatments, patients chronic diseases, providing drugs, cures, clarifications, explanations, encouragement and advice She has multiple and varied tasks, mainly because they combine the treatment of eye pathologies with the most human side, that of the fears or the nerves of the patients as well as their circumstances. However, at the end of the day her mission can be described in a few words: to look out for the patients since the moment they are admitted in the unit till they are discharged with the seal of quality so characteristic of the Instituto Oftalmolgico FernndezVega.

lookIng ouT foR The dReam of ouR paTIenTs

comes in until he leaves; there is a close and friendly relationship with the patient, states this young woman who highlights the remarkable atmosphere found at the department.

The whole team agrees on this. Elena Gnzalez, who has been with the department for 10 years now, summarises it with: One comes happy to work. If one wants a chilled job, this is not the best option, but it is a beautiful job, where everything moves along and in which you have to keep updating yourself all the time. The Institute facilitates this, but one has to want to keep training, to keep learning, she explains. Because nearly all of them do everything: operating theatre, anterior pole, cataracts, preparing the instruments and the patients, Lasik One has to be uptodate.

If I had to choose, I would probably choose Lasik, but I really love everything I do, reflects Tamara Fernndez. She has worked in all areas during her eight years at the Institute. Treating myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism on an outpatient basis, explaining to patients what they have to do when they get home, discharging patients, handing medical equipment to the physicians, being a circulating nurse There are many options, and I love them all. And even though they all agree that one has to be able to tolerate stress to be able to do this job, know how to prioritise and have very clear ideas, it is worth the effort. Specially when you remove the eye bandage and a patient is moved because he is able to see again. Adriana Gmez knows this first hand, and she claims that the moment cannot be any more restorative. Especially if one can share the moment, and this isnt a problem at the department. The best thing is the environment. The teamwork. The bond between coworkers. We work to achieve this, because a good working environment is paramount to everyone: to the patients, to the staff, to the Institute Strengthening the good points makes us work better and, at the end of the day, the aim is to provide the best service to the patient both early in the day and late in the afternoon, affirms Ojanguren.

35Our departments, one by one

Jess Merayo Lloves, Professor of Ophthalmology at the Universidad de Oviedo and head of Research at the Fundacin de Investigacin Oftalmolgica of the Instituto Oftalmolgico Fernndez-Vega.

should one invest in basic and translational research?whaT does pRIVaTe ReseaRch conTRIBuTe To companIes? Is IT woRTh IT? dR jess meRayo, pRIncIpal InVesTIgaToR aT fIo, has RecenTly analysed ThIs Issue foR The healTh jouRnal of el economIsTa In an aRTIcle ThaT we summaRIse Below.

The activity of the Fundacin de Investigacin Oftlamolgica (FIO Eye Research Foundation), a private entity devoted to the study of the basis of the diseases that compromise vision, began in 2009. Its aim is to provide results as soon as possible to the medical and surgical activity of the ophthalmologists. Ever since, and in only five years,

over 40 research projects have been published, two patents have been obtained and it has helped patients gain access to two products that have been launched to the market. One of them is a prosthesis that prevents patients with certain pathologies from undergoing corneal transplant; the other is a regenerative eyedrop that only in the Instituto Oftalmolgico Fernndez Vega (IOFV) benefits 800 patients every year. Moreover, teaching activities have been consolidated through eight highspecialisation training programs for professionals in the fields of ophthalmology and vision sciences, a program of ongoing training and a system for the training of researchers. All this thanks to the working relationship between basic, translational and clinical researchers, the research and teaching framework agreement with Universidad de Oviedo and its relationship with the biotechnological environment.

36 Research

But, how does this benefit the company that has directly promoted the FIO? In several ways. On the one hand, the Institute returns to society part of what society has given to the Institute, guaranteeing excellent prevention and medical and surgical care thanks to the constant innovation and to the transfer of the results of research and ongoing training.

The relationship between basic, translational and clinical researchers enables the transfer of the day-to-day problems of the practice to the lab and the discoveries of the lab to the practice.

On the other hand, having ophthalmologists, optometrists, nurses, mathematical biologists and vocational students working with us enables us to know, select and subsequently offer the best of them the opportunity to become part of our team, thus guaranteeing the generational renewal of the institution.

This also enables us to have former students in different centres throughout Spain that see us as a benchmark hospital where one can give solutions to patients with complex problems.

Then, is private investigation within companies worth it? Absolutely. To offer new products for the same market, to open new markets, to channel internal entrepreneurs... Through different synergies with the immediate entourage, companies will, undoubtedly, profit from short and midterm direct and indirect benefits.

37Research

I dont like ,

but

luIs del olmo (ponfeRRada, 1937) faced a mIcRophone foR The fIRsT TIme

duRIng hIs youTh. eVeR sInce, hIs VoIce has InfoRmed us of The mosT ReleVanT

gloBal eVenTs, has InTRoduced us To people who haVe changed The

couRse of hIsToRy and has showed us, wITh hIs shaRp analyTIcal eye, To

see The BackgRound of each eVenT. well do a shoRT ReVIew of hIs caReeR,

hIs conceRns, of how he - who has done oVeR 12000 pRogRammes and

has deseRVedly eaRned The TITle of eVeRlasTIng leadeR of The spanIsh

RadIo - sees The pasT, The pResenT and The fuTuRe.

Luis del Olmo, journalist.

If we haVe goT ThIs faR Is Because we woRked non-sTop and we aRmed ouRselVes wITh paTIence.

38 They look kindly upon us

Have you always wanted to work in radio?As I was born in mined land, I studied to become a mining engineer, but I begun to perform interviews for the broadcasting station in Ponferrada and I understood that that was what I actually loved. I remember going to the station looking for celebrities that travelled in the train from Madrid to Galicia to ask them some questions, the satisfaction that I felt when I subsequently heard them in the radio made me abandon everything else.

Which has been the hardest interview? Maybe the last one I did to Santiago Carrillo. He wasnt in a very good frame of mind that day, and when I asked him about the Paracuellos issue, instead of answering like on other occasions, he sent me to Hell. The sentence didnt make a good impression when heard on the radio.

Who would you like to interview over and over again?Queen Sofia, without a trace of doubt. Ive spoken briefly to her on the radio, but I still wish I were able to conduct an indepth interview. As a personality she is interesting; as a person she is exemplary.

Which is your favourite historical event?For me, the greatest moment for the radio and in our lives was the day we voted the Constitution. We can say that that day was the debut of democracy.

Of the many awards that you have received, which is your favourite?The recognition of the university. Ive always said that the radio is the university of the people; so I considered it an honour and a privilege when the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos awarded me a doctorate honoris causa.

Now that you are retired, what do you do with your free time?Ive got many things to do. I spend my time addressing conferences on my life at the radio, traveling and chatting with my nine grandchildren.

Do you have any challenges lying ahead?Yes, to live.

What would be your advice for the new generations that want to follow in your footsteps?To copy my generation. If we have got this far is because we worked nonstop and we armed ourselves with patience. The radio means work, work, and

work; and lots of patience to await an opportunity.

Which adjective describes you best?I dont like everythings ok, but everything can be better.

A film.Ocho apellidos vascos (English: Eight Basque Surnames). A simple film, without ambition but very effective.

A bookLove in the Time of Cholera. A great novel.

An actor or actressVernica Forqu.

A singer Serrat. Always Serrat.

An aothor Gabriel Garca Mrquez.

How do you see Spain in 2015 in relation to communication?Given what is happening, this looks like a soap opera, with an unexpected ending. Maybe even a surprising ending.

Being from El Bierzo, what relationship do you have with Asturias?A very strong one. Im half Asturian. My dad was born in Avils. My first professional broadcasting station was Radio Asturias. Ive attended and broadcasted all 33 years of the Prince of Asturias Awards.

And with the ophthalmologists FernndezVega?Ive always had a close friendship with the FernndezVega family. For me it is a real luxury.

The gReaTesT momenT foR The RadIo and In ouR lIVes was The day we VoTed The consTITuTIon.

I sTIll wIsh I weRe aBle To conducT an In-depTh InTeRVIew To queen sofIa.

39They look kindly upon us

dr carlos lisa

answers the questions of our patients

about the care of their

eyesDr Carlos Lisa

Im 33 years old and Ive been having frequent headaches for a while now, especially at the end of the day. At the beginning it was enough to take drugs such as Ibuprofen, but currently I cannot ease the pain and it only goes away if I lie down in bed and switch off the light. Can this be related to my sight? My physician has advised me to visit an ophthalmologist although Ive always had a good near and far-sighted vision.

There is a disease named accommodative asthenopia characterised by periocular headaches sometimes associated with blurred vision. It is usually related to the overuse of near vision (prolonged reading, an excessive use of computers) and its common in patients with hyperopia or with insufficient convergence. The problem is that the ciliary muscle responsible for accommodation and near vision is being overstrained and this translates into a headache particularly at the end of the day. In your case it would be advisable to get examined under cycloplegia to rule out latent hyperopia.

40 Lets see

Im 45 years old, and ever since I was 25 my astigmatism has been increasing and my vision has worsened. My ophthalmologist has said that my cornea is irregular and that I must come back for a follow-up in six months because I might have a corneal disease. What worries me the most is the possibility of my two children -13 and 15 years old- inheriting it. Is this common?

Taking into account what youve told us it looks like you have Keratoconus, a disease that causes progressive deformity of the cornea and generally presents itself at 1520 years of age. The latest studies show that between 10 20% of patients with keratoconus has family a history of the disorder. Regardless of its low prevalence, it would be advisable to have your childrens eyes checked by an ophthalmologist, as nowadays we have measuring instruments that allow us to make an early diagnosis of the disease and to be more efficient in its prevention and potential treatment.

The last few years Ive suffered from recurrent ulcers associated to an excessive use of contact lenses. I am currently 29 years old and my 4 dioptres of myopia have not increased since I was 26 years old. During a follow-up I was told that my cornea is too thin and that therefore I cannot undergo laser surgery. Are there any other options that enable me to avoid the use of contact lenses and glasses? How can I improve my tolerance to contact lenses?

Recurrent ulcers in patients who wear contact lenses tells us that contact lenses are being overused or that there us an underlying disease (blepharitis, dry eye) that advises against its use. In these cases in which laser surgery is not indicated there is the option of correcting myopia through the implantation of a phakic intraocular lens (IOL) that would be placed in front of the crystalline and behind the iris. This technique is also used in young patients with high myopia that want to avoid using glasses and/or contact lenses.

elite pourers

In all those places they at least know how to pour beer: an art that most certainly needs some practice and knowledge, but that first and foremost requires tranquillity. And I believe that Europeans, at least those from the 45th parallel to the North, are (myself through adoption) mainly calm. Therefore, a glass of beer in any of these countries requires some time from the moment its ordered until its served at the table. The client knows and the pourer knows; that is why at least a good fifteen minutes can go by until one moistens ones lips in its foam. And foam is what its all about, an integral part of every selfrespecting beer: beer either reaches the mouth through a generous head of foam or it is best if it doesnt reach at all. An expert in the subject once told me: beer requires its time to be poured, but also to be drunk. If one takes too long to pour it, it looses properties. The same thing happens if one takes too long to drink it. It is also important to know how to drink it: if it is prolonged in time, half its charms are lost. The best seems to be to devote five minutes to pour it, one of the reasons being to avoid receiving a beer with too much carbon dioxide, which would fill us up and cause the associated burps.

I believe that a good beer must be served with a head of foam of two fingers to the edge of the glass and an extra finger on top of it, so that when one takes the first sip one gets a moustache. The foam must be dense, in such a way that, as I was once told in Barcelona, it can hold on its surface a small coin without it sinking.

Beer requires its time to be poured, but also

to be drunk. if one takes too long to pour it, it looses properties.

the same thing happens if one takes too long to drink it.

I gloBeTRoTTed a loT ThRoughouT wesTeRn euRope when I was young. I dRunk seVeRal BeeRs In england, IReland, BelgIum, geRmany and communIsT czechosloVakIa: I dIdnT counT Them, BuT They weRenT few, alThough Back Then They dIdnT manage To IncRease my Volume. IVe had In fRonT of me many pInT glasses (TypIcal pInT glasses fRom IRIsh puBs), mugs, sTeIns (Those InsuffeRaBle decoRaTed ceRamIc mugs used In geRmany), fluTes and glasses wITh The golden and BuBBly dRInk, so I Thus BelIeVe ThaT I know whaT Im TalkIng aBouT.

42 Gastronomy

It is true that, as one is drinking, the size of the foam decreases, but one thing is to decrease and another one to disappear a big difference. And it must leave the ridges of every sip, the impression of the previous level in the inner side of the glass, what experts call Brussels lace.

Ever since I saw before I drunk my first guila Negra in Asturias I can guarantee that I havent found over half a dozen establishments where they knew how to pour beer adequately. It is understandable that when a pourer has in front of him a long line of consumers who are going to enter a show or something similar he cannot be too tactful. But there is no excuse whatsoever when one is chilling in a bar or pub that isnt overtaken by the clientele. Madrid, Levante or Catalonia arent lacking in establishments with experience and professionalism, but I am perfectly happy to say that in this area this is a pending business, and one that must be addressed as soon as possible by sticking to the bar. However, we must be

pleased with ourselves as in the last few years, when the brewing of beer had fully ceased in the Principality, some young and not so young brewers have decided to be brave and resume an ancient activity that had begun in the council of Valds La Luarquesa, in 1878. Small -scale brewing- what the English call home-brewing- is not excessively difficult or expensive, although it needs courage: it is what those who are establishing brands such as Caleya, Mayuca, Cotoya, Vorgine, Noega or Deva amongst others, are doing. Of course, these cannot yet be found in the supermarket or in the local bar. Let us hope that one day in the not too distant future it will be possible.

Eduardo Mndez Riestra Member of the Colegio de Crticos

Gastronmicos de Asturias (Association of Gastronomic Critics of Asturias)

jessica chastainIn his most recent book (The balcony in Winter), Luis Landero talks about the time in which he nearly danced with Sara Montiel. It was back in the 60s and Landero was the guitarist of the flamenco troupe that entertained the many Spanish artists gathered in the film festival in Moscow. Landero says that, driven by the euphoria of the end of the festival, and seeing the one and only Sara Montiel come into the busy room, the troupe betted on who would dare ask her to dance. Among jokes and truths it didnt come to anything. But Landero, who wasnt a very daring young man, understood that he would not have another opportunity like that one, he therefore went up to the diva and, with his best manners, requested the next dance. I will not explain in detail, due to the deficiency of my prose, the gesture that Montiel gave the dandy. Landero still remembers the embarrassment and the sympathetic stares that walked him out of the dance floor. Of course, so long after, he can still proudly talk about that evening in Moscow in which he nearly danced with Sara Montiel.

Over recent months, the worthy Management of this journal has been filling my dancing card with the most seductive partners, and Ive dared dance with all of them. Ive stepped on some toes, not to mention those times in which Ive lost all sense of rhythm, but I believe that Ive been able to perform some graceful pirouettes, always it must be said thanks to the singular talent of my companions.

when jessIca chasTaIn came In I sTopped mId way, I wouldnT daRe sTaRT dancIng. wITh Basque ancesToRs, a foRmeR jullIaRd sTudenT, a conVInced Vegan and, of couRse, a VocaTIonal Redhead.

Winner of a Golden Globe, candidate to an Oscar, muse of perfumeries and owner of a dog with three legs. It is said that, at 38, she still has a lot to offer to the cinema. Well, this is all I can say about her. The Goddess didnt have to look the penman with contempt: I didnt have the courage to ask her to dance.

I will have to do the same as Landero (and this is the second part of the story): when Sara brushed him off, he audaciously made up that Sofa Loren came in through the other door of the room, and that the Italian agreed to dance with him. This was the fabulous version he spread when he came back to Spain. I will make up that I yielded my unsuccessful dance with Jessica Chastain to Julianne Moore. But it will be best if tell you about this in another issue.

Pachi Poncela.

44 Crossing of glances