Later this week, the 2017 American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASOA) Symposium & Congress convenes in Los Angeles from May 5-9.
The ASCRS conference is the premier anterior segment meeting for ophthalmologists. Offerings include symposia, courses, papers, wet labs, special sessions, posters, and films. Prior to the main meeting, subspecialty days are held for refractive, cornea, and glaucoma. These pre-meeting lectures are jam packed with the latest information relevant to today’s practicing ophthalmic sub-specialist.
A summary of the educational activities is as follows:
Education Sessions
Special Joint ASCRS-ASOA Government Relations General Session
This pre-meeting combined program, scheduled for Friday, May 5th, will feature a discussion on "What’s Killing Healthcare" led by former U.S. Senator Dr. Tom Coburn.
ASCRS Opening General Session
On Saturday, May 6th, the ASCRS Opening General Session will feature a Welcome by Dr. Edward Holland, and Presidents’ Addresses by Drs. Kerry Solomon (outgoing) and Bonnie An Henderson (incoming). The 2017 Honored Guests, Drs. Luther Fry and Y.C. Lee, will be presented with the prestigious award in recognition of their significant contributions to the advancement of the field of ophthalmology. And Dr. Boris Malyugin will be presented with the Binkhorst Medal, and will present a lecture titled “Cataract Surgery in Small Pupils: Building the Bridge Over Troubled Waters.”
ASOA Opening General Session
The ASOA Opening General Session will also be held on Saturday, May 6th. Dan Thurmon, author, entrepreneur and workplace performance expert, will be the featured presenter.
ASCRS Sunday Summit General Session
This morning program on Sunday, May 7th is divided into Part 1: “The Sky is Not the Limit: Lessons from a Year in Space,” presented by former NASA astronaut Captain Scott Kelly, and Part 2: “50 Years of Phaco: Origins, Obstacles, and Acceptance,” moderated by Dr. Edward Holland with panelists Drs. James Davison, Jack Dodick, I. Howard Fine, Richard Lindstrom, and Stephen Obstbaum.
ASCRS Innovators General Session
On May, May 8th, presentations on innovations in dry eye, glaucoma, anterior capsulotomy, and keratoconus will given, followed by the Charles D. Kelman Innovator’s Lecture, “Overcoming Resistance: Making Glaucoma a Surgical Disease” by glaucoma and cataract surgery expert Dr. Reay Brown.
The Best of ASCRS 2017 General Session
This special session co-moderated by Drs. Eric Donnenfeld and Ronald Yeoh will highlight the most interesting papers of the meeting.
Paper Sessions
This year’s Paper Presentations are scheduled to include the following topics:
- Femtosecond Laser
- Trifocal IOLs
- Small Pupil and Challenging Cases
- Multifocal, Accommodating, and EDOF IOLs
- IRIS, CME, Retinal Complications and Treatment
- Refractive Lenticule Extraction, Comparison, and Refractive Outcomes
- PRK/LASIK, Crosslinking
- DALK
- Ocular Surface Disease
- EK and DMEK
- DSEK
- MIGS and Canaloplasty
- Phaco Techniques, IOLs
- Intraoperative Aberrometry, Post-Refractive IOL Calculation
- Refractive Index Shaping
- Secondary IOLs, PCO
- IOL Glistenings, IOL Design and Delivery, and YAG Capsulotomy
- Accommodation, Monovision, Scleral Implants
- NSAIDs, CME, and Corticosteroids
- Keratoconus, Intrastromal Corneal Ring Segments
- Toric IOL Calculation
- Cylcophotocoagulation, CO2 Laser, Glaucoma Surgery
- Phaco Technology, IOL Delivery Systems
- MIGS, Trabeculectomy, and Goniotomy
- Phakic IOLs
- Corneal Topography and Anterior Segment OCT
- Dry Eye Disease, Infectious Keratitis
- Femtosecond Laser
- Corneal Inlays
- Cataract Complication Management
- LASIK Risks, Flap Creation, and Studies
- Blended Vision
- Glued IOL, Challenging Cases, and Practice Patterns
- Biometry and Surgical Planning
- Limbal Stem Cell Transplant, Corneal Storage, and Keratoplasty
- Ciliary Excision
- Phaco Techniques, Instrumentation, and IOL Fixation
- Keratoconus, OCT, and Transplant Techniques
Symposia
These interactive sessions often feature video presentations by leading international experts.
Topics at this year’s meeting are scheduled to include:
- Challenging Video Cases for the Young Surgeon
- Retinal Issues That Keep the Cataract Surgeon Up at Night
- Surgical Correction of Presbyopia
- Cornea Family Feud
- Management of Complicated Cases in Cataract Refractive Surgery
- Survive or Thrive in the Modern Healthcare Environment
- Power Calculations, Cataract and Glaucoma
- Optimizing Outcomes
- Decision Making in Corneal Transplantation
- Off-Label Communication
- Common Dilemmas in Corneal and Cataract Refractive Surgery
- Astigmatism Correction at the Time of Cataract Surgery
- TopGun 2017 Cataract Pearls
- Challenging Cases
- ASCRS Military Refractive Surgery Symposium 2017
- Practical Pearls for Corneal Collagen Crosslinking
- East Meets West Symposium, Health IT Under MACRA
- #EyeConnect Live Hot Topics
- Controversies in Anterior Segment Surgery
- Corneal Ectasia: Battle of the Bulge
- Converting a Disaster to a Perfect Save
- After the Fact: Fascinating Cases
- YES-ASOA Joint Symposium
- Laser Cataract Surgery 7 Years Later
- X-Rounds: Refractive Cataract Surgery to the Max
- Best of ASCRS
Instructional Courses and Skills Transfer Labs
One of the most valuable components of the meeting is the abundant didactic offering in the form of instructional courses and wet labs.
This year’s topics are scheduled to include:
- Phaco Nightmares and Worst-Case Scenarios
- Corneal Crosslinking
- Phaco Fundamentals
- Mastering Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Phacoemulsification
- Optimizing Toric IOL Outcomes
- Learning Phaco Chop
- Management of Difficult Cataract and Challenging Situations
- Deep Anterior Keratoplasty
- How to Avoid and Manage Complications of Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery
- Refractive Surgery Nightmares and Worst-Case Scenarios
- Comparison of Conventional Phaco and FLACS
- Special and Curious Cases in Cataract
- Preventing Endophthalmitis and Macular Edema after Phaco
- Surgical Management of Subluxated Lenses
- Extracapsular Cataract Extraction Surgery
- My Wildest Day in the OR
- DMEK Step-by-Step Approach
- International Video Symposium of Challenging Cases and Complication Management
- Small-Incision Lenticule Extraction
- MIGS for the Comprehensive Ophthalmologist
- Iris-Suturing Techniques
- Anterior Vitrectomy for the Cataract Surgeon
- DMEK Advanced Surgical Techniques and Pearls
- Controversies in Refractive Surgery
- DMEK Challenges
- Perils in the Operating Room
- Neurotoxins and Dermal Fillers Update
- Use of Surgical Adhesives and Amniotic Membrane
- IOL Exchange
- Learning from Mistakes Video Symposium
- Mastering PDEK
- Best of ASCRS 2017
- Hot Topics in Medical Malpractice
- Legislative and Regulatory Update
- Navigating Ethical Challenges
- Young Eye Surgeons Social Media Course
- Data-Driven Management of DME
- Coexisting Cataract and Glaucoma
- Surgical Astigmatism Management
- Small-Incision Lenticule Extraction World View
- Multifocal IOLs
- Endothelial Keratoplasty DSEK/DMEK/PDEK Video-Based Course
- Traumatic Cataract Management
- IOL Placement When Capsule is Not Normal
- Toric IOLs and Femtosecond Laser LRIs
- Tackling Posterior Capsule Rupture and IOL Implantation
- Ocular Surface Procedures in the Treatment Room
- Refractive Outcomes of Surgical Treatment for Keratoconus
- Scleral Microimplant Surgery
- Custom Cataract Surgery
- Improving IOL Power Calculations
- Topography-Guided Ablations in Regular and Irregular Eyes
- Current State of Corneal Crosslinking
- Preparing for Surgical Missions Video Course on Manual SICS Technique
- New Automated Capsulotomy Device
- Best of the Best: Update on Advanced Cataract Surgery
- Fundamentals of Anterior Segment Reconstruction
- ERG and VEP Testing
- Corneal Inlay Complication Management
- Solving the High Myopia Problem with Phakic IOLs
- Most Challenging Video Ever
- Prevention and Management of DSEK/DSAEK Complications
- Bring Your Own Topography
- Surgical Videos I Would Never Show in Public
- Review of New Surgical Technologies and Devices
- Less-Than-Perfect Outcomes After Uneventful Cataract Surgery
- Cutting-Edge IOL Exchange and Repositioning Techniques
- Extending Depth of Focus with a Small Aperture
- Five Pearls in Cataract Surgery Advances in 2017
- FLACS, PCRI and Toric Alignment Imaging
- YES Residents and Fellows Phaco
- Iris Suture
Another highlight of the meeting is the films on-demand. These physician-produced videos cover a wide array of topics, most of which are various surgical techniques. The films can be accessed throughout the meeting at kiosks in the Poster Pavilion as well as on-line at the ASCRS website. The best films are honored at the Film Festival Reception and Award Ceremony.
And one cannot forget to roam the Exhibit Hall! With more than 300 exhibitors, the Exhibit Hall provides ample opportunities to explore the newest ophthalmic technology.
Enjoy the meeting and don’t forget to look for my next article, which will review highlights from the 2017 ASCRS meeting.