EyeWorld is the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
Issue link: https://digital.eyeworld.org/i/115557
42 EW ASCRS PREVIEW March 2013 April 19-23, 2013 Clock's ticking: Quick cornea insights by Rich Daly EyeWorld Contributing Writer Symposium will use strict time limits to cover a broad range of cornea, external disease topics for the general ophthalmologist C apturing the wide variety of recent developments in cornea and external disease in one symposium can be a challenge. But two surgeons found inspiration in sports news. "Pardon the Ophthalmology: Hot Topics in Cornea and External Disease" at the ASCRS•ASOA Symposium & Congress follows a format inspired by a cable sports show on ESPN called "Pardon the Interruption" to cover a wide range of recent corneal developments in rapid-fire, four-minute segments. "This allows us to cover many corneal topics in a short time but in a fun, interactive format," said Terry Kim, M.D., chair, ASCRS Cornea Clinical Committee, who will co-moderate the session with Edward J. Holland, M.D. The ASCRS Cornea Clinical Committee symposium will start with a keynote lecture by Francis Price, M.D., to update the audience on the latest developments in Descemet's membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK). "We picked that topic because we wanted something for the corneal surgeon who really wants to get something more advanced out of the symposium," Dr. Kim said. "We're looking forward to hearing about some of the latest and greatest information on DMEK from one of the experts in the field." The majority of the symposium will feature panelists using the fourminute segments to discuss the corneal conditions that especially affect the patients that ophthalmologists are evaluating and treating for cataract surgery. Adjusting the format to an ophthalmology or cornea symposium will allow a panel comprised of the members of the ASCRS Cornea Clinical Committee to cover a range of developments in cornea and external disease in a symposium geared toward the general ophthalmologist. "We plan to cover a range of topics from run-of-the-mill dry eye and blepharitis to more traditional corneal subjects like herpes simplex or herpes zoster keratitis, and also some of the more rare things that they don't see all of the time like conjunctivochalasis and Thygeson's superficial punctate keratitis," said Dr. Kim. "The focus of our Hot Topics session this year will be highlighting the management of common conditions like dry eye and blepharitis in patients undergoing cataract surgery," he said. "Dry eyes and blepharitis can cause an abnormal tear film as well as an abnormal corneal surface that can make keratometry measurements very difficult and oftentimes erroneous or misleading. Therefore the successful treatment of theese conditions prior to the measurements and surgery becomes critical." These common conditions are also important to understand because they can affect post-op results as well, especially when premium lenses—like multifocal lenses—are used. The panel will discuss new techniques and technology as management options for these conditions. For instance, treatment of meibomian gland disease will include discussions on innovative therapeutic approaches, such as the use of intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy and devices such as the LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System (TearScience, Morrisville, N.C.) to apply heat to and massage the inner eyelids, liquefy the meibomian gland contents, and spur the release of meibomian secretions. The panel is also expected to touch on other conditions that are commonly encountered but often overlooked in cataract surgery patients, such as anterior basement membrane dystrophy and Salzmann's nodular degeneration. "These are some of the most frequently overlooked conditions that can cause irregularities in the ocular surface and affect the quality of preop measurements as well as post-op vision," Dr. Kim said. "I think the audience will want to hear how our expert panelists manage these conditions, whether it be epithelial debridement, superficial keratectomy, or excimer laser PTK with adjunctive treatments like mitomycin-C." Cataract surgery in post-refractive patients, such as RK and LASIK recipients, is becoming more common for cataract surgeons to encounter, which also can raise corneal issues that affect surgical technique and IOL selection. Similarly, patients with an underlying diagnosis of uveitis or peripheral corneal thinning bring unique corneal challenges when considering cataract surgery. "These are all conditions that cataract surgeons are going to be very interested in hearing about because although these are conditions that people are familiar with, they are often missed, misdiagnosed, or simply ignored," Dr. Kim said. "There's a lot of interaction and discussion regarding the diagnosis and management of these corneal conditions among our panelists, and that's usually where a lot of clinical pearls come from during our symposium," he concluded. EW Editors' note: Dr. Kim has no financial interests related to this article. Contact information Kim: terry.kim@duke.edu