Eyeworld

UPDATE 15 by Natalie Zundel ASCRS Foundation Development Director Nominations open for 2nd annual ASCRS Foundation Chang Humanitarian Award David and Victoria Chang endowed $50,000 award to honor outstanding volunteers F or more than 15 years, the ASCRS Foundation has fos- tered programs to alleviate the worldwide backlog of cataract blindness. These ef- forts extend not only internationally but in the United States as well. The Foundation's work is only possible because of the many individuals and partner organizations who volunteer their time, expertise, and financial support to treat cataract blindness around the world. Endowed by a generous gift from David and Victoria Chang, the ASCRS Foundation Chang Hu- manitarian Award was established to honor and recognize outstanding humanitarian work with a focus on cataract blindness and disability. The award will be made annually to celebrate and call attention to the charitable accomplishments of an individual working in the United States or abroad. "David and Victoria's generosity and leadership is deeply appreciat- ed because it allows us to highlight and perpetuate the noble volunteer efforts of our colleagues within ophthalmology who are trying to alleviate treatable global blindness," said Stephen Lane, MD, co-chair of the ASCRS Foundation. The process for selecting the 2019 honoree opened on July 15, and nominations will be accept- ed through September 15, 2018. The Foundation needs members' assistance to find worthy candidates who demonstrate a commitment to service and volunteerism. Members and others in the ophthalmic in- dustry are called upon to nominate ophthalmologists who are doing exceptional humanitarian work to alleviate needless global blindness. "We want to celebrate our many colleagues for their extraordinary efforts in the domain of cataract blindness and disability," Dr. Chang said. The award is made annually at the ASCRS•ASOA Annual Meeting, and a $50,000 prize will be granted in the recipient's honor to a chari- table ophthalmology organization of his or her choice. The inaugural award was presented to Alan Cran- dall, MD, at the 2018 ASCRS•ASOA Annual Meeting, highlighting and benefiting his work through the Moran Eye Center's Global Outreach Program. "As the world's population ages, the backlog of cataract blindness in developing countries will continue to climb," Dr. Chang said. "There are proven, cost-effective solutions that need to be scaled and many dedicated individuals and organi- zations that merit our collective support." To find out more about the ASCRS Foundation Chang Humani- tarian Award and to submit a nom- ination, visit www.ascrsfoundation. org/changaward. EW Contact information Zundel: nzundel@ascrs.org In the journal Cataract surgery outcomes in the very elderly Emily Li, MD, Curtis Margo, MD, Paul Greenberg, MD One group of U.S. patients with visually significant cataracts continues to rise—those older than age 85. To determine how old age impacted cataract outcomes, investigators conducted a review of the literature. They determined that after adjusting for higher rates of systemic and oc- ular comorbidities that can afflict this population, such elderly patients had similar complication rates to younger individuals undergoing the procedure. In most cases visual acuity as well as quality of life improved in these very elderly patients, who tended to live for more than a year after undergoing cataract removal. Investigators concluded that the idea of cataract surgery in the most elderly is generally supported by the find- ings. However, for those with ocular comorbidities in this very senior age group, further studies are needed. Complication rates of resident-performed cataract surgery: impact of early introduction of cataract surgery training Erika Ellis, MD, Luke Saunders, PhD, Jeffrey Lee, MD, Weldon Haw, MD, David Granet, MD, Chris Heichel, MD In this retrospective case series, investigators set out to determine how the timing of when a resident initially begins cataract surgery impacts their complication rates. Those introduced to cataract surgery during the first year of residency included four residents who undertook 780 cataract cases. Three other residents were introduced to the procedure their final year when they performed 540 cases. Investigators found that there was an 8.5% major intraoperative complication rate for those who learned the procedure later as compared to the early group, with just a 3.1% rate. The later group also had a higher 7.6% anterior vitrectomy rate with a peak of 12% at around the first 20 cases versus 2.1% for early learners, which remained stable at 1–2% throughout training. Investiga- tors concluded that rates of intraoperative complications and the need for anterior vitrectomy is significantly decreased when residents receive cataract training early rather than later in their residencies. Predicting pseudophakic refractive error: interplay of biometry prediction error, anterior chamber depth, and changes in corneal curvature Henry Wallace, BMSc (Hons), Stuti Misra, PhD, Sunny Li, BMSc (Hons), James McKelvie, PhD In this prospective case series, investigators compared the Hill-RBF method, the Barrett Universal II formula, and the SRK/T formula and examined how predicted refractive outcomes measured up to objective outcomes. They also considered the impact of keratometric changes and anterior chamber depth. Included were 100 cataract patients with a mean axial length of 23.4 mm. Investigators determined that at the 1-week follow-up, the Universal II formula was more accurate than the other methods. However, by the 3-month follow-up, all of the methods offered about equal efficacy. The mean absolute prediction error with the Universal II formula was 0.50 D, with the Hill-RBF this was at 0.49 D, and with the SRK/T this was about 0.52 D. When it came to predict- ing eyes within 0.25 D during this same 3-month period, the Hill-RBF method had the highest proportion of eyes in this range. Changes in keratometry tended to occur in the first 4 weeks, with corneal steepen- ing generally occurring during this period. Meanwhile, during the 4- to 12-week postoperative period, there was a significant mean hyperopic shift. Investigators concluded that in these medium length eyes the Universal II and Hill-RBF methods bested the SRK/T formula. They advised practitioners during the 3-month postoperative period to expect a possible posterior IOL migration with accompanying progressive hy- peropic shift. EW September 2018 Insightful news from the ASCRS Foundation

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