Eyeworld

32 | EYEWORLD | JULY 2021 ASCRS NEWS However, there are still some questions about an in-person meeting. How is ASCRS and Las Vegas preparing for this meeting? Dr. Holland: ASCRS is committed to the health of all attendees, exhibitors, and staff, and we're going to do all we can in accordance with state and local regulations and follow guidelines of the CDC to create a safe and healthy environ- ment. ASCRS encourages all eligible meeting participants to be vaccinated prior to coming to the meeting. We want to have participants engage in preventative actions. We're also going to have onsite COVID-19 testing at the conven- tion center. Dr. Donnenfeld: I think the take-home mes- sage is that it's time to get back to normal. We encourage all participants at this meeting to be vaccinated for COVID-19 and to be smart and use common sense. I think that this meeting will be successful, safe, and I can't think of a better place to go than Las Vegas. Dr. Holland: It's one of those cities where ev- eryone can find something that they like. We've got a beautiful convention center at Mandalay Bay with great hotels that are part of the con- vention complex. Las Vegas has something for everyone. There are fantastic restaurants, the shows will be back, and for those who like to gamble, they have that as well. Dr. Donnenfeld: Let's get back to the nitty gritty of the meeting. At the end of the day, it's all about education. We've had some innovative programming at the ASCRS Annual Meeting. What programs are you excited about? Dr. Holland: What starts the meeting is ASCRS Subspecialty Day. We have Cornea Day, Refrac- tive Day, and Glaucoma Day, all on Friday from 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Attendees can go between the Subspecialty Day meetings, depending on which topic or speaker interests them. On Saturday, we have the Opening General Session. The Binkhorst Lecture will be present- ed this year by Richard Lewis, MD, one of the E ric Donnenfeld, MD, EyeWorld chief medical editor, conducted a Q&A with Edward Holland, MD, ASCRS Program Committee chair, to highlight what's coming at the 2021 ASCRS Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 23–27. Dr. Donnenfeld: Ed, you've been the ASCRS Program Committee Chair now for 9 years. I think this is the most valuable meeting for anyone who has an interest in anterior segment surgery, and I'm not just talking about cataract and refractive surgery, I'm also talking about glaucoma and cornea. The first question I want to ask you is: A great deal has changed since the last in-person ASCRS Annual Meeting, so what are your thoughts about holding the first major meeting in person with ophthalmologists in almost 2 years? Dr. Holland: I think this pandemic has impact- ed us in so many ways, personally and profes- sionally. The pandemic has also affected the way we've been able to obtain our education. I think that virtual meetings were better than most peo- ple thought they would be, and we did receive some outstanding education. But there's a bit of virtual education fatigue now, and in talking to ophthalmologists across the country, they are very excited about a live, in-person meeting. There are many different ways to learn, but big meetings have never gone away and remain popular. Doctors like to talk to colleagues, meet friends, and interact with industry. The attendees of the ASCRS Annual Meeting learn from the general sessions, the instruction courses, the paper sessions, and they learn about new products when they go to the Exhibit Hall. Ophthalmologists have missed the big meeting experience, so there is a lot of excitement about the meeting in Las Vegas. Dr. Donnenfeld: I agree with you. Virtual meet- ings were exciting when they first started and I think they're here to stay, but there's something extraordinarily important about being live, face to face, and interacting with people. I am very much looking forward to this meeting. The 2021 ASCRS Annual Meeting: A Q&A with Eric Donnenfeld, MD, and Edward Holland, MD ANNUAL MEETING PREVIEW

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