Eyeworld

48 | EYEWORLD | SPRING 2026 ATARACT C by Mitchell Weikert, MD Cataract Editor I t's finally spring, and that means the return of the ASCRS Annual Meeting! I'm excited to head back to our nation's capital just in time (hopefully) for the cherry blossoms to bloom. I always look forward to the many opportunities our Annual Meeting provides, such as the chance to learn from each other, network with colleagues and industry partners, and catch up with friends. In anticipation of this fun and educa- tional event, this issue of EyeWorld highlights a few of the many valuable offerings available at the upcoming meeting, including: • What Subspecialty Day has in store for us; • What topics will be featured on the Main Stage and in the various symposia; • Who will deliver the Binkhorst, Innovator's, and Lindstrom Lectures; and • Who will be honored with the Chang-Crandall Humanitarian Award. In addition to these Annual Meeting high- lights, this issue of EyeWorld also addresses sev- eral hot topics in cataract surgery. Every surgeon has their ranked list of preop conditions they dread most in their cataract patients. At the top of this list for many, myself included, is zonu- lopathy. Zonulopathy impacts virtually every step of cataract surgery and can bring a smooth day in the OR to a screeching halt. To help guide us through these potential minefields, D. Brian Kim, MD, and Angela Verkade, MD, offer their outlook and surgical pearls for dealing with these challenging cases. Their discussion runs the gamut from the questions to ask and the signs to look for in the preop evaluation, through the intraoperative impacts of weakened or absent zonules, to the final IOL choice and list of surgical tools that may come in handy while managing this condition. Even if you're somewhat comfortable with zonulopathy, their comprehensive review will refresh your mental filing cabinet for your next encounter with an unstable lens. The YES Connect column focuses on the importance of learning the myriad technologies that we employ in cataract surgery. Whether you're fresh out of residency/fellowship or your training days are far off in the rearview mirror, the need to expand your surgical horizons never ends. J. Morgan Micheletti, MD, and Priya Patel, MD, offer their opinions on how to approach residency and fellowship training and how to gain more experience once out in practice. Covering topics as varied as maximizing the resources available to your training program, exploring fellowship opportunities that meet your career goals, pursuing opportunities at local, regional, and national meetings, and the potential benefits of industry collaboration, their discussion may help guide you as you nav- igate the circuitous path of lifelong learning. As our profession adapts to the changing landscapes of reimbursement, care access, and population shifts, many practices are transition- ing a significant portion of their cataract cases to office-based surgery. Accompanying this shift is a transition from IV to oral sedation. Brad Feldman, MD, Mark Lobanoff, MD, and Shahzad Mian, MD, discuss their experience with oral se- dation. Their comprehensive assessment covers the benefits of oral sedation as they relate to pa- tient experience, cost, safety, and efficiency. The different types of oral sedation are described, as well as preop considerations to determine can- didacy, necessary infrastructure, and the impact of removing anesthesia practitioners from the equation. Their experience can help you decide if this is a journey you may want to pursue. We hope you enjoy this issue of EyeWorld and look forward to seeing you in Washington, D.C., at the ASCRS Annual Meeting in April! Hot topics in cataract surgery Tal Raviv, MD, EyeWorld Cataract Editorial Board member, shared what he is looking forward to at the 2026 ASCRS Annual Meeting: "I feel like this is the ASCRS Annual Meeting for AI in ophthalmology. I'm looking forward to seeing the AI innovations that can help our practice and our patients."

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