Eyeworld

EW ASCRS PREVIEW 42 March 2011 by Vanessa Caceres EyeWorld Contributing Editor Managing pediatric cataracts better Course to outline best practices and trends D iscover the latest trends and techniques in pedi- atric cataracts at The Man- agement of Pediatric Cataracts course at the ASCRS•ASOA Symposium and Con- gress. The course will take place Monday, March 28, at 8 a.m. in room 9 of the San Diego Conven- tion Center. "I think this course is designed for cataract surgeons as well as pedi- atric ophthalmologists, but there will probably not be many pediatric ophthalmologists at this meeting, so the majority of information will be targeted to the adult cataract sur- geon who also deals with cataracts in children," said course moderator Abhay R. Vasavada, M.D., director, Iladevi Cataract & IOL Research Centre, Raghudeep Eye Clinic, Ahmedabad, India. Dr. Vasavada said attendees will gain exposure to a host of hot topics within pediatric cataract management, such as whether IOLs are safe to implant in children under the age of 2, the safety and efficacy of multifocal IOLs in children, and whether vit- rectomy should be performed with cataract surgery in children. The course will feature six differ- ent presentations, each about 10 minutes long. A presentation on ex- amination under anesthesia, led by Viraj Vasavada, M.D., Ahmedabad, India, will address the benefits of anesthesia use in children, both dur- ing the operation and during follow- up appointments. "This is not commonly practiced in many parts of the world because of the compe- tency of the anesthetist and legal complications, but it's important be- cause children cannot complain," Dr. Abhay Vasavada said. "We need to look for complications of retina and glaucoma." Next, Dr. Abhay Vasavada will discuss surgical strategies for con- genital cataracts. Following his presentation, Rupal H. Trivedi, M.D., assistant re- search professor, Storm Eye Institute, Medical University of South Car- olina, Charleston, will discuss IOL power calculations for pediatric cataract surgery. "In adults, IOL power calculation is simple with the use of biometry," Dr. Abhay Vasavada said. "In children, the eye is still growing, and we do not have enough data. It's some guesswork, and there's no one standard for- mula." Pediatric subspecialists tend to aim for undercorrection and also consider parents' visual history, such as whether or not one or both par- ents are myopic, he said. Dr. Trivedi has published a number of studies on IOL power cal- culation in children, including a study published online in October 2010 in Ophthalmology that found contact A-scan measurements tended to indicate the need for stronger IOL powers, which could lead to induced myopia in the post- op refractions. "Generally, the younger the child, the more the undercorrec- tion," Dr. Abhay Vasavada said. "The eye elongates as it grows, and the younger the child, the more the elongation. We'll address that and growth pattern." How to handle complications A presentation by Ken Nischal, F.R.C.Ophth., Bupa Cromwell Hospi- tal, London, will discuss complica- tions of pediatric cataract surgery, San Diego, March 25-29, 2011 Congenital nuclear cataract Source: Jules Stein Eye Institute LASIK Surgery Epi-LASIK Surgery Corneal Transplant Single-Use Instruments Hand-Held Instruments in Ophthalmology nnovations Leading I in Ophthalmology nnovations y ry e g r u S K I S A L t n a l p s n a r T l a e n r o C y r e g r u S K I S A L - i p E s t n e m u r t s n I e s U - e l g n i S s t n e m u r t s n I d l e H - d n a H U R P # D L U R P H Q R K 3 & 1 , $ , 5 2 0 D F L J U X V D L U R P Z Z Z P R F D V X D L U [ D ) $ 3 Q Z R W V H O \ R ' H Y L U ' V \ H . V V R U & P R F O D $ 6 8 $ continued on page 44

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