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EW MEETING REPORTER 110 Reporting from Hawaiian Eye 2015, Maui, Hawaii January 17–23 cataract, and refractive subspecial- ties. One focused on evaluating factors influencing IOP changes post-laser vision correction (LVC). The paper found a significant change in the biomechanics of the cornea with LVC that correlates strongly with measured IOP, she said. Dr. Farid also mentioned a paper on the cornea donor study results, looking at the effect that donor diabetes history plays, as well as a paper on long-term physical activity and the risk of age-related cataracts. Editors' note: Dr. Farid has financial interests with Abbott Medical Optics (Abbott Park, Ill.). Keynote speaker discusses canyon experience The keynote speaker on Sunday, January 18, Aron Ralston, spoke about his experience in 2003 when he was trapped in a canyon for 6 days. Mr. Ralston had to cut off his hand to survive after it became pinned by a boulder. In his talk, he maintained that although he lost his hand, he gained from the experience. His story was told in the movie 127 Hours. "We have a choice to make," he said. "When the boulder comes, we choose whether it's going to be a burden on us or whether it's going to be a blessing for us." Mr. Ralston took the audience through the entire ordeal the day he chose to go hiking in Utah. He said that he knew within the first hour after being pinned by the boulder that he had to cut his hand off. But first he tried other options, includ- ing chipping away at the boulder with a knife, building an anchor from rope to hoist the rock off of him, waiting, and calling for help. After he accepted that he would have to cut off his hand, Mr. Ralston said that he still had to figure out how to do it. He made a tourniquet, but he knew that he would probably not make it to his car, so he did not go through with it. Instead, he got his video camera out and made a goodbye film to his parents. "I was no longer standing at the bottom of a canyon. I was standing in my grave," he said. It was then that the boulder trapping him gave Mr. Ralston a gift: It made it clear to him what was important in his life. On the third morning of being stuck in the canyon, he tried to cut his arm because he said the prob- ability of death from loss of blood was better than accepting that he would die there. But after using his knife like a dagger to stab himself, he realized he still could not break the bone in his arm. Mr. Ralston continued to survive extremely tough conditions in the canyon, including cold night tem- peratures that he was ill prepared for in just shorts and a t-shirt and a lack of food and water. By the fifth day, Mr. Ralston said that he had found peace and was ready to die. On this day, he carved an epitaph into the canyon wall, but he continued to survive, making it to a sixth morning, despite telling himself that he was not going to see the dawn of that day. Finally, Mr. Ralston had a vision that he was free of the boulder. He saw himself holding a child, his future son, while missing his hand. It was this vision, he said, that gave him the courage to hold on for a bit longer. He realized that he needed to use the boulder to break the bone in his arm. He snapped 2 bones, and then cut his arm with the smaller blade of his multi-tool knife. After freeing himself and getting out of the canyon, he still had to walk 7 miles. With only a short distance left, he came across a family who helped him to a rescue helicopter. Despite his difficult experience, Mr. Ralston said that he would do it all over again if he had to, to make it back to his family. He sees his expe- rience as a blessing because it helped him realize who and what was really important in his life. "When the boulders come, and they will, may your boulders be your blessings, too," he said. Editors' note: Mr. Ralston has no related financial interests. Refractive cataract surgery On Monday, January 19, William Trattler, MD, Miami, discussed topography pearls for the cataract surgeon. It is important to check topography preoperatively, Dr. Trattler said. It may not be obvious that your patient scheduled for cat- aract surgery has a cone. Dr. Trattler did a chart review of 400 eyes of 200 consecutive patients who had preoperative corneal topographies for both eyes. The topographies were masked and evaluated. The purpose February 2015 View it now: Hawaiian Eye 2015 ... EWrePlay.org Nisha Acharya, MD, discusses existing treatments and new offerings in the treatment of uveitis.

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