EyeWorld is the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
Issue link: https://digital.eyeworld.org/i/511377
EW NEWS & OPINION 20 May 2015 Chief medical editor's corner of the world by Eric Donnenfeld, MD, chief medical editor Congress in San Diego, it is clear to me that our organization has never been more vibrant or more commit- ted to our patients and our member- ship. Rick Lewis, MD, one of the finest glaucoma specialists in the world, stepped down as president of ASCRS after providing extraordinary leadership, and one of the finest cataract surgeons in the world, Bob Cionni, MD, has become our new president. ASCRS and EyeWorld wel- come Bob and the contributions he will make to our profession. The field of anterior segment surgery has benefited from the leadership of David Chang, MD, who brilliantly served as EyeWorld's chief medical editor for the last 4 years. Under his leadership, the publication has grown and matured into the preeminent periodical in ophthalmology and a must-read for all of us who seek to incorporate in-depth, clinician-oriented, state- of-the-art information into our ever-expanding specialty. David led EyeWorld with passion and a great insight into what clinicians need to know. He brought practical infor- mation into perspective and added greatly to our base of knowledge. From his discovery of intraoperative floppy iris syndrome and authorship of the most influential books in cataract surgery, to his creation and leadership of symposia at the annual meetings of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and ASCRS, David has been a true leader. Seemingly ubiquitous, he brings a wry sense of humor, credibility, humility, and renowned teaching skills wherever he goes. As we move forward at EyeWorld, it is an honor to acknowledge the accomplishments and leadership of such a truly special person. The good news is that David is moving into another extremely exciting area at ASCRS. Alongside Stephen Lane, MD, David will co-chair the ASCRS Foundation, which is poised to accomplish great things here in the United States and abroad. EyeWorld is the voice of ASCRS, and in our fast-paced world, it partners with anterior segment surgeons to provide the latest and most important advances in our field in terms of surge y, medicine, and practice management in print and online. EyeWorld is also an educational arm of ASCRS, pro- viding state-of-the-art programs at major meetings and serving the unmet needs of ophthalmologists. The EyeWorld mission is to elevate the quality of surgery, medical care, and practice management provided to our patients by delivering access to technological advances and the skills of the best and brightest in our profession. Our goal is that in every issue of EyeWorld there is an oppor- tunity to elevate our knowledge base and the care that we provide to our patients. Whether you read EyeWorld cover to cover or just 1 or 2 articles, there is something for everyone, and these articles are written for you. If there is something you need, let us know, and we will be provide it for you, our readership. EW Contact information Donnenfeld: ericdonnenfeld@gmail.com You say goodbye, I say hello I remember during my residen- cy in the 1980s when we had moved from intracapsular cataract surgery to extracapsular surgery with a few renegades performing phacoemulsification. Patients were receiving intraocu - lar lenses on a regular basis, and aphakic spectacles were beginning to disappear. Radial keratotomy was increasing in popularity, and for the first time refractive cornea surge y was a viable concept. Trabeculecto- my was the gold standard in glau- coma surgery, and ASCRS was in its infancy. I was told by my mentors that I had just missed the golden age of ophthalmology. All of the important advances had already been made. They could not have been more wrong. The golden age of ophthalmology is today, and tomorrow looks even brighter. Refractive cataract surgery has never been more dynamic or rewarding thanks to recent advances in technology. Refractive or lifestyle lenses (multifocal, accommodating, toric, and aspheric) are increasing patients' freedom from spectacles and, more importantly, improving their quality of life. The femtosec- ond laser has only been commer- cially available for 4 years and this technology has been developing at a logarithmic pace. The future of femtosecond laser cataract surgery is extremely exciting as well. Techno- logical advances will continue, and refractive IOLs will become increas- ingly important. Refractive corneal surgery is now commonplace, with LASIK and PRK becoming a rite of passage for young adults the way braces are for teenagers. LASIK and PRK have never been safer or more precise, and this year, corneal cross- linking, better aberrometers, and topographic ablations will further advance the specialty of refractive corneal surgery. MIGS procedures are equally stimulating and are bringing comprehensive anterior segment surgeons back into glauco- ma surgery. Having just returned from the 2015 ASCRS•ASOA Symposium & Eric Donnenfeld, MD Dr. Donnenfeld speaks at the 2015 ASCRS•ASOA Symposium & Congress. Source: ASCRS