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EW AAO 2015 46 October 2015 AAO Preview • November 14–17, 2015 by Lauren Lipuma EyeWorld Staff Writer G laucoma Subspecialty Day 2015 at the American Academy of Ophthal- mology (AAO) annual meeting will take place on Subspecialty day will give attendees information they can use in practice right away Saturday, November 14. This year's theme, "Winning Strategies—Glau- coma in the 21st Century," will showcase the latest diagnostic and treatment options for glaucoma. "The subspecialty days at the Academy are designed to bring people up to date on the state-of- the-art in a given area, whether they're comprehensive ophthalmol- ogists or specialists in that area, and Glaucoma Subspecialty Day is no different," said Joel S. Schuman, MD, Pittsburgh, who will chair this year's program along with James D. Brandt, MD, Sacramento, Calif. Going beyond primary open-an- gle glaucoma, sessions will explore management of pediatric and angle- closure glaucoma as well as treating glaucoma in the presence of ocular comorbidities. This year's meeting will give attendees practical infor- mation they can use in practice right away, Dr. Schuman said, and provide a forum for discussing larger health policy issues that affect glaucoma care. Imaging and diagnostics The morning sessions will kick off with "OCT Bootcamp: Interpreting Optic Nerve Imaging," which will highlight the role of OCT in diag- nosing and managing glaucoma. Dr. Schuman said this is one session he is particularly looking forward to. "The idea behind this session is to bring the general and comprehen- sive ophthalmologist up to a level where they feel comfortable both using and interpreting OCT, espe- cially with regard to understanding whether the OCT is accurate or artifact," he said. Speakers will discuss the basic principles of OCT, the relationship between structure and function in the optic nerve, how to identify ar- tifacts and monitor progression, and present clinical case studies. "I think that this session is very practical, and it will help people to know how and when to use the in- formation that they're getting, and which information not to use," Dr. Schuman said. "This is something that I'm hoping will really help the ophthalmologist on the front lines." The second morning session will be devoted entirely to managing glaucoma in children. Presentations will guide attendees through the entire process of managing pediatric glaucoma, from diagnosis and treat- ment planning to surgical options and long-term follow up. Speakers will discuss what is old and new with angle surgery, glaucoma after pediatric cataract extraction, genetic testing and counseling, and diseases that can mimic pediatric glaucoma. "Glaucoma in children is an area that perhaps isn't talked about as much as it could be, and we're excited that we have an excellent panel discussing the various aspects of taking care of children with glau- coma, from newborns to teenagers and young adults," Dr. Schuman said. The final morning session, "Playing Your Hand with Early Glaucoma—Current Dilemmas, Future Tools," will focus on the optimal strategies for detecting early glaucoma as well as monitoring and controlling disease progression. In the U.S. and other developed countries, ophthalmologists are able to detect glaucoma earlier than ever before, Dr. Schuman said, and this session will explore to what degree physicians should be allocating resources for early detection. "We have a large cohort of patients where we're on the fence about whether or not they actually have or are likely to get glaucoma, and we follow these patients on a regular basis," Dr. Schuman said. "But do we really need to be seeing them every 6 months, or every year, or every 2 years? What's the right frequency? How do we make those decisions? That's something I think the audience will be able to take back with them [after the meeting]." The session will also explore broad health policy issues, such as how to create new models of pro- viding care at lower costs. Panelists will discuss the role of mid-level providers in an ophthalmology practice and whether laser treatment or medications are a more efficient first-line therapy. Michael A. Kass, MD, St. Louis, will close the morning sessions with the American Glaucoma Society (AGS) Subspecialty Day Lecture, "Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS) at 20 Years: What We Have Learned and What We Hope To Learn." Glaucoma Subspecialty Day at AAO: A focus on practical knowledge 10201-A Trademark St. Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730-5850 Phone: (909) 481-0011 | Toll Free: (800) 782-6534 Fax: (909) 481-4481 One of the largest selections of ophthalmic cannulae available for cataract and refractive surgery PVA Eye Spears Cannulae Knives For Over 25 Years Eagle Labs has been a Leading Manufacturer of Ophthalmic Single - Use Cannulae and Micro Surgical Knives All Eagle Products Are Made in the USA www.eaglelabs.com Samples available upon request continued on page 47 Visit us at AAO Booth 3155

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