Eyeworld

47 EW AAO 2015 C ataract offerings at this year's American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) annual meeting include symposia and instruction courses that will highlight a wide range of topics in the subspecialty, from the role of new technologies to managing complications and interpreting irregular corneal topog- raphies. Symposia The Ophthalmic Premier League (OPL) video symposium returns to AAO this year, taking place on Sunday, November 15 from 2:00– 3:30 p.m. In this soccer team-style competition, 4 teams compete for the top challenging/complicated cataract surgical case presentation. Audience votes will decide the win- ning team, whose members will be awarded the AAO-OPL trophy. Both within the United States and internationally, more surgeons are adopting femtosecond laser-as- sisted cataract surgery (FLACS) than ever before. In the "Challenges and Pitfalls in Femtosecond Cataract Surgery" symposium, experienced FLACS surgeons will provide new- comers with pearls for how to select patients, optimize parameters for lens fragmentation, capsulotomy size, and incision construction, and handle complications. The sym- posium will take place on Sunday, November 15 from 3:45–5:15 p.m. Every cataract surgeon makes mistakes and deals with compli- cations, but these challenging situations often become learning experiences that impart valuable les- sons. In the "Spotlight on Cataract Complications: M&M Rounds— Learning From My Mistakes" session on Monday, November 16 from 8:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m., cataract experts will present video cases where they encountered complications that ul- timately made them better surgeons. Panelists will then comment on the "teaching points" distilled from each case. The symposium will con- clude with the 11th annual Kelman Lecture, "IOL Power Selection: Think Different," delivered by Warren E. Hill, MD, Mesa, Ariz. On Monday afternoon, 2 sym- posia will showcase new and emerg- ing technologies available to cataract and refractive surgeons. During the "Improving Your Odds in Anteri- or Segment Surgery" symposium, taking place from 2:00–4:00 p.m., presenters will discuss the latest guidance systems, phaco technology, IOLs, and surgical techniques. From 4:15–5:30 p.m., during the "Lessons Learned About New Technologies for Refractive Cataract Surgery" ses- sion, speakers will highlight 4 new technologies and discuss the benefits and limitations of each. Instruction courses On Sunday, November 15, the Technology IOLs, and New Devic- es" course on Sunday afternoon, instructors will provide an update on the possibility for customizing cataract surgery to patient char- acteristics and needs through the use of technologies such as FLACS, advanced technology IOLs, and new phaco instruments. Many cataract patients present with surprisingly abnormal corneal topographies. On Monday morn- ing, a team of topography experts will address this issue in "Pearls for Evaluating Corneal Topography in Patients Scheduled for Cataract Surgery." Course instructors will help attendees identify and interpret irregular corneal topographies and demonstrate how this information can help them optimize their treat- ment plans. Speakers will discuss patients with virgin corneas and those who have had previous PRK, LASIK, or radial keratotomy. Should cataract surgery become a dropless procedure? On Tuesday afternoon, cataract experts will ex- plore this issue in "Dropless Cataract Surgery: Rationale, Effectiveness, and Technique." Instructors will discuss the advantages and clinical results of injecting antibiotics and steroids at the time of cataract sur- gery for the prophylaxis of infection and inflammation without the use of postoperative drops. Speakers will offer techniques and clinical pearls and lead an open forum discussion on the topic. EW "Managing the Dislocated IOL" course will explore the apparent increase in incidences of lens dis- location and options for managing this complication. Presenters will provide case-based examples of IOL dislocation with surgical videos and leave plenty of time for discussion. The course will feature a multidisci- plinary faculty of cornea, cataract, glaucoma, and retinal specialists in order to foster greater interaction between these subspecialties. On Sunday afternoon, "Aban- doned Phaco: Convert to No-Stitch Manual Small Incision Cataract Sur- gery (SICS)" will teach attendees the basics of effective no-stitch manual SICS—a method crucial for surgeons to know when facing complications during phaco. At the conclusion of the course, attendees will be able to understand the indications of the primary no-stitch manual SICS technique, how to perform it step by step, how to convert abandoned phaco to no-stitch manual SICS, and how to deal with complications of no-stitch manual SICS, if they occur. The course will take place from 2:00–3:00 p.m. Several new technological advancements are transforming cataract surgery into a personalized procedure, and some physicians believe that surgeons should adopt a new surgical standard to meet the needs of the individual patient. In the "Personalized Cataract Surgery: Femtosecond Laser, Advanced by Lauren Lipuma EyeWorld Staff Writer Cataract sessions you won't want to miss Complex and special cases The afternoon sessions will start with "Spotlight on Angle-Closure Glaucoma." After an opening presentation on the basics of laser iridotomy, speakers will present point-counterpoint arguments on a number of issues in angle-closure glaucoma management. Speakers will debate whether management should be based on gonioscopy versus anterior segment imaging, whether clear lens extraction is safe and effective as a primary treatment, and whether laser iridoplasty is effective for treatment and preven- tion. The topic will shift to managing complications with a "Video Surgical Nightmares" session. Speakers will present videos of nightmares they have encountered during glaucoma surgery, including cases of scleral flap dehiscence, complications with insertion of the iStent (Glaukos, Laguna Hills, Calif.), aqueous misdirection, suprachoroi- dal hemorrhage, and more. The final session of the day will focus on managing complex cases of glaucoma with other comorbidities. Speakers will discuss the consid- erations that need to be taken for managing glaucoma after corneal transplants, the effect of anti-VEGF agents on IOP, and the pros and cons of surgical options for uveitic glaucoma. "The surgical nightmares and glaucoma comorbidities [sessions] will provide practical, useful infor- mation that ophthalmologists will be able to employ the day after the meeting in their own practice," Dr. Schuman said. EW Editors' note: Dr. Schuman has no financial interests related to this article. Contact information Schuman: schumanjs@upmc.edu Glaucoma Subspecialty Day continued from page 46

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