Eyeworld

EW NEWS & OPINION 18 June 2016 and I would say a large percentage of them have international experience now, which wasn't the case when I was applying for residency. There's a tremendous interest in international ophthalmology. People are in a glob- al world with the internet—we can- not ignore what's happening. People feel that responsibility to give back. We're in a surgical field where we're very lucky to feel stable in terms of money and have a great opportuni- ty to give back. I know you will get tremendous support from residents. Dr. Solomon: I think that's the case, too. There are people in need right in our backyard. One of the things that I learned in getting involved with this is that it isn't a 20/40, 20/50 cataract. These are people whose light perception is often hand motion. Not only are these my most grateful patients, but they are then able to get back into the workforce. So we're not only improving their quality of life, but they also become active, contributing members of society. It's been a wonderful oppor- tunity for us. Dr. Donnenfeld: I thought the education at the 2016 ASCRS•ASOA Symposium & Congress was out- standing. Dr. Yeu, tell me some of the key takeaways that you're going to take back from this meeting that are going to change the way you practice ophthalmology. Dr. Yeu: More than anything, what's so exciting is all of this new technol- ogy that's in the cataract and glau- coma space. We as surgeons have to elevate our fundamentals in order to be able to perform and participate and learn how to use all of these new technologies and techniques that are going to help benefit our patients with better outcomes that are less invasive. It's a very exciting time in the glaucoma space, in the ocular surface space, and in refrac- tive cataract surgery. Dr. Donnenfeld: Ophthalmology has never been changing more than it is today. A concern is that while residents are well trained, to really prepare for the future they have to become refractive cataract surgeons. Dr. Yeu: What's surprising is when you look at the 2015 ASCRS Clinical Survey, just looking at limbal relax- ing incisions (LRIs)—because you have to learn to manage astigmatism if you want to become a refractive cataract surgeon—50% of the 2,100 respondents do not perform LRIs. Dr. Solomon: All they have to do is let us know that [they'd like to participate]. The goal of Operation Sight is to provide cataract surgery and a new initiative for LASIK for people who have no means. The concept is if someone in your office qualifies financially—the guidelines are very clear—we'll send you all of the supplies and we'll send you a stipend to cover the facility fee. You do the case. The flip side is if an individual is identified and comes through the process, we need to be able to assign him or her to a doctor. If you're participating, then we'll likely call on you. People can get involved as much or as little as they want. Dr. Donnenfeld: Dr. Al-Mohtaseb, how do you think young ophthal- mologists will react to the idea of doing cataract surgery for needy patients? Dr. Al-Mohtaseb: I think young ophthalmologists would love this. I'm associate residency program di- rector at Baylor College of Medicine, and we're looking at the applicants who are coming in for residency, Dr. Solomon: Going to Washington, D.C. [for the Legislative Fly-In] is an example of time and effort. We're asking them to give up 2 days to go, listen, and get educated. There are opportunities for people to get in- volved in their own local communi- ties, and in so many areas, including the listservs, social media, and other things. We're asking people to give their time and participation. Dr. Donnenfeld: Dr. Solomon, you founded and ASCRS has incorporat- ed Operation Sight into our mission. How can ophthalmologists get involved? What can they do? Discussion continued from page 17 Dr. Solomon describes how ASCRS members can get involved with Operation Sight. Dr. Yeu notes that if young eye surgeons want to get more involved in organizations like ASCRS, they need to make it known. Source: ASCRS

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