Eyeworld

EW NEWS & OPINION October 2016 21 The Sabet* Lenticular Safety Net (For Supporting A Dropped Lens) 3360 Scherer Drive, Suite B. St.Petersburg, Florida 800-637-4346 • Tel: 727-209-2244 • Fax: 7273418123 Website: www.RheinMedical.com • Email: Info@RheinMedical.com *Developed In Coordination With Sina J. Sabet, M.D. Michelangelo, Study for Libyan Sibyl (Sistine Chapel) AIBG O p e n Bask e t 08-01428: Sabet* Lenticular Safety Net 1217 Rev. F • R e tra c t e d B a s k e t Contact 800-637-4346 For More Information. Come See Us At AAO Booth No. 3503 thru 3505 • • • • • Desig ned To Hold A nd S u p p o r t A D r o p p i n g L e n s To S a fe ly A l low Anterior Vitrectomy & Phacoemulsification To Conti nue. C a n Suppor t M u l t i p l e F r a g m e n t s Simu lta neou sly. Provides The Length Of A Cyclodialysis Spatula To Reach Into The Vitreous Cavity To Salvage Lens F r a g m e n t s O n e W i t h Instr ument. A 23g Tube Fits Through A 1mm Paracentesis Or Pars Plana Incision, And W h e n O p e n e d I n s i d e T h e E y e , P r o v i d e s A Large Surface Area For Fragment Support. Thin And Sturdy Wires Minimize Traction In The Vitreous While Supporting A N u c l e u s . A d d i t i o n a l Safety Net Baskets Are Also Available (Product# 8-01428-B). Reusable, Autoclaveable, Made In The USA, And Available For A 30-Day Surgical Evaluation Without Obligation. W hen David Karcher, ASCRS executive director, thinks back to Eye- World's launch in 1996, he notes the void the publication filled. "Starting EyeWorld had to do with the fact that we weren't happy with some of the coverage that device-related complications were getting in other news publications within the profession," he said. He recalled that ASCRS had tried to garner coverage to highlight important complica- tions, but these were shunted to the back of the publication, if tackled at all. As a result, the ASCRS Executive Committee felt another outlet was needed for ophthalmologists, and this was the seed from which EyeWorld ultimately sprung, Mr. Karcher recalled. "We wanted to come out with a publication that was very objective," he said. "We weren't going to sell advertising for editorial." When advertising did come into the picture, it led to an early tussle after EyeWorld reported on a complication that was unfavorable to one advertiser's product. Marguerite McDonald, MD, the chief medical editor at the time, responded swiftly when they threatened to pull their dollars. "This was the very reason we wanted to start our own publication," Mr. Karcher said. "Marguerite took it upon herself to write an editorial—and it was short of scathing. To my knowledge, there hasn't been a problem since." Early EyeWorld was geared toward quick reads. "This was a time when USA Today was gaining in popularity, so we wanted to follow that for- mat," Mr. Karcher said. The idea was to lift the load off doctors who were being inundated with print and to come out with something that was more concise, he explained. EyeWorld content has been primarily focused on medical issues. "We wanted to stay clinical in terms of our approaches and discussions about techniques, complications, and new devices," Mr. Karcher said. While this hasn't changed much, today EyeWorld also incorporates some practice management scenarios. The subject matter itself has changed somewhat over time. "When we were starting out, it was 80% cataract and 20% refractive. As we saw refractive start to increase in popularity, the editorial slant followed that trend," he said. "Then we started receiving a lot of papers on glaucoma for our annual meeting, so it was a natural transition for EyeWorld to start addressing glaucoma issues." Likewise, the Cornea Society emerged and reorganized under the ASCRS umbrella, and EyeWorld became a natural place for that as well. "It's been an interesting evolution," Mr. Karcher said. While EyeWorld was well-received by ophthalmologists, Mr. Karcher admitted that at the beginning advertising growth was challenging. This left the Executive Committee scratching their heads for a time, he noted, adding that after 3 or 4 years, the publication became profitable and has remained so. Twenty years ago, Mr. Karcher did not foresee the success attained even in his wildest dreams. He credits a number of individuals for EyeWorld's success. "From the beginning, Marguerite and I had a very strong and dedicated staff. Brad Fundingsland played an important role in growing EyeWorld, Don Long has been our publisher for quite some time, and Eric Donnenfeld is our current chief medical editor," he said. He also credits the writers. "It's a group of individuals who I think have taken a certain amount of ownership in the magazine, and that shows," he said. These are just a few of the individuals who have made the success of EyeWorld possible. Mr. Karcher is elated by EyeWorld's success at age 20. "There is a lot of personal gratification that comes into play when you provide a publi- cation that physicians read and that has information they deem to be helpful and clinically relevant," he said. EW Contact information Karcher: dkarcher@ascrs.org EyeWorld pioneer David Karcher looks back

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