EyeWorld Asia-Pacific June 2015 Issue

66 EWAP NEWS & OPINION June 2015 2015 ASCRS•ASOA Symposium & Congress am today,” he said. “I learned the clinical and surgical expertise that could not have evolved without my involvement in this society.” Dr. Cionni said he will continue to advance the society in six ways: by understanding the members; collaborating with other like organizations and societies; bolstering charitable efforts through the ASCRS Foundation; aligning with ASOA; through entrepreneurship and innovation; and by supporting advocacy and increasing involvement. Resolving controversies in anterior segment surgery The second annual “60 Minutes” session took place on Sunday morning with a focus on controversies in anterior segment surgery. In this though-provoking session, experts in the field shared their views on four major issues cataract and refractive surgeons face today. Their ideas were then questioned and debated by ASCRS Young Eye Surgeons (YES) Clinical Committee members Elizabeth Yeu, MD , Norfolk, Va., John Berdahl, MD , Sioux Falls, SD, and Preeya Gutpa, MD , Durham, NC. Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD , Rockville Centre, NY, presented the first controversy, dropless drug delivery. According to Dr. by Chiles Aedam R. Samaniego EyeWorld Asia-Pacific Senior Staff Writer Live reports from the 2015 ASCRS•ASOA Symposium & Congress, 17–21 April 2015, San Diego A nnual meeting kicks off with Opening General Session The ASCRS•ASOA Symposium & Congress officially kicked off in San Diego with the Opening General Session, followed by the Binkhorst Lecture. Edward Holland, MD , Cincinnati, chair of the ASCRS Program Committee, started off the session with a welcome to the 7,000 attendees from more than 100 countries. There are countless opportunities to learn from world- renowned surgeons at the meeting and to participate in 1,500 papers, posters, courses, and symposia, as well as special sessions, skill transfer sessions, and the annual Film Festival, he said. Following Dr. Holland, the outgoing president of ASCRS, Richard Lewis, MD , Sacramento, Calif., and the incoming president of ASCRS, Robert Cionni, MD , Salt Lake City, both gave addresses to attendees. More than 40 years ago, ASCRS was founded to promote innovation and education in anterior segment surgery, Dr. Lewis said. “The focus Donnenfeld, this is an idea whose time has finally come. Patients go blind every day because they don’t take their medications, Dr. Donnenfeld said, so efficient drug delivery represents a huge unmet need in ophthalmology. Compliance with drop regimens is an issue for several reasons, but the bottom line is that patients really don’t like taking drops, he said. Ocular surface toxicity, cost, and penetration into the eye are also issues that can be directly addressed with a dropless drug delivery regimen. In addition to intracameral or intravitreal drug injection, sustained-release drops, punctal plugs, and external inserts show promise as dropless therapies. Reimbursement remains a challenge, however, and Dr. Donnenfeld called on physicians to lobby for adequate reimbursement for these therapies. Rosa M. Braga-Mele, MD, FRCSC, Toronto, shifted the topic to immediately sequential bilateral cataract surgery. Dr. Braga-Mele doesn’t believe it’s the right time for this yet, but believes surgery is slowly moving in that direction. For patients that must undergo general anesthesia, it should definitely be considered, she said, and possibly for patients who are travelling long on innovation remains as strong now as it was then.” This past year was one of the best years in the history of the organization, he said. Dr. Lewis stressed the importance of maintaining a positive relationship with the FDA, of humanitarian service, and of embracing change occurring in healthcare. All of us are remarkably fortunate to practice a unique specialty, Dr. Lewis said. “Giving back the gift of sight never gets old.” The satisfaction of what we do is never surpassed, he said. After Dr. Lewis officially transferred the presidency, Dr. Cionni acknowledged the efforts that Dr. Lewis has made over the past year, and shared his plan to continue steering the society in the same direction as Dr. Lewis and other leaders before him. When Dr. Cionni was finishing residency, he was wondering if he was ready to practice ophthalmology. He was considering a non-surgical specialty because he didn’t think he had the surgical skills necessary to take care of his patients. However, he got involved with ASCRS after a recommendation by Robert Osher, MD . “It was with the influence of ASCRS that I began moving forward from borderline surgical competence to where I