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ASCRS DAILY NEWS S U N D AY, M AY 5 , 2 019 | A S C R S A S O A A N N U A L M E E T I N G Dr. Pflugfelder spoke about "The Quest for Tear Stability." Tear stability is maintained by the lacrimal functional unit. Tear instability is a common feature of all types of tear dysfunction and a defining feature of dry eye, he said. It causes inflammation, increases blinking, degrades visual function, and stimulates corneal nociceptors. He said that there are increasing therapeutic options with different mechanisms of action to improve tear stability. Dr. Pflugfelder described the inspiration behind the choice of T his year's Binkhorst Lecture was delivered by Stephen Pflugfelder, MD, Houston, during the ASCRS Opening General Session. The Binkhorst Lecture award has been given annually since 1975, said ASCRS Program Chair Edward Holland, MD, Cincinnati. "It's ASCRS' highest award." by Ellen Stodola EyeWorld Senior Staff Writer/ Meetings Editor by Ellen Stodola EyeWorld Senior Staff Writer/ Meetings Editor T he Annual Meeting officially kicked off on Saturday morning with the ASCRS Opening General Session (OGS). Among the highlights of the session was a special presentation to Hal Kushner, MD, this year's recipient of the first ASCRS Distinguished Mem- ber Award. Ocular 1 BVI 1 WHEN RELIABILITY COUNTS THE RIGHT PACK MATTERS bvimedical.com Minimize your pack-building time Expedite your OR experience CustomEyes ® your pack BVI, BVI Logo and all other trademarks (unless noted otherwise) are property of Beaver-Visitec International, Inc. ("BVI") © 2019 BVI. 1498237-03 Visit BVI BOOTH 1206 Binkhorst Lecture highlights 'the quest for tear stability' OGS highlights ASCRS mission, honors Distinguished Member Hal Kushner, MD Dextenza ® BIG TIME'I � ION VISIT BOOTH #1737 1 Sawhney AS, �arrett Bassett M, Blizzard C, inventors; Incept, LLC, assignee Drug delivery through hydrogel plugs. US patent 8,409,606 82. April 2, 2013. © 2019 Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. All rights reserved. DEXTENZA is a registered trademark of Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. I PP-US-DX-0097 FOR FULL PRESCRIBING INFORMATION VISIT DEXTENZA.COM Dr. Kushner speaks at the Opening General Session, where he received the ASCRS Distinguished Member Award. continued on page 3 this topic for his lecture. After being asked to give the Binkhorst Lecture, he went to the topogra- phy area in his clinic and noticed bottles of artificial tears. "I real- ized what our technicians figured out a long time ago—that a stable tear film is a big deal," he said. A stable tear film protects and smooths the corneal surface, maintains comfort and quality vision during interblink intervals, and is a key determinant of a suc- cessful outcome in vision correc- tion surgeries. "Tear instability is a sine qua non for tear dysfunction," he said. Tear instability is also a cri- terion in recent consensus dry eye definitions. Fluorescein tear breakup time remains the most common clinical test and gold standard for detection of tear instability. There is increased interest in non-inva- sive breakup methods, Dr. Pflug- felder said, because they provide a digital record, and fluoresce- in can affect tear stability. Most continued on page 4

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