Eyeworld Daily News

EW SHOW DAILY 6 Saturday, April 18, 2015 ASCRS News Today EyeWorld: How will you continue to stay active in ASCRS? Dr. Lewis: I'll step down as presi- dent but remain on the executive board as past president for the next 2 years. I'm very proud of what we've accomplished this year and have enjoyed working with (exec- utive director) Dave Karcher, (chief operating officer) Don Bell, and the entire ASCRS staff. The mission of our group is very clear, and everyone appears to be on board. I feel really proud. It's been a remarkable year. EW R ichard Lewis, MD, Sac- ramento, Calif., will step down as ASCRS president at today's Opening Gen- eral Session at the 2015 ASCRS•ASOA Symposium & Con- gress. Dr. Lewis spoke recently with EyeWorld to reflect on his time as president and recent ASCRS accom- plishments. EyeWorld: What do you perceive as ASCRS' biggest accomplishment in the past year? Dr. Lewis: I am especially proud of 2 accomplishments from the past year: (1) redirecting educational content to fit the needs of our membership and (2) our expanded humanitarian efforts in this country and around the world. It certainly helps that the organization has a solid financial base to build upon as a result of the success of EyeWorld as well as our national and regional meetings. Reshaping educational content that is data driven and measureable is a new model for CME. The ASCRS Clinical Survey determines unmet clinical challenges for our member- ship and creates curriculum content around those deficiencies. This includes, for example, managing astigmatism in cataract surgery or introducing microinvasive glauco- ma surgery. One other significant contribution was a new humanitari- an initiative created with the ASCRS Foundation. Called Operation Sight, this is a project to help the indigent with visual loss from cataracts. More than 200 procedures will be per- formed in U.S. during its first year. Another program that just launched this month will offer LASIK vision correction for our wounded Ameri- can veterans. EyeWorld: What are some other big-picture issues that ASCRS has worked on over the past year? Dr. Lewis: The government relations side of things is very important. (Government relations director) Nancey McCann and the Govern- ment Relations Clinical Committee, led by Brock Bakewell (MD), have worked hard at a number of initia- tives. We've developed good rela- tionships with Sen. Rand Paul (MD) (R-KY), Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and others in Congress to help with some of our concerns. Issues regarding steam sterilization, the "doc-fix," and reimbursement for postop care are critical in the care of our patients. I think we've also made a big push to change the focus of our membership. There have been emerging trends noted as residents go into practice. Instead of going into private practice, most are going into practice at a large multispe- cialty group. We recognize this change, and we're trying to take on initiatives that appeal to that group including those working for Kaiser Permanente. EyeWorld: Over next couple years, what do you think will be the big- gest challenges and opportunities for ASCRS and for ophthalmolo- gists? Dr. Lewis: Reimbursement, fee-for- service, and postop payment for our surgical patients are and will con- tinue to be significant issues going forward. Another challenge is inno- vation. ASCRS prides itself on being a leader with industry in pushing innovation. It's remarkable in my 30 years in ophthalmology to see how our specialty has progressed. Yet regulatory challenges and some loss of interest from the venture com- munity will stifle that innovation. I sincerely hope to see innovation thriving going forward. I hope we don't get bogged down with the politics happening in healthcare. Ophthalmology has a fabulous niche. We're the innovation leader. We have brought great satisfaction to patients with our procedures, and I want to see that continue. Richard Lewis, MD, reflects on his year as ASCRS president Leading the way in Interoffice Communications CORRECTION CORRECTION CORRECTION CORRECTION CORRECTION CORRECTION A MISTAKE WAS MADE IN OUR AD. PLEASE COME VISIT US AT ASCRS BOOTH 2212 Richard Lewis, MD Breaking news KAMRA inlay receives FDA approval AcuFocus Inc., a global leader in corneal inlay technology, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its groundbreaking product, the KAMRA inlay. The KAMRA inlay approval was based on the results of 508 patients treated at 24 investigational sites worldwide. Patients in the clinical trial experienced an average improvement in uncorrected near visual acuity of 3.0 lines between their preop exam and the 12-month follow-up visit. This improvement was maintained over the 5-year duration of the study. Mean preoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity in the inlay-implanted eye was maintained across all follow-up exams, unlike other presbyopia- correcting procedures where distance vision is compromised in order to improve near vision. Alcon receives FDA approval of new multifocal IOL Alcon has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its AcrySof IQ ReSTOR +2.5 D IOL for patients undergoing cataract eye surgery who choose to address their near, intermediate, and distance vision needs at the same time. The AcrySof IQ ReSTOR +2.5 D IOL is the latest addition to Alcon's broad portfolio of intraocular lenses for cataract patients and provides an additional option to meet the visual needs of each individual patient. EW by Vanessa Caceres EyeWorld Contributing Writer

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