Eyeworld Daily News

EW SHOW DAILY 46 Meeting Reporter Monday, April 20, 2015 by Lauren Lipuma EyeWorld Staff Writer Dr. Gupta recommends a 3-pronged treatment approach, consisting of over-the-counter treatments, topical medications, and disease modifying procedures such as thermal pulsation and intense pulsed light therapy. Earlier inter- vention is more effective, so there is no need to reserve these treatments for end-stage disease, she said. X-factor 2: Reducing residual error Residual refractive error leads to decreased patient satisfaction, vision quality, and uncorrected distance visual acuity, Dr. Gupta said. With careful preop and surgical planning, however, surgeons can minimize the residual error and have happier patients, she said. During the preop evaluation, look for causes of irregular astig- matism, such as anterior basement membrane dystrophy (ABMD), Salzmann's nodules, and meibomian C ataract surgeons now have access to tools that make it easy to offer patients the refractive outcomes they want. But despite these ad- vances, several sources of potential error remain that can limit refractive success. In an EyeWorld CME Edu- cational Symposium on Saturday, experts discussed these potential sources of error and how to mini- mize them in "The X-Factors: Three Areas That Will Improve Refractive Cataract Surgery Outcomes." X-factor 1: Optimizing the ocular surface Surgeons can't take advantage of advanced technology if they ignore the ocular surface, said Preeya K. Gupta, MD, Durham, N.C. Dry eye is one of the most common reasons why patients are entering your prac- tice, she said, and although many physicians avoid it, diagnosing and treating dry eye does not have to be hard. The 2 most helpful things for a fast diagnosis are a careful exam of the lid margin and meibomian glands and tear film diagnostics/ point-of-care testing, Dr. Gupta said. Tear film diagnostics include testing for osmolarity, MMP-9 levels, non-contact tear break-up time, and lipid layer thickness. Empowering staff to do these tests for you at the point of care is an easy way to incorporate them into your practice without disrupting patient flow, she added. Three factors that will help deliver the best refractive cataract outcomes Dr. Gupta highlights the importance of optimizing the ocular surface in achieving the best refractive outcomes. 'Tipping Points in Refractive Cataract Surgery: Status Report on Presbyopia Correction Without Compromise' by EyeWorld Staff B onnie An Henderson, MD, will moderate a lunchtime symposium today on presbyopia correction. The faculty includes Richard Tipperman, MD, Steven Dell, MD, and John A. Vukich, MD. The 2014 ASCRS Clinical Survey suggests that only 7.2% of lenses implanted by ASCRS members are presbyopia-correcting IOLs, but that number is expected to double in the next 3 years. Find out what is holding surgeons back from implanting presbyopia-correcting IOLs and how the panel thinks new options for presbyopia correction may change the outlook significantly. This session will address the range of surgical options available, new technologies in the pipeline, and optical features that influence quality of vision. Additionally, Dr. Vukich will address how to deal with residual error in order to maximize visual acuity and patient satisfaction. This EyeWorld CME symposium will take place in the San Diego Convention Center, Hall A, EyeWorld Theater I, today. Registration and lunch will take place at 11:30 a.m., with the 1-hour program from 12:00–1:00 p.m. This program is supported by unrestricted grants from Abbott Medical Optics (Abbott Park, Ill.) and Alcon (Fort Worth, Texas). Onsite registration is available. EW " You can't take advantage of advanced technology if you ignore the ocular surface. " –Preeya K. Gupta, MD

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