Astigmatism Management:
Inside the Mind of the Cataract Refractive Surgeon
Moderator
Robin Vann, MD,
is in academic practice at
Duke Eye Center, Durham,
North Carolina. He can be
contacted at robin.vann@
duke.edu.
Faculty
Bonnie An Henderson, MD,
is in private practice at
Ophthalmic Consultants of
Boston, Waltham, Massachu-
setts. She can be contacted at
bahenderson@eyeboston.com.
John Berdahl, MD,
is in private practice at
Vance Thompson Vision,
Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
He can be contacted at
johnberdahl@gmail.com.
John Hovanesian, MD,
is in private practice in
Laguna Hills, California.
He can be contacted at
jhovanesian@harvardeye.com.
Today's cataract surgery patients
often desire as much freedom from
spectacles as possible. If our goal is to
provide optimal postop outcomes for
patients in this new era, astigmatism
management needs to be part of the
cataract surgeon's procedural mindset
for every patient, at every stage.
Robin Vann, MD: I'm pleased to have an incredible pan-
el of experts here to discuss a topic we're all passionate
about as cataract surgeons—astigmatism management.
This is a phrase used frequently in our specialty, but
without a consistent definition. As such, depending on
experience or perspectives, this will mean very different
things to different people. Often the term "astigma-
tism management" is used in conjunction with specific
techniques or technologies being discussed. With our
specialty increasingly shifting a focus toward "refractive
outcomes," discussions around the latest techniques
or technologies for managing astigmatism are certainly
warranted, but often overlook the most important vari-
able in the equation—the surgeon's mindset. What does
"astigmatism management" mean to cataract refractive
surgeons? How do they view its role in their surgical
procedures? How might their perspective differ from
"traditional" views of cataract surgery?
Although all of the experts here have unique experienc-
es, preferences, and techniques for managing astigma-
tism at the time of cataract surgery, their fundamental
passion, understanding, and respect for this topic is the
shared denominator we wanted to explore in this dis-
cussion. Fundamental changes in our specialty are not
driven by technology; change starts with the surgeon.
The mindset we share on this topic—viewing astigma-
tism management and cataract surgery as inseparable
functions—is one we arrived at from different routes.
Many residency programs today are now embracing this
view, but the majority of cataract surgeons in practice
did not have this type of initial training and are having
to evolve their mindset and approach to astigmatism in
practice.
This discussion is intended to put specific technolo-
gies and brands aside in order to dive deeper into the
thought-leaders' mindset on astigmatism management.
In doing so, we hope to help others who may be looking
to better understand astigmatism management's posi-
tion and importance in the "outcomes era" of cataract
surgery.
This supplement was produced by EyeWorld and sponsored by Alcon. The
doctors featured in this supplement received compensation from Alcon for
their contributions to this supplement.
Copyright 2016 ASCRS Ophthalmic Corporation. All rights reserved. The views
expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, editorial board,
or the publisher, and in no way imply endorsement by EyeWorld or ASCRS.
