ASCRS News: Annual Meeting Preview
July 2021
by Ellen Stodola
Editorial Co-Director
This year, the ASCRS Annual Meeting will include a new program and lecture as part of the Sunday General Session. The Lindstrom Symposium and the Richard L. Lindstrom, MD, Lecture were developed to recognize the contributions of Richard Lindstrom, MD, to ASCRS and ophthalmology.
The Program Committee discussed it and couldn’t think of a person more worthy to have the lecture named after than Richard Lindstrom, MD. In his era, I can’t think of anyone who has contributed more to ophthalmology.
Edward Holland, MD
EyeWorld spoke to Edward Holland, MD, chair of the ASCRS Program Committee, about the inception of this program and Dr. Lindstrom’s contributions to the field. Dr. Holland will also be the first ophthalmologist to give the Richard L. Lindstrom, MD, Lecture.
Dr. Holland noted that the general sessions are some of the cornerstones of ASCRS Annual Meeting programming. The Opening General Session on Saturday has the Binkhorst Lecture, and the Innovators General Session on Monday has the Charles D. Kelman, MD, Innovator’s Lecture. There was a gap in the Sunday General Session with no medal lecture.
“These lectures are to honor leaders in the field, and they’re named after giants in ophthalmology,” Dr. Holland said. “The Program Committee discussed it and couldn’t think of a person more worthy to have the lecture named after than Richard Lindstrom, MD. In his era, I can’t think of anyone who has contributed more to ophthalmology.”
Dr. Holland said it was important to have Dr. Lindstrom involved with the session as well. “He is very active in all aspects of ophthalmology, and he continues to innovate and change ophthalmology,” he said.
In addition to Dr. Lindstrom’s contributions to the surgical specialties, Dr. Holland said that another major contribution has been Dr. Lindstrom’s involvement and relationships with industry. “He was one of the early ophthalmologists who embraced industry, and he did that when he started at University of Minnesota; it was almost unheard of to have industry collaboration while at a university,” he said. “Dick saw the synergy of having physician input and leadership in big ophthalmic companies as well as startups, and he paved the way for the next generation of ophthalmologists. There are many of us who followed in Dick’s footsteps and collaborate with industry, and I think industry benefits, ophthalmologists benefit, and patients benefit.”
The speakers chosen for the inaugural session have all been impacted by Dr. Lindstrom in their careers and have had long relationships with him. Thomas Samuelson, MD, will present in glaucoma; Stephen Lane, MD, will share the industry presentation; Vance Thompson, MD, will present a refractive talk; Douglas Koch, MD, will present in cataract; and Dr. Holland will give the cornea presentation.
In addition to the planned presentations, Dr. Lindstrom will be participating in the program, which will be moderated by Elizabeth Yeu, MD. “I think it’s going to be an outstanding program,” Dr. Holland said.
About the physician
Edward Holland, MD
Director of Cornea Services
Cincinnati Eye Institute
Cincinnati, Ohio
Contact
Holland: eholland@holprovision.com
