ASCRS News
Spring 2024

Sumit “Sam” Garg, MD
Chief Medical Editor

This is a special year for ASCRS—our 50th anniversary. It’s hard to believe that this organization that is so integral to our field is only in its 50th year. 

From the initial meeting in 1974 to this year’s Annual Meeting in Boston, ASCRS has played a pivotal role in technological advancements within cataract surgery, corneal and lens-based refractive surgery, corneal surgery, glaucoma surgery, and more. ASCRS has been a conduit for eye surgeons to collaborate, learn, and innovate. Many of the most prominent contributors to our field are members of ASCRS.

Along with the scientific contributions, ASCRS has been a leader in education, skills transfer, and advocacy. With continued headwinds from governmental and private payors, ASCRS continues to lead the way in protecting our ability to treat our patients in individualized and modern ways.

In advance of our Annual Meeting, I would like to highlight a few key events and sessions that you don’t want to miss:

• Subspeciality Day: Cornea Day, Refractive Day, Glaucoma Day always present a wealth of information.
• The opening reception on the Friday Main Stage will be led by our new ASCRS program chair, Dr. Tom Samuelson.
• Party for a Purpose: Make sure to wear your favorite 70’s garb and help support the meaningful work of the ASCRS Foundation.
• The Binkhorst, Lindstrom, and Kelman Lectures: These are our most honored named lectures.
• The Innovators session: This is where four leading industry partners will highlight their history and give us a peek into the future of ophthalmic advancements.

Our editorial board has put together an awesome issue leading into the Annual Meeting. We cover topics including ICL sizing, accommodating IOLs, limbal stem cell deficiency, intravitreal injections and glaucoma, considerations for cataract surgery in short eyes, low tension glaucoma, and many others.  

The team at ASCRS has a special year planned out for the 50th, highlighting many key moments throughout the year between the Annual Meeting in Boston and the 2025 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.  

Reflecting on the past and looking to the future, I feel like the best is yet to come for ASCRS. I would like to thank all our membership and leadership—past, present, and future. ASCRS holds an important role in ophthalmology, and it is the membership that is the lifeblood of our organization. I’m looking forward to seeing you all at the Annual Meeting this year in Boston. If you were on the fence about attending … I can guarantee this meeting is a must attend.

In closing, I would like to congratulate our outgoing ASCRS president, Dr. Liz Yeu, for a great year for ASCRS. We had many accomplishments under her leadership—successful transitions of leadership in key roles, big wins on the government relations front, and continued excellence in education. In Boston, we will welcome in Dr. Vance Thompson as president. Vance is not only an amazing physician and surgeon but an amazing person as well, and l know he will be a wonderful leader for our organization. 

As always, if you have any suggestions for topics, improvements, etc., please feel free to reach out to me at gargs@uci.edu.