ASCRS News
June 2022

by Eric Donnenfeld, MD

There is something extraordinarily gratifying about being an ophthalmologist, restoring and preserving vision. This thought is captured in an old Chinese proverb: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.” 

There is nothing more rewarding than doing something important that helps people and improves their quality of life, which is what we do every day. The best advice I ever received was during my residency after performing my very first cataract surgery. I was experiencing the euphoria we have all gone through, and my attending surgeon recognized this and wisely said the key to a successful career in ophthalmology is to capture that passion and recall it after every surgery you perform. He was correct, and I pay this advice forward to every resident and fellow I take through a first procedure. I also watch my peers present cases at the ASCRS Annual Meeting and note the sense of accomplishment in their presentations in helping others. I sense they experience the same passion in their work as I do. This might be the reason so many of our colleagues work into their 70s and even 80s. There is nothing else we would rather do.

Ophthalmology is a technology-driven profession. I remember during my residency in the 1980s when we had moved from intracapsular cataract surgery to extracapsular surgery with a few renegades performing phacoemulsification. Patients were receiving intraocular lenses on a regular basis, and aphakic spectacles were beginning to disappear. Radial keratotomy was increasing in popularity, and for the first time, refractive cornea surgery was a viable concept. Trabeculectomy was the gold standard in glaucoma surgery, and ASCRS was in its infancy. I was told by my mentors that I had just missed the golden age of ophthalmology. All of the important advances had already been made. They could not have been more wrong. The golden age of ophthalmology is today, and tomorrow looks even brighter.   

In this issue of EyeWorld, we highlight (as we always do) incorporating new technology and techniques into practice. Diagnosing a problem prior to cataract surgery creates an expectation. Diagnosing the same problem postoperatively is perceived by the patient as the surgeon’s complication. This is the reason many of us perform a macula OCT prior to cataract surgery. New OCT technology is revolutionizing diagnostics. Refractive cataract surgery has never been more dynamic or rewarding thanks to recent advances in technology. Presbyopic and toric IOLs are increasing patients’ freedom from spectacles and, more importantly, improving their quality of life. We will be discussing the next generation of these lenses and how to incorporate them into practice. MIGS procedures are equally stimulating and are bringing comprehensive anterior segment surgeons back into glaucoma surgery. New MIGS devices are transforming glaucoma management. Finally, in this issue of EyeWorld, the next frontier in presbyopia management, topical pharmaceutical therapy, is discussed and evaluated.    

Having just returned from the 2022 ASCRS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., I see that our organization has never been more vibrant or more committed to our patients and our membership. ASCRS Executive Director Steve Speares has done an amazing job of guiding the organization through the pandemic gauntlet and maintaining the enthusiasm of the ASCRS staff. Richard Hoffman, MD, one of the finest cataract specialists in the world, completed his term as president of ASCRS after providing extraordinary leadership and integrity, and one of the best glaucoma surgeons in the world, Douglas Rhee, MD, has become our new president. ASCRS and EyeWorld welcome Doug and the contributions he will make to our profession. I would also like to give special recognition to Edward Holland, MD, Program Committee chair of the ASCRS Annual Meeting for almost a decade. Ed works tirelessly behind the scenes to create what is universally acknowledged as the best anterior segment meeting in the world. We always leave the Annual Meeting energized and more enthusiastic than ever with the pearls we have gained to raise the quality of care provided to our patients.

EyeWorld is fortunate to be led by an incredible staff. My profuse thanks to Managing Director Stacy Jablonski and Editorial Co-Directors Ellen Stodola and Liz Hillman for their tireless work and the pride exhibited in creating each and every issue. Our section editors—Cataract Editor Rosa Braga-Mele, MD, Cornea Editor Clara Chan, MD, Refractive Editor Vance Thompson, MD, and Glaucoma Editor Nate Radcliffe, MD—are not only superlative internationally known ophthalmologists but regularly come up with the important topics that populate EyeWorld. The publication has grown and matured into the preeminent periodical in ophthalmology and a must-read for all of us who seek to incorporate in-depth, balanced, clinician-oriented, state-of-the-art information in our ever-expanding specialty. EyeWorld is the voice of ASCRS, and in our fast-paced world, it partners with anterior segment surgeons to provide information on the latest and most important advances in our field in terms of surgery, medicine, and practice management in print and online. Our goal is that in every issue of EyeWorld, there is an opportunity to elevate our knowledge base and the care that we provide to our patients.

For the past 7 years, I have accepted the honor and good fortune to serve as the chief medical editor of EyeWorld. Now is the time to extend the stewardship of EyeWorld to Sumit “Sam” Garg, MD, an extraordinary ophthalmologist. Sam is a professor of ophthalmology at the University of California, Irvine, medical director of the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, and vice chair of clinical ophthalmology. He has published extensively in the field of cornea, refractive, cataract, and external disease. He trained under the legend Roger Steinert, MD. Sam is honest, ethical, thoughtful, and insightful with a good sense of humor. He is a leader in our field, having chaired the ASCRS Young Eye Surgeons (YES) Clinical Committee and served as a member of the Cornea Clinical Committee. I have no doubt he will raise the bar at EyeWorld, and I look forward to reading every issue going forward.

In closing, I will not say goodbye because there is still so much to accomplish but a simple thank you to our readership. The pleasure has been mine. 

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EyeWorld would like to thank Dr. Donnenfeld for his 7 years of service as Chief Medical Editor (May 2015 to April 2022). With many changes to the publication during this time, we appreciate his support, expertise, and enthusiasm in continuing to bring our readers content on the most relevant and important information in ophthalmology. 

Contact 

Donnenfeld: ericdonnenfeld@gmail.com