ASCRS News
Spring 2025

by Sumit “Sam” Garg, MD
Chief Medical Editor

It’s that time of year again—the ASCRS Annual Meeting is upon us. This year, we are back in Los Angeles, California, the city of Angels. As an Angelino, I am proud to share that, since the last time ASCRS visited Los Angeles, a few notable positives have happened: the Rams won a Super Bowl, the Dodgers won a World Series, and the Lakers have a new superstar in Luka Dončić. 

On a more serious note, as you all know, certain parts of Los Angeles were recently devastated by wildfires. Los Angeles has a strong community and will bounce back. For those not as familiar with the Los Angeles landscape, the fire-ravaged areas are not close to downtown where our meeting is. Rest assured, the Los Angeles Convention Center complex and L.A. Live have not been affected by the fires. 

For those who have not seen our president’s message on this topic, Vance Thompson, MD, highlighted how we as an ophthalmic community have supported communities that have suffered in the past—New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Las Vegas after COVID-19, and now Los Angeles after the fires of 2025. Being an Angelino and having several friends and colleagues who lost their homes in the fires of the Pacific Palisades and Altadena, I’d like to emphasize that by coming out to Los Angeles and attending the ASCRS Annual Meeting, not only are you able to participate in and learn at the best meeting for anterior segment surgeons, but you are supporting a community economically at a time when it faces a significant economic recovery effort.

This Annual Meeting also culminates the yearlong celebration of 50 years of ASCRS. As usual, the Program Committee has organized innovative and practical symposia pertinent to our practices both on the patient care and practice management sides.  

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

• SightLine at ASCRS: This new one-day meeting precedes the Annual Meeting on Thursday and will provide in-depth insights into the current state of commercial ophthalmology and will foster collaboration for ideas that will ensure the future financial success of the field. This meeting is intended for physicians, administrators, and our industry partners. 
• BRiCS Breakfast Symposium: This session will preview the Business of Refractive Cataract Surgery (BRiCS) Summit in October and serve as the kickoff for Refractive Day to give you a taste of this important course, which helps motivated practices increase adoption of advanced-technology IOLs by laying the business foundation and providing exclusive resources necessary for success. 
• Subspecialty Day: Cornea Day, Glaucoma Day, and Refractive Day are always a wealth of information.  
• Party for a Purpose: Be sure to attend our Hollywood-themed party to help support the meaningful work of the ASCRS Foundation. Bring your Annual Meeting registration badge for entry.
• Get H.I.P. sessions: Four new sessions in the areas of cataract, cornea, glaucoma, and refractive will focus on “High Impact Pearls (H.I.P.).” ASCRS members submitted short-form videos for inclusion in this program. Each session will have a minimum of 16 presented pearls for a total of 64+ pearls among the four sessions.
• The Binkhorst, Kelman, and Lindstrom Lectures: These are our most honored named lectures.  
• Government Relations: The Main Stage on Sunday will feature William Flanary, MD, an ophthalmologist also known as “Dr. Glaucomflecken.” In his own unique style, Dr. Glaucomflecken will talk about the challenges facing the American healthcare system, the importance of advocacy, and how physicians can advocate for themselves and their patients. This session will be followed by a special VIP luncheon for eyePAC supporters with Dr. Glaucomflecken as our special guest.

In this installment of EyeWorld, we cover topics pertinent to our practices including: post-cataract surgery edema, refractive enhancements, management of the unruly iris, myopia progression, cataract surgery in the setting of an opaque cornea, management consideration in patients with pseudoexfoliative glaucoma and steroid-induced glaucoma, digital tools for surgical training, and the evolution of telemedicine in ophthalmology, among others.  

ASCRS plays an important role in our lives as ophthalmologists. Our mission statement says: “The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery empowers anterior segment surgeons to improve the vision, outcomes, and quality of life of their patients through innovative approaches to Education, Advocacy, and Philanthropy.” I am a proud member of our organization and have gained personally and professionally as a result of my membership. I urge all of our membership to continue to support ASCRS by maintaining an active membership, attending the Annual Meeting, and becoming more involved in ASCRS initiatives.  

In closing, I would like to congratulate our outgoing ASCRS president, Vance Thompson, MD, for a great year for ASCRS. Vance has achieved so much in his short year as ASCRS president. Under his leadership, the inaugural BRiCS course was successfully created and executed, which subsequently led to the inception of the Business of Interventional Glaucoma meeting; there has been increased collaboration among doctors (ASCRS) and administrators (ASOA) and wins in Washington, D.C. (MIGS reimbursement and prior authorization battles). In Los Angeles, we will welcome Francis Mah, MD, as president. Francis is a leader in cornea and external disease and has been a longstanding member of our organization. I am excited about what he will bring to ASCRS as our next president.  

If you have any suggestions for topics, improvements, etc., feel free to reach out to me at gargs@uci.edu. I look forward to seeing you all at our Annual Meeting in Los Angeles! 

Article Sidebar

Kevin M. Miller, MD, EyeWorld Cataract Editorial Board member, shared what he is excited for at the ASCRS Annual Meeting:

“Welcome to Los Angeles—my city! I am looking forward to the hallway conversations, to catching up with friends and colleagues from all over the world, and to seeing all the new toys in the ‘candy store’ that is the Exhibit Hall. I think it is important for every member of ASCRS to support the Society.”