2 Things That Excited Me at This Year's AAO Meeting

I was fortunate to spend this past weekend in Chicago at the Annual AAO Meeting.  It was great catching up with old friends and colleauges, having some awesome meals, and enjoying the beautiful city of Chicago.  I even had the time to spend a few hours enjoying one of my hobies:  taking some pictures of the city.

There was a lot to learn at this year's meeting, however, 2 things really excited me:

1. The Visian ICL Toric.  I was able get certified in the implantation of this yet to be approved phakic lens.  I have been implanting the Visian ICL for several years and find that it affordes excellent vision to both high and moderate myopes.  If these patients also have astigmatism, I currently will do LASIK about 1 month after implantation of the ICL.  The Toric ICL will allow me to treat both the myopia and astigmatism in 1 sitting, I can't wait for its final approval
2. The LenSx Laser.  I must start off by saying that I was a skeptic when I first heard about using the femtosecond laser to aid in cataract surgery.   I currently get excelent results using today's technology, my refractive cataract patients are able to read and drive without glasses or contact lenses.  I thought that the only thing this product would do would be to add cost to the procedure.  After seeing the laser in action, I realized that I was dead wrong!  "Designed to revolutionize key steps in the cataract procedure, the LenSx Laser now allows surgeons to deliver the benefits of precise femtosecond laser technology to even more of their patients. What exactly does that mean? Cataract surgery that is more precise, predictable, reproducible and safe."  The LenSx Laser will be able to produce uniform incisions, soften a cataract so less energy is used to remove it, provide uniform access to the cataract itself, and treat pre exisiting astigmatism, all in under 5 minutes.  This will translate into tighter outcomes and less complications.  Its cost will be high, so the laser will probably only be used on refractive cataract cases, where out of pocket payments will be required.  Our surgical center has already put our name on the list to hopefully be one of the first centers in the country to offer this exciting new technology!

This is what I love about ophthalmology, just when you think you know it all, just when you think you can do it all, something new comes along to make things better!