San Francisco - The American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy) announced that it had received a record number of submissions for the scientific program for the Academy’s 2009 Joint Meeting with the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO). The Joint Meeting will be held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco Oct. 24 to 27.

“The volume of submissions for this year’s Joint Meeting is a sign of the high level of interest among our members,” said David W. Parke II, MD, executive vice president and CEO of the Academy. “This year’s joint meeting is shaping up to be an outstanding event befitting the Academy’s hometown. The submission numbers surpass those for our 2006 meeting in Las Vegas, which ended up setting a new record for attendance. ”

The Academy received a total of 2,160 paper/poster submissions by the April 14 deadline, as well as 167 video abstract submissions. By contrast, the 2006 annual meeting saw 2,079 paper/poster submissions, and 177 video abstract submissions. In an average year, the Academy receives about 1,400 paper/poster abstracts and 150 video abstracts for its annual meeting.

The advance program for the 2009 Joint Meeting will be available online on June 1. Registration and housing opens to Academy, PAAO and American Academy of Ophthalmic Executive (AAOE) members on June 24. Registration for nonmembers, including media, opens on July 8.

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About the American Academy of Ophthalmology
The Academy is the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons—Eye M.D.s—with more than 27,000 members worldwide.  Eye health care is provided by the three “O’s” – opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. It is the ophthalmologist, or Eye M.D., who can treat it all: eye diseases and injuries, and perform eye surgery. To find an Eye M.D. in your area, visit the Academy's Web site at www.aao.org