Get Ready for Chicago: Part 1

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WELCOME

Five Days in Chicago

Engage with colleagues from around the world, learn new skills, and hear about the latest and most innovative treatments at AAO 2016—the Acade­my’s 120th meeting.

How to prepare. Over the coming months, EyeNet’s Destination AAO 2016 will guide you through deadlines, the scientific pro­gram, must-attend events, and can’t-miss Chicago happenings.

When to be there. AAO 2016, in conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology, is held Oct. 15-18 and is preceded by Subspecialty Day on Oct. 14-15.

Q&A WITH DR. FISHKIND

Sneak a Peek at This Year’s Program

William J. Fishkind, MD, FACS, chair of the Annual Meeting Program Com­mittee (AMPC), discusses this year’s program and what he’s looking forward to in Chicago.

Q. When you took on this job leading up to AAO 2015, what did you most want to change about the annual meeting?

My goal was to make the meeting as valuable and instructive as possible for every member of our Academy. I have always wanted to make an extraordinary meeting even more extraordinary! For example, when I was chair of the AMPC subcommittee on cataract (before I took on the role of chair of the AMPC), I facilitated the Ophthalmic Premier League, introduced and presented by Amar Agarwal, MD, which provides educational value with excitement and comedy. Also, for a cou­ple of years now we have been empha­sizing the self-assessment courses so that members can get the necessary self-as­sessment for continued licensure—my goal is to continue to increase these courses at the meeting, as I think they are very valuable for our members. In addition, we have beefed up the posters and video presentations and changed the Skills Transfer labs to improve the surgeon-to-faculty ratio so each partic­ipant will have more one-on-one time.

Q. What are some new things we will see at this year’s meeting?

There are a few new things to watch out for.

• We have a new named lecture, the C. Stephen and Frances Foster Lecture in Uveitis and Immunology, on medical advancements to uveitis, ocular inflam­mation, and immunology.
• We have added 3 new Skills Transfer courses: Laser Retinopexy for Retinal Breaks: Simulation Workshop, Smart­phone Fundus Photography, and Scler­al and Iris Suturing of PC IOLs With Intraocular Knot Tying.
• We are asking senior instructors to help get young ophthalmologists more involved with the annual meeting by inviting them to participate as faculty in courses and in Breakfast With the Experts roundtables.
• For the first time, there will be no Final Program—the Mobile Meeting Guide will take over as the primary source for all the meeting information you will need.

Q. What are some of the hottest course topics being planned?

As in previous years, one of the most highly anticipated symposia is Cataract Monday, with the Cataract Spotlight moderated by David F. Chang, MD, and Mitchell P. Weikert, MD, followed by the Kelman Lecture and the ASCRS Symposium.

Patient Engagement, which is a new session that discusses enhancing the patient experience, will also be high profile, as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has been so keenly focused on the patient’s assessment of quality of care.

Another hot topic right now is cross-linking associated with refractive surgery—the International Society of Refractive Surgery will be holding a symposium on this subject.

The following topics will likely be among the most talked-about:

• Cataract: Controversy regarding use of NSAIDs in cataract surgery, dropless cataract surgery, intracameral antibi­otics,low-add multifocals,and glued IOLs.
• Cornea: Descemet’s membrane endo­thelial keratoplasty (DMEK) with air or SF6, injectors, cryotherapy without excision for conjunctival melanoma in situ, and bevacizumab (Avastin) for corneal neovascularization.
• Glaucoma: Microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS and micropulse diode laser) vs. trabeculectomy vs. tube.
• Retina: OCT angiography and new anti-VEGF treatments. 

Q. If you could attend just one instruc­tion course or symposium at this meet­ing, what would it be and why?

Just one! How distressing would that be, to be at an educational epicenter and not participate fully? I encourage all my colleagues to attend AAO 2016 and participate as much as they can. Not to dodge the question, however; if I had to pick one I would attend the Cataract Spotlight Session on Monday morning. It is seamlessly organized, it’s bursting with extensive clinical pearls, and it’s also a self-assessment course—it checks all my boxes!

Q. What is the #1 extracurricular activity you are looking forward to in Chicago?

I always enjoy catching up with col­leagues I haven’t seen since the last meeting. I also can’t wait to spend some time at the Driehaus Museum, which is located within the historic Samuel M. Nickerson House near the Magnificent Mile and is a remarkable example of what a home looked like in the Gilded Age of America.

DR. FISHKIND’S CONTRIBUTIONS. Dr. Fishkind supported Dr. Agarwal’s introduction of the Ophthalmic Premier League, where teams show their most challenging cataract cases on video—the audience votes on the winner.

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

Subspecialty Day 2016

The Subspecialty Day meetings take place on Friday, Oct. 14, and Saturday, Oct. 15:

• Cornea (Saturday)
• Glaucoma (Saturday)
• Ocular Oncology and Pathology (Saturday)
• Oculofacial Plastic Surgery (Saturday)
• Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabis­mus (Saturday)
• Refractive Surgery (Friday)
• Retina (Friday and Saturday)
• Uveitis (Saturday)

Explore more than 1 meeting. If you are registered for a 1-day meet­ing, you can float among any of the other meetings taking place that day; 2-day registrants are free to attend any presentation taking place on Friday or Saturday.

For program information, visit www.aao.org/annual-meeting/subspecialty-day.

BEAT THE CLOCK

When to Register

The online meeting registration system for AAO 2016 and Subspecialty Day opens June 22 for Academy and AAOE members and July 13 for nonmem­bers. Find registration information, including fees, online at www.aao.org/registration.

Book Your Hotel

The online hotel reservation system opens June 22 for Academy and AAOE members and July 13 for nonmembers. Find a map and list of hotels online at www.aao.org/hotels.

LEARN AT LUNCH. EyeNet’s free corporate educational programs are conveniently located onsite at McCormick Place.

EVENTS

Save the Dates: EyeNet Corporate Lunches

Be sure to leave room in your schedule for EyeNet’s free corporate educational lunches. Located onsite at McCormick Place, the lunch symposia are held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15, Sunday, Oct. 16, and Monday, Oct. 17. These non-CME lunches are developed independently by industry—they are not affiliated with the official program of AAO 2016 or Subspecialty Day. Top­ics and speakers will be announced lat­er this summer—watch www.aao.org/eyenet/corporate-lunches for details.

New this year: No preregistration required. Free box lunches are served on a first-come, first-served basis, so be sure to arrive on time to secure your meal and seat.