WAEPS 2017 Lecture Descriptions

To view the 2017 Tech Schedule, click here.

_{(Opens in a new tab)}

To see the Workshop Descriptions, click here.

_{(Opens in a new tab)}

1. Normal Tension Glaucoma

Speaker: Ernesto Golez, MD

Course Description: This course will review the pathophysiology and evaluation of NTG and discuss the appropriate medical and surgical therapies for NTG. This course will enable participants to identify NTG patients who deserve further neurologic evaluation and to become familiar with the appropriate treatment of patients with glaucoma and normal IOP.

Objectives:

Review the pathophysiology of NTG and how to properly evaluate the disease.
Describe the appropriate medical and surgical treatments.

2. Pharmacology Update 2017

Speaker: Martha Leen, MD and Paul Kremer, MD

Course Description: This course will provide an update on medications that are available for the treatment of both glaucoma and anterior segment diseases. Pharmacology indications and side effects will be discussed.

Objectives:

Review the medications that are available for glaucoma and anterior segment diseases.
Describe their indications and potential side effects.

3. Retinal and Choroidal Manifestations of Systemic Diseases

Speaker: Kelly Bui, MD

Course Description: This course will discuss the current state of retinal and choroidal manifestations of selected systemic diseases, including AIDS, gastrointestinal diseases, syphilis, ocular toxocariasis, metastasis, tuberculosis, and retinal-choroidal toxicity of systemic drugs. At the conclusion of this course, participants will appreciate the variety of retinal and choroidal manifestations of selected systemic diseases.

Objectives:

Describe the retinal and choroidal manifestations of selected systemic diseases.
Be able to recognize retinal pathology associated with systemic diseases.

4. Collagen Cross Linking for Corneal Ectasia

Speaker: Audrey Talley Rostov, MD

Course Description: This course will provide an in-depth overview of collagen cross linking, the newest treatment available for corneal ectasia. Indications and techniques of treatment, selection of candidates, timing of intervention and post-treatment management will be discussed as well as future directions of collagen cross linking in eye care.

Objectives:

Describe the indications and techniques of treating corneal ectasia with collagen cross linking.
Explain pre- and post-management methods.

5. Strabismus and Amblyopia

Speaker: Michelle (Mimi) Trager Cabrera, MD

Course Description: This course will provide an in-depth review of binocularity, visual development and amblyopia, including how to detect amblyopia and how to treat it. We will discuss tricks of the trade for examining children in the ophthalmology clinic and practical tips to effectively check vision and strabismus in children.

Objectives:

Understand binocularity, visual development and amblyopia.
Describe the techniques for measurement and treatment of strabismus and amblyopia.

6. How to Identify and Manage Unhappy Patients

Speaker: Anne M Menke, RN, PhD and Dan Briceland, MD

Course Description: Ophthalmologists, nurses, administrators and technicians report spending an increasing amount of time dealing with “difficult” patients. Some of these patients are unhappy with the outcome of their care, some have substance abuse (drug and alcohol) issues and some may have mental health issues or dementia. At other times, eye surgeons are surprised to learn that former, seemingly satisfied patients have filed a malpractice lawsuit against them. Actual calls to the Risk Management Hotline and closed malpractice cases will be used to identify patients who are unhappy, and to offer ways to improve communication skills for dealing with patients once problems are apparent.

Objectives:

Identify behaviors of patients who may be unhappy with their care.
Develop approaches that encourage patients to communicate their concerns.
Clarify when further communication will not be helpful.

7. Pupil Disorders

Speaker: Jean Kassem, MD

Course Description: This course will explain pupil evaluation and provide an overview of the most common pupil abnormalities, their pathophysiology and clinical significance. The course will describe the anatomy and physiology of the afferent and efferent neural pathways as they apply to pupillary function and outline a systematic method of examination to determine if and which pupillary abnormality is present.

Objectives:

Understand the anatomy and physiology of the afferent and efferent neural pathways.
Describe common pupil abnormalities and the best techniques to evaluate them.

8. Retinal OCT: Image Interpretation

Speaker: Ryan Whitted, MD

Course Description: This course will be an interactive discussion of basic and advanced retinal OCT interpretation. The lecture will provide an introduction to OCT technology and a review of cross sectional retinal anatomy. Current terminology for OCT interpretation will also be reviewed. The course participants will be asked to comment on and discuss the OCT images that will be used to illustrate retinal pathology of common diseases.

Objectives:

Describe cross sectional retinal anatomy and current OCT terminology.
Identify the retinal pathology of common diseases seen on OCT images.

9. Sudden Unilateral Vision Loss

Speaker: Nathan Jordan, MD

Course Description: Patients presenting on an acute basis with a complaint of sudden unilateral non-traumatic vision loss is a frequent occurrence in an ophthalmic practice. Understanding the most common causes of this condition will allow the technician to focus on the parts of the history and examination that will lead to the most useful information, and aid in making an early diagnosis.

Objectives:

List the most common causes of sudden unilateral vision loss.
Describe the most important parts of the history and examination for this complaint.

10. Corneal Infectious Disease

Speaker: Devin Harrison, MD

Course Description: This course will review the common agents of corneal infectious disease, including viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa. Common infections caused by these agents will be described. The clinical appearance, diagnostic techniques and treatment will be reviewed for each disease entity.

Objectives:

List the various types of corneal infectious diseases.
Describe the clinical appearance of corneal infections

11. Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery

Speaker: Hari Bodhireddy, MD

Course Description: Ocular anatomy and physiology as it pertains to glaucoma and its surgical treatment will be reviewed. Participants will understand the mechanism and goal of traditional glaucoma treatment. Additionally, all literature on the outcomes and complications of recent minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries as compared to older treatments will be reviewed.

Objectives:

Understand the treatment paradigm for glaucoma and the use of MIGS for treatment of glaucoma.
Describe how MIGS differs from traditional glaucoma filtering surgery.

12. Pediatric Eye Emergencies You Don't Want to Miss!

Speaker: Ingrid Carlson, MD

Course Description: Pediatric eye emergencies that present to the comprehensive or pediatric ophthalmologist can be vision- or life-threatening for the child. Appropriate early treatment of such eye conditions is critical in optimizing a successful outcome for the patient. In this course, diagnoses with clinical presentations, case studies and appropriate triage questions will be presented and critical collaborative medical care will be discussed. At the conclusion of this course, the audience will be able to identify and understand the management of vision- and life-threatening pediatric eye conditions.

Objectives:

Describe the clinical presentations of vision- or life-threatening pediatric eye emergencies.
Explain the appropriate triage questions and management of these conditions.

13. Horner's Syndrome Made Simple

Speaker: Christiaan Kroesen, MD

Course Description: The pathophysiology of Horner's Syndrome, diagnosis and management will be reviewed and discussed. Examination findings and the role of the technician in obtaining a detailed history will also be reviewed.

Objectives:

Describe Horner’s Syndrome and its management.
List the tests needed during the examination and key findings in the patient history that aid in the diagnosis and appropriate treatment of this disease.

14. Update on High-Tech Cataract Surgery

Speaker: Robert Tester, MD

Course Description: In this course, attendees will be given a comprehensive update on high-tech cataract surgery including four-year outcome data on femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery, no-IV sedation techniques, and one-year data on drop-less cataract surgery techniques.

Objectives:

List the techniques currently being used in high-tech cataract surgery.
Understand the indications for and the concept of each technique.

15. Systemic Therapeutic Agents and Retinal Toxicity

Speaker: Sharel Ongchin, MD

Course Description: This course will provide a review of systemic (and select intravitreal) medications that are capable of causing various patterns of retinal toxicity. Examples of the types and patterns of toxicity will be presented. The mechanism of action will be discussed and several case studies will also be reviewed.

Objectives:

Identify the systemic and intravitreal medications that can cause retinal toxicity.
Describe the types and patterns of the retinal toxicity.

16. It’s Alive! Infectious and Parasitic Uveitis

Speaker: Thellea K. Leveque, MD, MPH

Course Description: Germs, worms and bugs: they are all around us. Usually our bacterial and parasitic buddies keep their distance, but they can invade the eye and wreak havoc. Buckle up for mix of didactics and disgust as we tour the underbelly of uveitic eye disease. Not for the squeamish!

Objectives:

Identify the infectious and parasitic agents that can cause uveitic eye disease.
Describe the best treatment course for each.

17. Multi-focal Contact Lenses

Speaker: Ginny Mercer

Course Description: This course will review patient selection and fitting options of soft, RGP and hybrid design options. We will discuss problem-solving related to dryness, acuity, lens options and patient needs. Care and handling will also be discussed.

Objectives:

List the multi-focal contact lens options available in soft, RGP and hyprid designs.
Understand the different techniques that can be used to achieve an optimal fit.

18. How Vision is Affected by Parkinson’s Disease

Speaker: Steve Hamilton, MD

Course Description: This course will discuss the physiology of how Parkinson's Disease often affects vision, such as the exacerbation of dry eyes, blepharospasm, apraxia of eyelid opening, difficulty reading with diplopia at near, etc. We will also discuss practical ways to help these patients improve their daily vision through proper glasses prescriptions and other means.

Objectives:

Understand how Parkison’s Disease can affect the eyes.
Describe possible solutions that can help with these symptoms.

19. Simplified Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy in 2017

Speaker: Noah Kim, MD

Course Description: This course will provide an overview of diabetic retinopathy and discuss the indications for and techniques of laser, control of systemic disease, anti-VEGF intravitreal injections, and steroids in the management of diabetic retinopathy. At the conclusion of this course, attendees will have a better understanding about when laser should be used and when and how often intravitreal injections should be implemented as an adjunct to laser.

Objectives:

List the indications for and treatment options for the management of diabetic retinopathy.
Understand when and how laser or intravitreal injections should be implemented.

20. Update on Astigmatism Management During Cataract Surgery

Speaker: Chris Kuntz, MD

Course Description: This course will look into the current state-of-the-art treatment in astigmatism management. We will explore the limits and potentials of toric intraocular lenses and LRI's and address the question of when to offer these technologies and when not to. This moderately technical course will assume a solid understanding of refraction and astigmatism.

Objectives:

Understand the indications for astigmatic correction during cataract surgery.
Describe the various treatment options available.

21. Cancer and the Eye

Speaker: Andrew Stacey, MD

Course Description: This course will provide an in-depth overview of the common presentations of cancer in the eye, including the conjunctiva, iris, retina, and choroid.

Objectives:

List the types of cancers that can invade the structures of the eye.
Describe the treatment and management strategies currently being used to combat the disease.

22. Treatment for Age-related Macular Degeneration in the Year 2025

Speaker: David Saperstein, MD

Course Description: Treatment of exudative age-related macular degeneration has been revolutionized with the introduction of vascular endothelial growth factor neutralizing agents. Several new and more potent VEGF inhibitors are at different stages of development. This course will review the new classes of drugs that will be a crucial part of the future management of exudative AMD, including complement inhibitors, immunomodulators and integrin inhibitors. Tissue engineering techniques to reconstruct sub-retinal anatomy will also be discussed.

Objectives:

Name the treatments currently available for AMD.
Describe upcoming treatment modalities and how they will be used.

23. Lotions, Potions, Toxins, & Fillers: Nonsurgical Rejuvenation

Speaker: AJ Amadi, MD, FACS

Course Description: This course will introduce a variety of non-surgical rejuvenation methods for the face and periocular region. Focus will be on topical treatments, botulinum toxins and dermal fillers that can be used to shape the periocular region and provide patients with a more youthful look. Each of these treatments can be used alone, or ideally, in combination for a more optimal outcome.

Objectives:

Describe various non-surgical rejuvenation methods for the face and periocular region.
Describe the indications and outcomes of the treatments.

24. A Practical Approach to Ocular Trauma

Speaker: Yewlin Chee, MD

Course Description: This course will present a practical, step-by-step approach to the patient with ocular trauma. Using multiple clinical examples, the work-up of the ocular trauma patient will be discussed and as well as the ways to identify true ophthalmic emergencies.

Objectives:

Formulate a strategy to triage and evaluate patients with ocular trauma.
Be able to identify true ocular emergencies and describe their immediate management.

25. Endothelial Keratoplasty: The Most Common Transplant Performed Today

Speaker: Michael Banitt, MD, MHA

Course Description: This course will review the evolution of endothelial keratoplasty into modern DSAEK and DMEK. Operative indications and techniques, intra-operative and post-operative complications, post-operative management and future directions of endothelial keratoplasty will be discussed.

Objectives:

Describe the indications and techniques for endothelial keratoplasty.
List the possible complications of the procedure and their appropriate management.

26. Systemic Diseases and the Eye

Speaker: Brian Roth, MD

Course Description: This course will focus on specific systemic diseases and their manifestations in the eye and ocular structures. We will review the importance of obtaining a complete past medical history and the different strategies for getting that information from patients who are otherwise poor historians.

Objectives:

Describe the ocular manifestations of specific systemic diseases.
List several strategies for obtaining an accurate and useful patient history.

27. Infiltrates and Inflammatory Corneal Ulcers

Speaker: Nikhil Godbole, MD

Course Description: This course will provide a detailed overview of the various types of corneal ulcers and their etiology. The course will describe the best treatment options and management for the various types of ulcers.

Objectives:

Name the common types of corneal ulcers and describe their etiology.
Describe the best treatment and management options available for these conditions.

28. The In's and Out's of R&R

Speaker: Matthew Niemeyer, MD

Course Description: This lecture will talk about intraocular lens removal and replacement including indications and technique. It will also have a bonus section reviewing iStents and the anatomy and physiology of Schlemm's canal.

Objectives:

Name the indications for intraocular lens removal and replacement.
Describe the anatomy and physiology of Schlemm’s canal and the use of iStent technology.

29. What’s New in Ocular Prosthetics

Speaker: Greg Sankey

Course Description: This course will discuss the newest techniques in fitting and fabricating "Custom Fit and Fabricated” artificial eyes. We will cover the new technology currently being used to improve color matching. Also included will be real enucleation, evisceration and retinoblastoma case studies to show the group just how real artificial eyes can look in these patients.

Objectives:

List the latest techniques in fitting and fabricating ocular prosthetics.
Describe how color matching is accomplished in these patients.

30. Eyelid Reconstruction

Speaker: Christopher Chambers, MD

Course Description: This course will cover the functional and cosmetic reconstruction of eyelid and periorbital tissue and will provide an understanding of the relevant anatomy. Reconstruction techniques necessary for successful reconstruction will be reviewed.

Objectives:

Understand eyelid anatomy and physiology.
Describe the reconstructive techniques available for the eyelid and periorbital tissue.