Surgical options and transformative research embody 2020
From a clinical perspective, increased options for cataract surgeons and transformative retina research embodied 2020, according to panelists at the virtual Ophthalmology Innovation Summit Year in Review meeting.
“The more options and tools in my toolbox, the better.” Uday Devgan, MD, said. “Having the extra tools is beneficial, whether it’s an adjustable lens, whether it’s refractive index shaping, which is coming in the future so you can adjust any monofocal lens you want, make it multifocal, make it toric, change the spherical power. All those things, the more the better.”
However, determining correct lens and alignment at the outset may negate the need for adjustments in the future. Using artificial intelligence to inform IOL calculations can yield 94% to 95% accuracy, Devgan said.
“In my own practice I want to kind of have simplicity, if I know I can nail your lens right off the bat, let me just give you the lens you want now and not worry about trying to adjust in the future,” he said.
In the retina space, the year has been a transformative one, according to Stephen Schwartz, MD.
“In the retina game, in our field, we are really seeing a lot of transformational research come to the clinic this year or early next year,” Schwartz said, with the big areas for research being gene therapy and regenerative medicine.
For neovascular age-related macular degeneration, using adenoviral vectors that express aflibercept is “getting a tremendous response with virtually zero rescue injections and a really great safety profile, and that is looking tremendously exciting,” Schwartz said.
For dry AMD, regenerative medicine may play a role.
“I’m a big proponent of transplanting human retinal pigment epithelium into patients with maculopathies where they lost their RPE,” Schwartz said.
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Year in review – Clinical perspectives. Presented at: OIS Year in Review; Dec. 9, 2020 (virtual meeting).
