I want to start by quoting one of my patients: “In this changing time, we must think differently. If not, these will not be changing times for you — they will be challenging times for you.” These times are uncertain for now … but hopefully not for too long.

What a challenge the last 18 months have been! But now, as we collectively emerge from our changed realities imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, normalcy is in our sights. More and more of us are vaccinated, getting back to interacting with friends and family, and now travelling for both pleasure and work.

BACK TO OUR OLD NORMAL

Speaking of travel, my favorite meeting of the year is upon us: ASCRS — in Vegas! I am sure that all the hard work that the ASCRS leadership and staff have put into the meeting will be evident to all attendees.

I am excited to travel to this meeting and see colleagues and friends again. I honestly can say that I am “Zoomed” out! I miss attending live conferences — the learning, the on-the-fly interactions and the meetings outside the meeting. I am hopeful that our “new normal” will resemble our “old normal” sooner rather than later.

With respect to clinical care, patient volumes also are getting back near our old normal. Patients are seeking elective surgery again, and we are seeing continued innovation from industry to help us provide novel treatments for patients.

IN THIS ISSUE

This month’s Ophthalmology Management covers several topics that will be of interest to the ophthalmic surgeon.

Many of us are seeing an increasing number of patients interested in refractive surgery as we come out of the pandemic. Dr. Bill Wiley shares his thoughts on current refractive surgery procedures, future options and growth trends (page 18).

Industry continues to bring new IOL technologies to market. Dr. Niraj Desai reviews many of the newest IOL technologies and how he plans to incorporate them into his refractive cataract practice (page 20).

As a 45-year-old post-myopic patient, I am certainly experiencing the untoward effects of presbyopia. In this issue, we also review the myriad of presbyopia-correcting drops on the horizon (page 26). Sign me up!

Dr. Alice Epitropoulos educates us on the importance of the perioperative management of ocular surface disease and reviews the newer therapeutic options that are available to us (page 34).

As for glaucoma, the disease may not always be evident at the time of cataract surgery. Dr. Ahad Mahootchi offers his perspective on use of a transconjunctival gel stent to treat advanced glaucoma patients without affecting his refractive cataract results (page 40).

Lastly, as we move past the pandemic, we interview surgeons from across the country to get their perspective on how delayed care as a result of the pandemic has affected their practice and their patients (page 46).

As life slowly returns to normal, we hope this issue of Ophthalmology Management helps you to think differently. Be safe and be well. OM

Sumit (Sam) Garg, MD, is vice chair of clinical ophthalmology, medical director and professor in cataract, refractive, external disease and corneal surgery at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Garg recently served as chair of the ASCRS Young Eye Surgeons clinical committee and is currently on the ASCRS Cornea clinical committee.

Disclosures: Dr. Garg reports relationships with Allergan, Avellino, CorneaGen, Dompe, Expert Opinion, ForSight Robotics, Glaukos, Johnson & Johnson Vision, Kala, LensGen, New World Medical, Novartis, OcuTrx, Omera, Orasis, Oyster Point, Samsara, SightLife, SightSciences, Spyglass, Tarsus, Visus and Zeiss.