The 2024 ASCRS annual meeting, taking place April 5-8 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, will kick off on Friday, April 5 with several events to celebrate the ASCRS’ 50th anniversary.
A cocktail reception will be held in the late afternoon on Friday for members and exhibiting attendees that will provide a glimpse back at the rich history of ASCRS. In addition, a celebratory cake will be available in the ASCRS Exhibit Hall. While in the Exhibit Hall, attendees will also have an opportunity to step into a recreation of a practice from 1974.
The festivities will continue with a 70’s-themed ASCRS ASOA Party for a Purpose. Decade-inspired costume attire is encouraged for the event, which will be held on Friday from 8 p.m. to midnight at the OMNI Boston Hotel at the Seaport. It is open to all ASCRS, ASOA, industry/exhibitor attendees and their guests (with your badge). Admission is free. Donations raised during the event will benefit the ASCRS Foundation.
The ASOA Annual Meeting — for ophthalmic practice management education — will run in conjunction with ASCRS.
ASCRS is not requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination status or a negative test to attend the meeting. Attendees must agree to take necessary precautions while at the event including, but not limited to, following all state and local regulations and guidance of the CDC. Attendees also must agree to not attend the event if they feel ill, have known recent exposure to COVID-19 and/or have tested positive within the last 7 days.
Here are the highlights from this year’s schedule.
FRIDAY, APRIL 5
• Friday on the Main Stage: Features interviews with the incoming and outgoing ASCRS presidents, presentation of the ASCRS Hall of Fame and the ASCRS Educator Award, as well as other important updates and honors from the society.
• ASCRS Subspecialty Day: ASCRS Cornea Day will feature the following sessions: Complex Cases (Infections and Inflammations and Keratoconus Corner), Keratoplasty – Now and What’s Coming (PLK and ALK), Anterior Segment and Cornea Surgical Video Roundup, and the Ocular Surface (Severe OSD Management and Dry Eye Corner). Program co-chairs are Francis Mah, MD, and Marjan Farid, MD.
Refractive Day will focus on understanding a patients’ lifelong refractive journey. It will feature the following sessions: Swimming the Waves of Corneal Refractive and Phakic IOL Surgery, the Steinert Lecture, Cycling the Range of Presbyopia Treatments, Running the Distance with Refractive Cataract Surgery, and an audience Q&A. Program co-chairs are Daniel Chang, MD, Cathleen McCabe, MD, and Vance Thompson, MD.
Glaucoma Day will feature an ASCRS/AGS joint symposium, sessions on “Glaukomtecken” as well as Medications, Lasers and Lifestyle, a Surgical Spotlight, the Stephen A. Obstbaum, MD Honored Lecture, and the 14th Annual Video Session: Complications and a Reay of Hope. Program co-chairs are Nathan Radcliffe, MD, and Manjool Shah, MD.
SATURDAY, APRIL 6
• Saturday on the Main Stage: Mitchell Weikert, MD, will deliver the 2024 Cornelius D. Binkhorst, MD, Lecture and Medal.
SUNDAY, APRIL 7
• Sunday on the Main Stage: Renato Ambrosio Jr., MD, PhD, will deliver the 2024 Richard L. Lindstrom, MD, Lecture and Medal during the Lindstrom Symposium, which features presentations in cataract, refractive, cornea and glaucoma surgery.
MONDAY, APRIL 8
• Monday on the Main Stage: David Chang, MD, will deliver the 2024 Charles D. Kelman, MD, Innovator’s Lecture and Medal. Other presentations will focus on innovation in ophthalmology.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
• Eyecelerator@ASCRS will take place Thursday, April 4, at the OMNI Boston Hotel at the Seaport from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eyecelerator@ASCRS will highlight industry advancements, investment trends and innovative products disrupting eye care. The conference will provide opportunities to network and explore new market potentials, company showcases presenting novel clinical treatments and emerging technologies, and expanded opportunities for audience questions and participation. The Winning Pitch Challenge also returns, offering ophthalmologists addressing unmet needs in eye care the chance to shine in this Shark Tank-style competition. Three top innovators will be selected and compete for cash prizes worth up to $25,000. Finalists get access to industry mentors and networking opportunities, exposure to potential financial resources and guidance for overcoming early-stage obstacles.
• New Cutting-Edge Sessions will take place on Thursday, April 4, through Sunday, April 7. The sessions will cover a range of topics such as technological advancement, artificial intelligence, digital visualization, precision medicine, telehealth and surgical guidance.
• Young Eye Surgeons (YES) Skills Transfer Labs will take place on Friday, April 5, with a Phaco Lab, Anterior Segment Surgery Lab, DALK Lab, DMEK/DSAEK Lab and Yamane lab. An additional Yamane lab will take place on Saturday, April 6. New this year are phaco-focused practice rooms for those who are registered for labs (faculty will be on hand). Registration fees apply.
• Skills Transfer Labs (for other attendees) will take place on Saturday, April 6 through Monday, April 8, covering areas of cornea, advanced cataract techniques, surgical glaucoma management and more. A separate registration and additional fee are required.
• YES Day Programming will take place on Saturday, April 6. YES Day features a networking and meeting kickoff, followed by the first YES symposium — “Good to Great Surgeon: Working through Complications.” The afternoon includes the annual YES Networking Lunch with ASCRS leadership, followed by a second symposium — “Toolkit for Job Success” — and a residents and fellows papers/posters session.
• Complimentary box lunches will be provided in the Exhibit Hall on Saturday, April 6, and Sunday, April 7, from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. Attendees can grab a bite while networking with industry and colleagues.
• The 42nd ASCRS Film Festival will be held on Sunday, April 7, at 5:15 p.m. Winners will be announced during a reception and awards ceremony at the ASCRS Annual Meeting honoring the best filmmakers and film producers in ophthalmology.
• The ASCRS Tap Room will return as a popular gathering spot for networking, socializing and non-CME learning opportunities.
• The Wellness Lounge, in Hall B, will provide a space where attendees can feed their mind, body and soul with daily activities.
• Complimentary professional headshots will be available in the Headshot Lounge in Hall A.
For more, visit https://annualmeeting.ascrs.org. OM
SPONSORED CONTENT
EXHIBITOR BOOTH PREVIEW
A sampling of exhibitors to help you navigate the ASCRS show floor in Boston
ALCON
Alcon helps people see brilliantly. As a global leader in eye care, Alcon offers the broadest portfolio of surgical and vision care products, and serves more than 260 million people, in over 140 countries, living with conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, retinal diseases, and refractive errors.
Booth #747
GLAUKOS CORPORATION
Glaukos Corporation is an ophthalmic medical technology and pharmaceutical company focused on novel therapies for the treatment of glaucoma, corneal disorders, and retinal diseases. Glaukos is leveraging its platform technology to build a comprehensive and proprietary portfolio of micro-scale surgical and pharmaceutical therapies in glaucoma, corneal health, and retinal disease.
Booth #631
HEINE
The HEINE OMEGA 600 provides a new class of technological innovation in indirect ophthalmoscopy.
- The most precise diagnostic, up to the far retinal periphery
- Up to 20% better view in media opacities with visionBOOST
- Lightest high-end BIO worldwide
- Long-lasting investment, robust and durable
- Easy disinfection with smoothSURFACE
Purchase an OMEGA 600 at the show and receive $300 off.
Booth #565
NIDEK
Nidek has launched its Mirante Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope (SLO) in the United States. The Mirante introduces a multimodal fundus-imaging platform, seamlessly integrating high-definition SLO and optical coherence tomography (OCT) with ultra-wide field imaging capabilities. For more info, please visit: https://usa.nidek.com/mirante.
Booth #1065
OASIS MEDICAL
OASIS Medical is dedicated to equipping eyecare providers with cost-effective solutions to ensure quality patient care, improve practice management, and support practice growth. OASIS supplies high-quality surgical and dry eye products to eyecare professionals that provide solutions to chronic conditions and make a meaningful difference in patients’ quality of life.
Booth #2675
OCULAR THERAPEUTIX
Ocular Therapeutix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative therapies for diseases and conditions of the eye using its proprietary bioresorbable hydrogel technology, Elutyx™. Ocular Therapeutix has built a robust product pipeline of drug delivery solutions developed to reduce the complexity and burden of the current standard of care.
OCULUS
OCULUS has been setting milestones in the eyecare industry since 1895. We offer a wide range of products, including the Pentacam®, visual field perimeters, corneal topographers, slit-lamp cameras, pachymeters, autorefractors, keratometers, trial frames, and loupes. OCULUS products are 100% made in Germany and fully supported in the United States.
Booth #2075
THEA PHARMA
Thea Pharma is the U.S. subsidiary of Théa, with a product offering including Zioptan®, AcellFX®, Cosopt®, Cosopt® PF, Azasite®, Akten®, Betimol®, iVIZIA, and now IYUZEH™. Our goal is to deliver uncompromising care, allowing stakeholders to envision the future of treatment with eyes wide open.
Explore the Thea Escape Room at booth #1806.
Booths #2095 and #1806
