Jolie is the Content Specialist for Ophthalmology Times. She can be reached at jolie.higazi@advanstar.com.

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	Glaucoma Research Foundation’s annual Glaucoma 360 unites clinical, industry, funding, and FDA leaders to discuss innovative research and advances in glaucoma treatment.  The event spans 3 days with the Glaucoma 360 Annual Gala, New Horizons Forum, Glaucoma Symposium CME, and Optometric Glaucoma Symposium.

	Preceding the Glaucoma 360 Annual Gala is an always much anticipated “silent auction,” though the hall is far from silent as industry and clinical leaders mingle at this Glaucoma-specific meeting in San Francisco. 

		Attendees bid on dozens of gift, travel, and other exotic packages displayed.

			7 nights at The Verandah Resort and Spa, Antigua

			Signed David West Golden State Warriors Jersey

			Pier 39 Family Fun Pack in San Francisco

			Geneology Certificate: 2 hours of professional family history research

	Professional classical musicians serenade the attendees as they enjoy the reception.

	Numerous paintings draw the attendees’ focus as they walk from the reception to the Gala hall.

	During the live auction, Liam Mayclem ramps up the audience and explains each of the prizes, including home plate tickets to a San Francisco Giants game, a journey to Japan for 2, and a San Diego getaway for 2.

	Many auction items have fierce competition, with all the proceeds benefiting the Glaucoma Research Foundation’s education, research, and support programs. To date, the Gala has raised over $5 million.

		Eugene de Juan, Jr., MD, was awarded the Catalyst Award, the Glaucoma Research Foundation's highest honor.

		“Dr. de Juan is an extraordinary physician and teacher, as well as a successful entrepreneur,” said Thomas M. Brunner, president and chief executive officer of the Glaucoma Research Foundation. “He has dedicated his career to the development of new and innovative technologies to preserve vision. GRF is thrilled to have this opportunity to recognize Gene for his many contributions to medicine and improving the lives of patients with blinding eye diseases.”

	Attendees enjoy a multiple course meal while dining with leading ophthalmologists, scientists, and industry members.

	For his research efforts to better understand the molecular pathways that are responsible for axonal degeneration in glaucoma, Richard Libby, PhD, was awarded the 2017 Shaffer Prize for Research during Thursday night’s Glaucoma 360 annual Gala. 

Rochester University researcher awarded 2017 Shaffer Prize

is the official media sponsor of Glaucoma 360. To receive live updates from the meeting, readers can follow on social media (

		Andrew Iwach, MD, (above) and Adrienne Graves, PhD, are the Glaucoma 360 co-chairs.

Articles

See the highlights and program overview from the Glaucoma Research Foundation's 2017 Glaucoma 360!

What you missed at Glaucoma 360 this year

	David Karcher, executive director and chief executive officer, The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), will retire as of December 31, 2018, according to an ASCRS press release.

	Karcher will be a consultant for ASCRS through 2021.

	Since August 1981 when he started his leadership role at the organization, membership has grown to more than 8,500, the number of employees has expanded from three to 65, and the annual budget has increased from $360,000 to more than $23 million, the press release said.

	“I have been blessed over these many years to work with a dedicated and loyal staff who have been taking direction from a very dynamic and engaged group of volunteer leaders,” Karcher said. “I look forward to watching-from a different vantage point-ASCRS, the ASCRS Foundation, and ASOA continue to grow and prosper.”

	Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD, will chair the search committee responsible for interviewing candidates to fill the role of executive director.

	Interviews will begin in the late summer or early fall of 2017. Leonard Pfeiffer & Company, a well-known executive search firm, will be assisting in the search. All inquiries should be sent to Zara Sulayman, zrsulayman@pfeiffercompany.com, 202-737-6327, ext 24. 

	“There is no one individual who is more responsible for the success of ASCRS than David Karcher,” said Edward J. Holland, MD, chair, ASCRS Program Committee. “Ophthalmologists, administrators and patients worldwide have benefited from Dave’s dedicated work. His honesty, humility, integrity, and outstanding leadership have made our organization exceptional. We will never replace David Karcher, but look to build on the foundation and principles he has instituted for ASCRS.” 

	Under Karcher’s leadership, ASCRS restructured its scientific advisory board into clinical committees, which are actively engaged in developing the organization’s annual meeting. The first meeting which was held in 1982 had about 600 registrants, compared with recent registration of upwards of 7,000, the organization said.

	Karcher also co-founded The American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASOA) in 1985. ASOA is a leading organization for the business side of the ophthalmic practice, providing support, tools, and resources to help ophthalmologists grow, expand, and improve their businesses, the press release said.

	Karcher also facilitated development of the ASCRS Foundation, which provides humanitarian support domestically and internationally. Each year in the United States, hundreds of eligible cataract patients who are unable to afford surgery are paired with volunteer surgeons who perform the necessary procedures. In Ethiopia, more than 23,000 patients annually are treated through ASCRS Foundation’s Robert Sinskey Eye Institute in Addis Ababa, the organization said.

David Karcher, executive director and chief executive officer, The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), will retire as of December 31, 2018, according to an ASCRS press release. Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD, will chair the search committee responsible for interviewing candidates to fill the role of executive director. Interviews will begin in the late summer or early fall of 2017. Leonard Pfeiffer & Company, a well-known executive search firm, will be assisting in the search.

Retirement is around the corner for David Karcher, ASCRS executive director

	The ophthalmic community mourns the loss of Roger Steinert, MD, an internationally renowned and respected corneal, cataract, and refractive surgeon who pioneered advances in laser surgery techniques and corneal transplantation. Dr. Steinert passed away on June 6 at the age of 66 after a 2 ½-year battle with glioblastoma.

Courtesy of University of California, Irvine Medical Center

	He was founding director of the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine (UCI), which opened in 2013, and at the time of his death was also the Irving H. Leopold Professor and Chair of UCI’s Department of Ophthalmology.

	"Dr. Steinert was a dedicated and beloved member of our campus community who fervently advocated for the establishment and success of the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute,” said Howard Gillman, UCI chancellor. "His bold vision, inspiring research and devotion to his colleagues, students and patients made him one of the most accomplished, celebrated and well-liked experts of his time."

	Dr. Steinert was also a clinical professor at Harvard Medical School for 20 years before he joined UCI in 2004. He also served as president of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) from 2005 to 2006.

	He earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1977, was a fellow at the New England Eye Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Wellesley Hills, MA, and a resident at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI), Boston.

	As director of MEEI’s Cornea Service, he demonstrated the safety of excimer lasers for refractive correction, which laid the groundwork for LASIK surgery.

	Over the course of his career, he recieced the 2009 Life Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the 2015 Distinguished Achievement Award from the New England Ophthalmological Society, and the 2016 Distinguished Clinical Achievement Award from Harvard Ophthalmology, to name a few.

	After Dr. Steinert received his diagnosis in 2014, he decided to continue actively working, even attending the ASCRS meeting in Los Angeles a few weeks before his passing.

	Shortly before he passed, an adult beverage-The Steinert-was named after him which is half vodka, half gin, garnished with blue cheese-stuffed olives. The “Steinert Challenge” was created as a fundraiser which encouraged peers and colleagues to sample the beverage in his honor and donate to The Gavin Herbert Eye Institute (

 or The Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (

	Dr. Steinert was an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox and would wear his team’s baseball hat whenever he had the chance.

	He is survived by his wife, April, his three children, and three stepchildren.

	Ophthalmic community remembers Dr. Steinert:

	“I had the privilege of knowing Roger for many, many years. We had a very close relationship as we cultivated and built [the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute]. He was a man of great humility, but excellence in our industry- and those things don’t go hand in hand. You have to have that balance, and he had that by far.

	Over 38 years, I’ve watched thousands upon thousands of surgeries, but I have never seen a man’s hands kind of melt into the eyes of his patients like his did. He had amazing surgical hands and was one of best surgeons I’ve ever seen-but he’d never tout that.”

	James Mazzo, global president, Strategic Business Unit Ophthalmic Devices, Carl Zeiss Meditec

	“Roger Steinert will be sorely missed. He was a true giant whose work and research transformed what we now take for granted in the field of refractive and corneal surgery. Roger had a generosity of spirit that was unmatched. He shared his knowledge and took great pride in the training of residents and fellows. He uplifted all those who came into his circle. We are all better doctors, surgeons, educators, and humans because of his influence in our lives.

	I had the great privilege of training with Roger Steinert. Words cannot fully describe what an amazing human being he was. He was a genius clinician, amazing surgeon, generous mentor, and a powerful yet humble leader. His innovations and research brought together people from all aspects of eye care, from physicians to industry. He advanced the field of ophthalmology in ways that we now take for granted. His legacy will continue to live on through all those who he taught.”

	Marjan Farid, MD, associate clinical professor, department of ophthalmology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute

	“Roger was more that my mentor. He was one of my best friends. I learned so much from him-not just as a doctor, but as a person. He was able to approach almost any situation with a cool and collected demeanor. He approached obstacles with a friendly smile, always keeping things in perspective. He was a creator of possibilities. It was largely because of his dedication that we were able to construct the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute. One of the things I will miss most is his sense of humor. We shared many good times together. 

	Roger was a giant amongst giants in ophthalmology-but he would never, ever, say it. One of the most accomplished and humble people that I know, Roger’s research and clinical teachings are the basis for much of how clinicians all over the world practice today.  

	Roger: One of the greatest gifts ever given to me was to be mentored by you and to call you a friend. Your legacy will live on in those you have trained and we will strive to make you proud. I will miss you; Rest in peace.”   

	Sumit (Sam) Garg, MD, vice chair of clinical ophthalmology, medical director, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute

	“It is a tremendous loss for ophthalmology; Roger gave us so much. I have known Roger for years, most recently he served as medical monitor for a company I am on the board of (ReVision Optics). Roger had the dream career; head of cornea at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, founder of Gavin Herbert Center, chairman of the ophthalmology department at UCI, and president of ASCRS. He had the best job in ophthalmology, in my opinion, as program director of ASCRS.

	I last saw Roger in Los Angeles for ASCRS. We had a chance to talk; he could barely whisper and was in a wheelchair, but I leaned in and listened, on my knees to get closer. One thing I will always remember that he told me was, ‘We have to carry on.’ Each of us will face our end one day, some of us already are. I can’t think of a better single piece of advice than, ‘carry on.’

	It’s simple, sort of ‘stiff upper lip’ British advice from a past generation, but nothing could be more true. Stuff to live by-a final gift from Roger.”

	Stephen Slade, MD, Slade and Baker Vision Center, Houston

	“Late yesterday, ASCRS lost Roger Steinert, MD, a longtime friend and leader of our organization. Dr. Steinert was the chair of the department of ophthalmology, Irving H. Leopold professor, University of California, and creator of the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute. Previously, he was president of the medical staff and director of the corneal service at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. ASCRS was fortunate to have him attend the inaugural Steinert Lecture as part of ASCRS Refractive Day held in conjunction with the ASCRS•ASOA Symposium & Congress last month in Los Angeles. A former ASCRS president and program chair, Dr. Steinert was a friend to many and beloved by all who knew him. He will be missed.”

	“I think all would agree that Roger's career serves as a model for the clinician-scientist and that, in his role as department chair, he was a mentor for his trainees and junior faculty.”

	Peter McDonnell, MD, chief medical editor, 

, director, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore

	“Roger was an amazing leader, teacher, clinical researcher, and surgeon. He was kind to all and had a wonderful sense of humor. Roger was devoted to his wife April and his family. Roger will truly be missed.”

	"I had the opportunity to serve as ASCRS president immediately after Roger. As a result, I had the chance to work with him and observe firsthand his remarkable organizational skillset. When he relocated to Southern California, we shared a few patients and I then got to see the results of his remarkable corneal surgery. He had all the tools and used them to the fullest."

	Samuel Masket, MD, clinical professor, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles

	"I have known Roger for thirty years and have always held him in the highest respect for his integrity, intelligence, and innovativeness. When he decided to go academic and took the chairmanship at UCI, we became much closer as he reached out to me and I to him in his creation of the new eye center and his amazing faculty. He was a very quick study and the street was soon very much a two-way one as I was learning as much from him as he was from me. It was a delight to see him take off in a transition that many find most difficult. He created a legacy that will forever support his desire for excellence with UCI.

	I also saw Roger as the ultimate communicator/educator. Yes, he was brilliant, but he had that rare ability to make complex ideas understandable and the patience to do this right. This is not common in truly brilliant people. That is why his aphasia hit me so hard with his early tumor surgery as his loss of his amazing ability to express himself just broke my heart. He will be so sadly missed as one who was extraordinary in our field and one who did so much for so many!"

	Randall Olson, MD, chief executive officer, John Moran Eye Center, chair of ophthalmology, University of Utah School of Medicine

	“I always considered him one of my must trusted mentors, and he wasn’t just a mentor-he was a good friend. Roger was the kind of person that elevates everybody to a higher level. Patient care he put above everything else. When Roger gave a presentation, everybody listened to it. When Roger spoke-when he was on a panel, or he was asked a question-it was always thoughtful, meaningful, and it always had impact. He was always cheerful, always willing to help, always with a hearty handshake, and always had a smile.

	Very early in my career, I remember looking up to him and thinking, ‘How can someone so important in the field be so nice, accommodating, helpful, and approachable?’ He will be sorely missed.

	[After his diagnosis,] he was courageous; he wanted to stay engaged and he did. Despite his incredibly debilitating illness, he wanted to continue to contribute. You could see it in his eyes  that he wanted to be there."

	Steven Schallhorn, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Global Ophthalmic Devices, Carl Zeiss Meditec

	“Many of us lost a good friend with the passing of Roger Steinert, but ophthalmology lost a great man. His calm demeanor, straightforward guidance and creative mind leaves a legacy for us to aspire to.”

	Tom Frinzi, president, surgical, Johnson & Johnson Vision

	“I met Dr. Steinert over 15 years ago when I first joined the industry. He was Allergan Medical Optics’ medical monitor and remained with us as we became Advanced Medical Optics…over 7 years of dedicated support to everything we did in Surgical Ophthalmology. His gentle way of coaching change, expanded our thinking and was behind so many of the achievements we made as a company and as individuals. 

	Having previously spent my entire career in pharmaceuticals, I personally had never been in ophthalmology nor medical devices when we met. I found myself with  responsibilities that span Strategic Planning, R&D, Medical Marketing and Business Development. Had it not been for Roger, I never would have come up to speed fast enough for the demands of our business. He provided support and encouragement, not to mention basic medical education, which I so desperately needed!   

	But my fondest memories of Roger are when he and April were together. They simply lit up the room with joy.  Eddie  and I (along with many others) joined April and Roger on the beach in Laguna, one unusually wind-swept evening, as they were married. Surrounded by family and friends, theirs was a relationship that filled us all with happiness. We meet many people in our lives but few are really memorable. Roger and April are the memorable ones. So while filled with deep sadness on Roger’s passing, I gratefully cling to the friendship of April.”

	Jane Rady, vice president of business development, surgical, Johnson & Johnson Vision

	“Roger Steinert was a dedicated and beloved teacher, mentor, friend, and colleague, whose seminal contributions to the field of cornea transformed the lives of millions of people around the world. We will continue to celebrate and carry on his legacy in the hundreds of trainees he has mentored over the years, and in the friends and colleagues to whom he was so devoted.”

	Joan W. Miller, MD, chair of Harvard Ophthalmology and chief of ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Massachusetts General Hospital

	“Roger made numerous contributions to the field of cornea that led to key advancements in laser-assisted corneal sculpting, cataract surgery techniques, and intraocular lens design. With his passing, we have lost a generous colleague and one of the field’s greatest contributors.”

	Reza Dana, MD, MSc, MPH, the Claes H. Dohlman Professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Ophthalmology, and director of the Cornea and Refractive Surgery Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear

	"Life doesn't seem fair when we prematurely lose a hero, one of our very best by any standards.

	The loss is even more painful when we lose a dear friend. My friendship with Roger began about four decades ago when a small group of young the surgeons (Lindstrom, Koch, Steinert, Crandall, and Masket) became the nucleus of the first Videosymposium in ophthalmology. Roger supported my courses and, in turn, I accepted whatever favor he requested including chairing part of his break-away meeting in Hawaii, co-authoring his acclaimed textbook, and flying crosscountry to deliver his Gavin Herbert lecture at the prestigious institution he built from the ground up. Every major project he undertook was inevitably successful.

	Roger's scientific contributions were astounding, his leadership at OCB and ASCRS was legendary, his surgical skill was elegant, and his commitment to teaching was unparalleled. His accomplishments were a reflection of his endless energy and his burning desire to contribute to the betterment of our profession.

	Best of all, Roger was a good person. A real gentleman. Brilliant yet down to earth. Insightful. Quick to laugh. Courageous. A man of integrity. Amazing work ethic. And totally devoted to his soulmate, April.

	The loss of Dr. Roger Steinert is a setback to cataract and refractive surgeons worldwide. Knowing Roger Steinert was a blessing in my life and he will be remembered by his countless friends and admirers as one of ophthalmology's great treasures."

	Robert Osher, MD, course director and professor of Ophthalmology, University of Cincinnati; medical director emeritus, Cincinnati Eye Institute

	“He was a very down to earth, personable person, and also an inspiriring leader. I last saw him about six or seven weeks ago; he was sitting there at a gala dinner in a wheelchair and I remember I had to help him stand to his feet for an ovation. He was determined to demonstrate not only to others, but to himself, that he could still contribute to his passion. I think that shows he was a very kind man, but what a fighter.

	He is the kind of person you’d want to have as your doctor. There are some that can be high and mighty, [but he had] a great presence and had great bedside manner with the patient who was scared of losing their vision. [He was a] great leader."

	David Pyott, former Allergan chief executive officer

	“Roger was a great friend for over twenty years. He always had quick smile and a good word for everyone. If you spoke with a cross section of people who knew him the term Mentor would always come up. Roger was a great educator, not only to those in the medical community but to many of us in the ophthalmic industry. He was a major contributor in new technology developments in the areas of corneal surgery and laser usage for ophthalmology. He was also a leader in the development of new IOL designs, advancements in phacoemulsification, and instrumentation.

	Roger will be missed by all of us who call him a friend. He will always be known as the leader who helped bring the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at UCI from just an idea to what will become one of the leading eye institutes in our world.”

	Dan McWard, advisory board member, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute; ophthalmic industry executive

	“Roger was a prince of a person, and his loss is one for our entire profession. He was a skilled clinician and surgeon, a gifted and insightful scientist, and a dedicated steward of his profession. Roger will be remembered by his many, many friends as a genuinely good man with a keen sense of humor and tremendous laugh, and possessing a wonderful blend of professional authority and personal kindness. Our hearts go out to April and his entire family.”

	David W. Parke II, chief executive officer, American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)

	Roger was one of the great thinkers of our time, and we are so fortunate to have known him. Minds like his are rare, and we have all benefited from his. What was more special was the gentleness that resided in his spirit, and this gentle brilliance will be his legacy. Roger and I created a special bond during the passing of my father, and I will always be grateful for Roger and April's sincere support during this time, in the midst of Roger's journey. I am thankful that my dad will have Roger’s company, so they can continue to make the world a better place together.

	George O. Waring IV, MD, FACS, founder and medical director Waring Vision Institute, Mt. Pleasant, SC

The ophthalmic community mourns the loss of Roger Steinert, MD, an internationally renowned and respected corneal, cataract, and refractive surgeon. Dr. Steinert passed away on June 6 at the age of 66 after a 2 ½-year battle with glioblastoma. He died peacefully at his home in Colorado, surrounded by his wife, April, and their family.

Community mourns loss of ophthalmic leader, Roger Steinert, MD

	Ophthalmologists know how to watch an eclipse safely, but how will ophthalmologists around the country be participating in and observing the event?

	[For 5 tips on the specifics of safe eclipse viewing, take a look at

 Top 5 ways to help your patients safely view the solar eclipse

	“I will be speaking at a meeting in Toronto on the date of the solar eclipse, but I intend to view the eclipse with my daughter that afternoon,” said Andrew Lee, MD, Blanton Eye Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, and a member of 

	“I once traveled to Aruba to see the eclipse as part of a medical meeting," Dr. Lee said. "One of the most memorable and fascinating aspects of the eclipse was that songbirds and other animals initially fell silent during the eclipse, and then a cacophony of confused and loud sounds followed as the birds, cats, and dogs reacted to the false dawn.”

 in Jacksonville, FL, about best practices for watching the eclipse. Though that conversation was geared towards the public, Dr. Gulani has a special message for his fellow ophthalmologists.

	“Savor this moment as a unique event to take life in a higher perspective,” he said.

	At Dr. Gulani’s practice, Gulani Vision Institute, patients fly in for surgery from around the world. He instructed his staff not to book any patients on the day of the eclipse.

	“It’s a once in a lifetime event,” Dr. Gulani said. “We sometimes need to slow down and remember how small and insignificant we are.”

	He considers it a natural phenomenon not to be missed, and noted he may go to South Carolina or Nashville to see the eclipse in totality.

	For people in areas where the eclipse will be visible in its totality, snake-like images called shadow or light bands may appear on the ground directly before and/or after totality.

 what causes these snake-like images, scientists consider them to be wavy lines of alternating light and dark moving in parallel patterns.

	"Who better to understand [this]? What an opportunity!” Dr. Gulani said. “Being ophthalmologists where vision is so important-what a spectrum!”

	An event such as this puts things in perspective, he continued, whether they be discussions about IOL choices, LASIK techniques, or complaints about traffic, technology, or life in general.

	“Sit down, smile, and realize, ‘I am nothing,’” he said.

	“The eclipse goes right over our cabin in Wyoming so I will have a big family crew there viewing the event,” said Randall Olson, MD, chairman, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City. He also is an associate medical editor on the 

	Dr. Olson needed to purchase his solar eclipse glasses twice after he received an 

	“They were the most common ones that Amazon had been selling,” he said. “The new ones are from our local planetarium and were rechecked and found to be good.”

	“I am doing a road trip with my son to see the eclipse in Oregon,” said Uday Devgan, MD, FACS, FRCS, Devgan Eye Surgery, Los Angeles. "We are already on our way and we're hoping for clear skies and light traffic."

	“Safety is key and we have appropriate eye protection,” said Dr. Devgan, who is a member of the 

 Editorial Advisory Board. “We will be using commercial grade welding glasses with a shade 14 rating (note that the typical welding glasses in shade 5, 10, or 11 are insufficient to provide the appropriate protection for eclipse viewing). Solar retinopathy can be very damaging to the retina, particularly the fovea. While there are cheaper alternatives made using cardboard frames and Mylar plastic, I'd rather be on the safe side.

	“I've been telling my patients that even in Los Angeles, they will be able to see a partial eclipse (with proper eye protection), but it won't be the same as being in the path of totality!” he said.

	“I will try to run out in between patients to see it! Also…the [American Academy of Ophthalmology] sent along these cute solar glasses-so I will wear those for sure!” said Jesse Berry, MD, assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology, assistant director of ocular oncology at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, associate residency program director for Los Angeles County and University of Southern California Medical Center.

	“I plan on being on the Oregon coast that day and driving up to Newport or Depoe Bay early in the morning if traffic permits," said Richard S. Hoffman, MD. "I have my ISO 12312-2 solar glasses and plan on looking at the eclipse intermittently if weather permits.  I may even take a boat ride out of shore so that I can be one of the first people to see it in the country.

	"I tell my patients to make sure they are using ISO-approved glasses, but to play it safe, don’t stare at the eclipse for the full time," said Dr. Hoffman, clinical associate professor of ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, and a member of 

	"The totality event is the real special part of the eclipse so they should only stare for prolonged periods during that portion just in case they got bogus or defective glasses,” he said.

	“Mondays are my scheduled surgery days so I will be operating during the day of the solar eclipse," said Joshua Mali, MD, The Eye Associates, Sarasota, FL. "However, I may try to enjoy this amazing natural phenomenon in between surgical cases. If I finish my cases early, I will view the solar eclipse with my wife, Yasmin.

	"Naturally as a retinal surgeon, I have received many inquiries regarding optimal viewing tips for the solar eclipse from family, friends, patients, and media outlets," Dr. Mali said. "It is a pleasure educating people on all the safety aspects in order for everyone to enjoy this wonderful event!”

	The scientific community seems to be split on whether eye protection is needed for dogs during an eclipse. Some say the animals may be spooked by the sudden dawn, but unlike people, probably won’t be staring directly at the sun.

	Others say it’s better to play it safe and either keep dogs inside with blinds closed or to attempt to fit approved ISO 12312-2 glasses on them.

	“If the dog were to look at [the eclipse] directly, then it may pose a risk, especially during a partial eclipse,” Dr. Mali said.

Even the partial eclipse is worth watching

	“I am not traveling to see totality," said Joel S. Schuman, MD, FACS.

	"I will have to make do with the partial eclipse I can see in NYC," said Dr. Schuman, professor and chairman, Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Langone Medical Center, NY, and a member of the 

	"I will wear eclipse glasses that meet the safety standard ISO 12312-2," he said. "If I were in the band of totality, I could look at the sun when fully covered by the disc of the moon, with only the corona visible, without safety glasses, but as soon as the diamond ring appears, I would have to put the safety glasses back on."

	“I’m watching it and I’m following AAO recommendations: 

How to Experience the Great American Solar Eclipse Without Damaging Your Vision

,” said Robert K. Maloney, MD, MA(Oxon), Maloney Vision Institute, Los Angeles, and an associate medical editor of the 

Top 5 ways to help your patients safely view the solar eclipse

Learn How to Photograph an Eclipse Without Damaging Your Eyes or Your Camera

Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers

Ophthalmologists all know how to safely watch an eclipse, but how will ophthalmologists around the country be participating in and observing the event?

How will ophthalmologists watch the eclipse?

Why the election was decided by ophthalmologists

Why Trump and Clinton would be terrible patients

See what eye exams may be composed of in a few years.

What is the future of eye exams?

	Patients with a contact lens lost in the eye are not a rare occurrence for ophthalmologists. However, 27 lenses at the same time may be another story!

	The case of a 67-year-old female who had 27 disposable contacts in her right eye discovered just prior to cataract surgery was recently published in the 

. The patient had not complained about any severe eye discomfort.

	Seventeen of the lenses formed together in a blue mass, which Dr. Richard Crombie, a consultant anesthetist at the Solihull Hospital, United Kingdom, discovered while he was preparing the eye for surgery. The other 10 lenses were found during an additional examination.

	Dr. Crombie noticed the blue mass under the upper eyelid while applying the anesthetic, said Dr. Rupal Morjaria, an ophthalmic specialist trainee and lead author of the paper.

	“It’s important to stress that people should realize that contact lenses are prescribed medical devices and need to be treated with respect,” said Thomas Steinemann, MD, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), and professor of ophthalmology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland. “If you do that and you take care of your eyes, you’re not going to get into trouble.”

	The patient in this case had been wearing contact lenses for over 35 years. When she tried to remove a lens from her eye and couldn’t find it, she assumed she dropped it and would put in another lens.

	After removal of the lenses, the cataract surgery was postponed for two weeks.

	“This is an opportunity to examine [patients’] own habits about how they wear and care for their contact lenses,” Dr. Steinemann said. “Properly done, contact lenses are a great way of correcting vision.”

	Though 27 contact lenses may be a record for lenses stuck in an eye, it is not rare for a lens to be lost in the eye, said Kevin Hinshaw, MD, Eye Specialists of West County, St. Louis. “I don’t think it’s terribly uncommon,” Dr. Hinshaw added, “but you shouldn’t be finding that out on the [operating] table.”

	Multiple low power lenses are more likely to go unnoticed, he pointed out.

	Every year, Dr. Hinshaw said a few of his patients will present with a full or a fragment lens lost in the eye. The difficult ones to find are single lenses that roll up like a cigar, which is quite painful, he said.

	However, one of Dr. Hinshaw’s patients had five lenses lost in the eye. In cases like these, “(the patients) don’t realize they’ve become blinded in one eye.”

	In the case of the patient with 27 lenses, Dr. Hinshaw said part of the reason she could have not been in severe discomfort is because contact lenses today are advanced. “We’re in the era of 100% oxygen permeable lenses,” he added. “These lenses are transparent to oxygen…and don’t impede the oxygen getting the cornea.”

	While contact lens wearers do not need to be fearful of this sort of occurrence, Dr. Hinshaw said it raises awareness of it happening. When in doubt of whether a lens should be removed, patients are reminded to see their eye care provider.

	In terms of why this patient was not discovered until preop, Dr. Hinshaw said a standard ophthalmic exam would have revealed the lenses or at least raised the question.

	Surgeons also should not accept mucus in the eye, or dried mucus in the corner of the eye, as a normal occurrence, he advised.  “It’s a defense mechanism to coat the lens-mucus doesn’t just show up for no reason,” Dr. Hinshaw added.

	In cases where Dr. Hinshaw suspected a lost contact lens in the eye and could not find it, he will use a Desmarres lid retractor, put fluorescein in the eye, and have the patient look down.

	If a patient comes in with discomfort, saying the lens fell out, there is still reason to suspect a lost lens or lens fragment in the eye, then conduct a thorough examination.

	“Don’t take their word for it,” he said.

	Dr. Steinemann explained that continued contact lens wear over time can cause eyes to become less sensitive, and it is possible the discomfort from the clumped lenses was confused with dry eye symptoms in this U.K. case. An earlier visit to an eye care specialist could have detected this issue sooner.

	Dr. Steinemann pointed out that contact lens wearers should see an eye care provider annually.

	“Contact lenses-even in the best of circumstances in patients with a lot of lens wear experience-can cause chronic changes that need to be monitored,” Dr. Steinemann said.

	Physicians should treat patient calls with a higher level of suspicion if they know the patient has a history with contact lens-related complaints.

	“Contact lenses are a wonderful way to correct vision, but safe is relative,” he said. “It is largely dependent on the wearer taking ownership in proper care. There’s no such thing as absolute safety.”

	Consistent reminders for patients, such as not to sleep with their contacts and know when to discard lenses, are key.  “Follow the rules of the road,” Dr. Steinemann said. “There’s a reason why those guidelines are established.”

	Neither Dr. Steinemann nor Dr. Hinshaw had any financial interests to disclose pertaining to this subject matter.

Patients with a contact lens lost in the eye are not a rare occurrence for ophthalmologists. However, 27 lenses at the same time may be another story! Another ophthalmologist shares his experience with a case involving 5 lenses within a patient's eye.