AAO 2026 preview: From the French Quarter to the fundus

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) returns to New Orleans from October 9-12 for AAO 2026, with more than 20,000 ophthalmologists, subspecialists, residents, and ophthalmic team members expected at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Billed as “the world's largest congress for eye-care professionals,”¹ the meeting opens with two days of Subspecialty Day programming before the start of the main scientific program and Expo on the weekend. Attendees can get late-breaking trial data, connect with peers to talk shop, and take in the latest technology and treatments.

This year's program reflects a specialty that is experiencing rapid transition, what with artificial intelligence (AI) moving from research into imaging workflows, sustained-delivery and gene-based therapies reshaping the retina subspecialty, and a crowded field of interventional glaucoma options.

A president's perspective

AAO 2026 is the flagship meeting of the presidential year of Christopher J. Rapuano, MD, the Academy's 130th president. Rapuano is chief of the Cornea Service at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, where he holds the Peter and Ruth Laibson Cornea Service Chief Chair, and took office in January 2026.²

Rapuano has made emergency eye care a centerpiece of his term. “By educating our members—something the Academy already has a strong background in—providing physicians with the tools they need, and leveraging our partnerships with other organizations, we could do a lot,” he said.²

Program highlights

The Subspecialty Days span 2 days, Friday, October 9, and Saturday, October 10, focus on the following areas of interest: Retina, Glaucoma, Cornea, Refractive Surgery, Neuro-Ophthalmology, Pediatric Ophthalmology, Uveitis, and Oculofacial Plastic Surgery. Each subspecialty is scheduled for 1 day except Retina, with presentation scheduled for both days, according to the American Society of Retina Specialists.³

Retina Subspecialty Day carries the theme “Be Bold in the Big Easy: Unmasking the Future of Retina,” with sessions on vitreoretinal imaging, surgical technique, AI strategies, and new clinical trial data, according to the Macular Society.⁴

AAO reported that this year offers expanded Friday afternoon programming where attendees can take in a symposium on the transformative potential of digital technology in ophthalmology education, podium poster presentations at the poster theater, and poster panel discussions.

The main program runs through Monday, October 12, with original papers, instruction courses, clinical symposia, and posters. Skills Transfer lectures are included with registration; hands-on labs require separate tickets. Practice management and ophthalmic team programs run alongside the clinical sessions .

Topics to watch

• AI. AI is now a named learning objective on Retina Subspecialty Day, with attention shifting from algorithm accuracy to integration into imaging and clinic workflows.
• Retina therapeutics. Expect new clinical trial data on durability-focused anti-VEGF strategies, geographic atrophy, and gene-based approaches.
• Interventional glaucoma. Device makers are using the meeting for launches. Sight Sciences, for example, will debut its OMNI Ultra Surgical System for single-pass canaloplasty and trabeculotomy (Booth 1237),5
• Emergency eye care. With the Academy president focused on emergency department access, look for programming on triage, call coverage, and emergency department partnerships.
• Practice operations. Coding, staffing, and reimbursement sessions remain a draw for practice leaders and administrators.

The Expo

The Expo opens Saturday, October 10, and runs through Monday in Halls D–H; it is closed on Friday during Subspecialty Day. In addition to the numerous exhibitor booths, attendees can plan on meeting in networking zones; enjoy a Learning Lounge, the Poster Theater, the Academy Hub, and the New Orleans Marketplace. Many companies also host off-site product theaters and receptions throughout the weekend.The Expo is open on Saturday Oct 10, from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm; Sunday, Oct. 11, 9:00 am – 5:00 p; and Monday, Oct. 12, 7:30 am – 3:30 pm.

A special event

The Illuminate Event, AAO’s signature Saturday night event, will be held in Generations Hall, New Orleans, and is scheduled for Oct 10, from 7:30-10:30 p.m. Attendees can enjoy food and drink, music and dancing at an historic New Orleans venue.

The event is hosted by the AAO Foundation. All proceeds from Illuminate benefit the Academy’s educational, quality of care, and service programs.

This year George A. Williams, MD, is the honoree. He will be celebrated for his extraordinary commitment to ophthalmology, philanthropy, and advocacy, according to the AAO.

Tickets can be purchased through the AAO 2026 registration portal.

Named lectures

The AAO website has an extensive list of named lectures and awards at this year’s meeting. Use this link for the complete information.

https://www.aao.org/annual-meeting/named-lectures/past-named-lectures

Registration

Full program and registration: aao.org/annual-meeting. Virtual attendance is also available.

References
1. https://theophthalmologist.com/events/aao-2026-what-to-know/
2. Christopher J. Rapuano, MD, begins term as 2026 president of the AAO. Eyewire+. January 5, 2026. Accessed October 1, 2026. https://eyewire.news/news/christopher-j-rapuano-md-begins-term-as-2026-president-of-the-aao
3. 2026 AAO Retina Subspecialty Day. American Society of Retina Specialists. Accessed October 1, 2026. https://www.asrs.org/education/calendar/event/14645/2026-aao-retina-subspecialty-day
4. AAO 2026 Retina Subspecialty Day. The Macula Society. August 13, 2026. Accessed October 1, 2026. https://www.maculasociety.org/2026/08/13/aao-2026-retina-subspecialty-day/