Pickleball, fireworks, eyecare in space, and IRIS registry data among lead stories from day 1 of AAO 2025

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) is hosting its annual scientific meeting in Orlando, Florida from October 17 through 20, 2025. At this event, researchers are highlighting areas of study, including upticks in eye injuries related to trends and the value of de-identified patient data to understanding real-world outcomes.

Researchers urge eye protection for pickleball players

Pickleball is more than just a trend, it has become a core component of healthy exercise and amateur competition for many communities across the country. As a pickleball player himself, Daniel Henick, MD, conducted a survey to explore how protective eyewear is or is not used by players. His findings were presented in a poster titled, “Are Pickleball Players Using Protective Eyewear?” at the AAO 2025 meeting.¹

According to the survey results, Henick found that

• 35/175 (20%) professional players and 12/22 (54.5%) amateur pickleball players used protective eyewear.¹
• No difference was noted in the rate of protective eyewear use between younger versus older individuals.¹
• There was a difference in gendered response among professional players with female players using eyewear more than male player (P < .01), though the data did not should gender differences among amateurs.¹
• Reasons given for not using eyewear included not understanding the risk of injury, discomfort and constriction of vision.¹

Given that the average pickleball serve can travel up to 40 mph, protective eyewear is recommended for all players.¹

A study of eye injuries related to fireworks

At the University of Iowa, researchers documented cases of firework-related eye injuries following the approval of consumer firework sales in 2017. The data comparing cases from before and after the approval shared at the 2025 AAO meeting. According to the press release issued by the AAO, researchers “found not only a dramatic increase in cases but also a troubling shift in the age of victims. After 2017, patients arriving at the emergency department were younger on average than those injured in previous years.”²

The press release also noted that lead researcher, Ikenna Nwosu BS MS, of the University of Iowa, “hopes their findings will spark conversations among clinicians, policymakers and the public about prevention strategies. The toll on patients and providers alike, they say, has been profound — and entirely preventable.”²

Eyecare in space

Beyond the scientific research of eyecare on Earth, researchers are working to understand the long-term impact of spaceflight on the eyes. Among the conditions that can impact humans in low-gravity or no gravity environments is Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome, or SANS. According to a press release from the AAO, SANS “can be blurred or distorted vision, swelling of the optic nerve, and structural changes to the eye itself.”³

Andrew G. Lee, MD, a neuro-ophthalmologist at Houston Methodist Hospital and NASA consultant, and the host of Neuro-Op Guru on Ophthalmology Times will lead an instructional course on SANS at the AAO 2025 meeting.³

IRIS registry data contributes to 22 presentations at AAO 2025

According to a press release from the AAO, The IRIS Rrgistry (Intelligent Research in Sight) contributed to 22 new studies, which will be a part of the 2025 AAO meeting in Orlando, Florida.⁴ As of the publication of this release, the IRIS registry included the data from more than 840 million patient visits⁴ and serves as a key foundation for real-world studies. The organization notes that his data can help to understand practice patterns, clinical outcomes, complications and disease risk factors.⁴

The AAO has listed the 22 studies on their website.

Ophthalmology Times AAO Day 1 Interviews

In addition to these trending news stories, Ophthalmology Times also interviewed several presenters who shared insights regarding their research.

• Arshad M. Khanani, MD, MA, FASRS, spoke on the new findings from the GATHER2 open-label extension trial, providing the first look at 3-year outcomes with avacincaptad pegol in patients with geographic atrophy (GA).
• Peter Stalmans, MD, PhD, discussed the benefits of single-use lenses in vitrectomy and other retinal procedures
• Durga Borkar, MD, MMCi, gave highlights from her presentation on a real-world study examining treatment patterns and outcomes for geographic atrophy (GA) patients using avacincaptad pegol (ACP)
• Jean-Francois Korobelnik, MD, shares highlights from the PULSAR extension study showcasing aflibercept 8 mg and its ability to promote fluid resolution

References:

1. Those Most Likely to Suffer Pickleball Injuries are the Least Likely to Wear Eye Protection, New Study Suggests. American Academy of Ophthalmology. News release. October 17, 2025. Accessed October 17, 2025. https://www.aao.org/newsroom/news-releases/detail/those-most-likely-to-suffer-pickleball-injuries-ar

2. When Fireworks Came to Iowa, So Did Eye Injuries. American Academy of Ophthalmology. News release. October 17, 2025. Accessed October 17, 2025. https://www.aao.org/newsroom/news-releases/detail/when-fireworks-came-to-iowa-did-eye-injuries

3. Main Health Challenge Limiting Deep Space Exploration is the Eyes. American Academy of Ophthalmology. News release. October 17, 2025. Accessed October 17, 2025. https://www.aao.org/newsroom/news-releases/detail/main-health-challenge-limiting-deep-space-explorat

4. Big Data Research Presented at AAO 2025 Drives New Insights in Patient Care. American Academy of Ophthalmology. News release. October 17, 2025. Accessed October 17, 2025. https://www.aao.org/newsroom/news-releases/detail/big-data-research-presented-at-aao-2025-drives-new