AAO 2004 Preview: Opportunity Knocks in Tampa
The American Academy of Optometry�s mission is to promote the art, science and research of vision care. And at the Academy�s annual meeting in December, you�ll also find a healthy dose of practice management information.

Doctors recognize the annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry (AOA) for its dedication to research in vision care. But at this year�s meeting in Tampa, which runs from December 9 through December 12, attendees shouldn�t overlook the meeting�s practice management benefits, says Joe Yager, O.D., chair of the Academy meeting and president-elect of the AAO.

For example, during the symposium �Clinical and Practical Glaucoma care,� the presenters will discuss the billing and coding issues that go hand-in-hand with the clinical information.

�In order to bring to their patients the most up-to-date treatment, optometrists must stay abreast of what is happening in the eyecare field,� says Dr. Yager.

Not only does the AAO meeting bring thousands of optometrists the latest in information and technology, but it �minimizes the amount of time that doctors spend away from their offices,� notes Dr. Yager, who is a practicing optometrist.

Maximize your efforts

The theme of this year�s meeting is �Technology�s Impact on Standards of Care� (see sidebar). And a first look at the AAO list of lectures, workshops, symposia, papers, posters and exhibits seem overwhelming � so many choices, so little time. To help optometrists navigate through the schedule of events, sources at the AAO suggest the starting points listed below.

Disease Section Symposium I: Clinical and Practical Glaucoma Care
Thursday 7:00 p.m. � 10:00 p.m.
In this evening reception and symposium, Drs. Joseph Sowka and Pete Liane will discuss clinical and practical glaucoma management. The doctors will present cases from the Disease Section Diplomate Program to demonstrate clinical glaucoma management as well as to illustrate the level of care and presentation expected of Diplomate Candidates. For each case, coding and billing issues will be discussed to demonstrate to the audience how to incorporate glaucoma management into the private practice. This will be an audience-interactive presentation designed to facilitate glaucoma management into private practice as well as to encourage and guide future candidates for Diplomate in Disease.

Disease Section Symposium II: Today�s Research, Tomorrow�s Practice: Technology�s Impact on Standards of Care
Friday 3:00 p.m. � 5:00 p.m.
In this multi-lecturer presentation, the Chairs of the Disease Section Diplomate Subcommittees will examine developing technologies and their impact on clinical care and the evolving standard of care. Dr. Lou Catania will examine the impact of wavefront technology on anterior segment care. Dr. Murray Fingeret will discuss the role of diagnostic scanning lasers in the standard of care involving glaucoma patients. Dr. William Jones will present new technologies and their role in the diagnosis and management of patients who have retinal disease. Dr. Len Messner will update the audience with advances in neuro-ophthalmic disease from the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society Annual Meeting. The goal is to provide practicing clinicians with updated information on the role of new technology and research in clinical care. Following each presentation, an overview of each Disease Section Diplomate subsection will be presented.

Corneal-based versus lens-based refractive surgery: The Great Debate
Saturday, 3:00 p.m. � 5:00 p.m.
Corneal laser vision correction has been the standard in refractive surgery for many years now. However, new knowledge and new intraocular lens technologies are changing the refractive surgery paradigm. Two recognized optometric experts in refractive surgery, Drs. Lou Catania and Richard Phillips, will define and debate this controversial issue.

Schapero Lecture: Contacts on or in the Cornea? - What the Eye Needs
Saturday, 3:00 p.m. � 5:00 p.m.
The development of successful vision correction devices hinges on a thorough understanding of the physiology of the cornea and the biological and physical interaction between synthetic polymers and corneal tissue. This lecture, presented by Dr. Debbie Sweeney, will review what we have learned about the cornea's need for oxygen, what other factors contribute to corneal edema with contact lens wear and the long-term effects of low-Dk contact lens wear.

With the development of high-Dk silicone hydrogels, many of the effects of reduced oxygen have been virtually eliminated, although increased biocompatibility and bacterial resistance are still needed to avoid end-of-day dryness, adverse effects and to eliminate infection.

Overcoming these hurdles would complete the quest for the perfect lens. Implanting a lens beneath the epithelium could provide a permanent means of vision correction but it needs special synthetic polymers. Onlays designed to be implanted onto the debrided epithelial surface and must maintain nutrient flow and support regrowth of epithelial tissue over the lens. The challenges and outcomes for this approach will be presented.