Refractive surgery advancements and outcomes

Refractive surgery has revolutionized the field of ophthalmology, offering patients the opportunity to achieve visual freedom from refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. This specialized conference track aims to convene ophthalmologists, refractive surgeons, researchers, clinicians, and industry experts to explore the latest advancements, challenges, and innovations in the field.

Key Themes and Topics:

1. Evolution of Refractive Surgery: Trace the historical development of refractive surgery techniques, from the advent of radial keratotomy (RK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) to the introduction of laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), femtosecond laser-assisted LASIK (FS-LASIK), and small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE).
2. Patient Selection and Preoperative Evaluation: Discuss the criteria for patient selection, preoperative evaluation, and informed consent in refractive surgery candidates. Explore the role of corneal topography, wavefront aberrometry, tomography, and biomechanical assessments in optimizing surgical outcomes.
3. LASIK and Beyond: Review the latest advancements in LASIK technology, including custom wavefront-guided LASIK, topography-guided LASIK, and femtosecond laser flap creation. Discuss the safety, efficacy, and predictability of LASIK in treating a wide range of refractive errors.
4. SMILE and Other Flapless Techniques: Examine the principles and outcomes of SMILE, a flapless and minimally invasive refractive surgery technique. Compare SMILE with traditional LASIK in terms of visual outcomes, postoperative pain, corneal biomechanics, and stability.
5. Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE) and Phakic Intraocular Lenses (IOLs): Discuss the indications, surgical techniques, and outcomes of RLE and phakic IOL implantation in correcting high refractive errors and presbyopia. Explore the role of multifocal, toric, and extended depth of focus (EDOF) IOLs in enhancing visual outcomes.