Trends from Current Concepts in Ophthalmology are addressed

Baltimore-As attendees gather for the Wilmer Eye Institute's 22nd annual Current Concepts in Ophthalmology meeting here Thursday, Dec. 3, through Saturday, Dec. 5, they can expect the agenda to focus on clinical use and medical issues important to the practice of ophthalmology, with a concentration on the most advanced treatment options in glaucoma, retina, anterior segment, and refractive surgery.

Faculty will discuss the latest developments in a combination of didactic and highly interactive discussion sessions, and there will be time for participants to pursue case study discussions with them. Course directors are Wilmer's Walter J. Stark, MD, and Neil M. Bressler, MD. The course is co-sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Ophthalmology Times.

Workshop and didactic lecture time also will explore the evolution of ophthalmology in the business practice setting. Financial benchmarking, coding and reimbursement, office management, and budget analysis issues will be addressed.

Some of the planned workshop highlights include

• Non-invasive facial rejuvenation workshop: Wilmer physicians Michael Grant, MD, and Shannath Merbs, MD, will conduct patient treatment demonstrations, using botulinum toxin for both therapeutic and cosmetic uses.

• Coding and reimbursement seminar: This seminar is composed of lectures and a hands-on workshop highlighting recent changes in coding, documentation, and reimbursement. This series of learning activities will include consultation and new technology coding. Experts will be available to meet with physicians in a one-on-one setting.

• Practice management: This socio-economic session, held in cooperation with The Maryland Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, will focus on legal and regulatory issues, residency training programs, the "Pay-for-Performance" policy, and several other areas of interest to the practicing ophthalmologist.

• Financial seminar: John J. Grande, CFP®, and Traudy F. Grande, CFP®, long-time lecturers at the Current Concepts seminars, authors of Ophthalmology Times' "Money Matters" column, and financial advisors to ophthalmologists across the nation, will be presenting information and case studies on Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. during lunch. This is a complimentary session for all attendees.

• Refraction workshop: This presentation will review the refraction of the patient undergoing wavefront-guided refractive surgery.

• OCT workshop: The availability of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) devices holds promise for the diagnosis and management of glaucoma. While the improved resolution SD-OCT may result in earlier detection of disease or its progression, there are as yet no sufficiently long-term studies of the role of SD-OCT in glaucoma. Faculty members have evaluated three SD-OCT machines in research and clinical settings and will summarize their experience thus far.

• HRT workshop: Several instruments can produce high-resolution images of the optic nerve. The Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT) captures and compiles serial sections of the optic nerve, producing a final image that lets clinicians measure the optic disc and the height of the vitreoretinal interface. This workshop will examine the role of optic disc imaging and other technologic advances in the management of glaucoma.