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July 2012 1 A llergic conjunctivitis is one of the most common mal- adies patients come to an ophthalmologist for, said multiple specialists during an EyeWorld Educational Symposium, "The Role of Ocular Allergy in Your Practice: Advancing Diagnostics and Treatment to Improve Outcomes," held during the 2012 ASCRS•ASOA Symposium & Congress. The sympo- sium was supported by an educational grant from ISTA Pharmaceuticals (Irvine, Calif.). It's estimated that 40% of the U.S. population will have ocular allergy symptoms at some point during the year, said Edward Holland, M.D., professor of ophthalmology, University of Cincinnati. What are the treatment options for allergic conjunctivitis? And out of these possibilities, which is the most efficacious? A distinguished panel of experts, including Dr. Holland, Richard Lindstrom, M.D., founder and attending surgeon, Minnesota Eye Consultants; Stephen Lane, M.D., adjunct clinical professor, University of Minnesota; Craig McCabe, M.D., clinical instructor, Vanderbilt Eye Center, Nashville, Tenn., and in practice, McCabe Vision Center, Murfreesboro, Tenn.; and Michael Blaiss, M.D., clinical professor of pediatrics and medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, weighed in. Dr. Holland kicked off the session with an overview of ocular surface www.eyeworld.org Improving the treatment of ocular allergies Supplement to EyeWorld July 2012 The News Magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery Richard Lindstrom, M.D. Moderator Edward Holland, M.D. Stephen Lane, M.D. Craig McCabe, M.D. Michael Blaiss, M.D. disease and the impact these condi- tions have on refractive outcomes after cataract surgery (Figure 1). Although ocular surface disease historically has been of interest only to corneal surgeons, thanks to premium IOLs, ocular surface disease has migrated to refractive surgeons' radars in recent years. "Aqueous tear deficiency and meibomian gland dysfunction were the leading causes of decreased vision in people with premium IOLs," Dr. Holland said. Ocular surface disease is an extremely common condition, he said, although the exact numbers vary widely, anywhere from 7-34% of the U.S. population. Researchers do know that ocular surface disease is more common in women than men, and the incidence increases with age. "Dry eye is certainly under diagnosed," he said. "Diagnosed dry eye makes up about 16 million Ameri- cans, but about 40 million Americans do not have the diagnosis and just put up with the symptoms" (Figures 2 and 3). Allergic eye disease is the most common but least talked about ocular surface issue, said Dr. Holland. Over 50 million Americans suffer from some type of allergies, and allergic incidence Figure 1 Supported by an educational grant from ISTA Pharmaceuticals ISTA supplement_EW July 2012-DL2_Layout 1 6/3/14 2:44 PM Page 2

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