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Tenth Annual Glaucoma Symposium in San Francisco
February 2006, San Francisco – Over 250 ophthalmologists convened at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco on February 11th for the Tenth Annual Glaucoma Symposium. A diverse program featured presentations from experts in the field of glaucoma treatment and research who updated attendees on new glaucoma algorithms, surgical and laser techniques, and glaucoma medications.
The Symposium was organized by the Glaucoma Research & Education Group (GREG), a San Francisco-based non-profit clinical research entity that is sponsored in part by a grant from the Glaucoma Research Foundation.
The keynote speaker, George Spaeth MD, Director of Glaucoma Service at Wills Eye Hospital and world-renowned glaucoma specialist, spoke about the importance of clear communications with patients and the need to treat each glaucoma patient as a unique individual. Dr. Spaeth delivered the Shaffer-Hetherington-Hoskins Lecture (named for the three ophthalmologists who founded the Glaucoma Research Foundation in 1978) entitled “The Tragic Consequences of Generic Labels.” The talk emphasized the need for clarity in choice of words when a doctor is communicating with his or her patient, and the pitfalls of treating the disease without taking into consideration the personal situation of each individual patient.
Other presentations included updates on surgical techniques from doctors John S. Cohen, Andrew Iwach, Donald Minckler, and Terri Pickering, updates on diagnostic perspectives from doctors H. Dunbar Hoskins Jr., Marc F. Lieberman, Kuldev Singh, and H. George Tanaka, and clinical research updates from doctors Shan Lin and John Hetherington Jr. Additional speakers Michael V. Drake, MD, Robert L. Stamper, MD, and Thomas M. Brunner of the Glaucoma Research Foundation rounded out the program with information helpful to ophthalmologists with busy glaucoma practices.
The evening before the Symposium, many of the registered ophthalmologists attended a Technology Exhibit and reception at The Glaucoma Center of San Francisco for a demonstration of new technologies in the field of glaucoma research, diagnostics, and treatment.