The aim of this program is to provide a comprehensive update on a variety of ophthalmic diseases, placing an emphasis on meeting the current challenges in diagnosis and management. Current challenges involve the use of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents in age-related macular degeneration, development of new approaches to treating retinal degenerative diseases, optic neuritis, epiphora, prophylaxis of infection in ophthalmic surgery, and recognition of ocular toxicity.  Clinical implementation of diagnostic imaging modalities such as optical coherence tomography and adaptive optics imaging will also be discussed.

Because of the rapidity with which advancements in ophthalmic imaging technology, surgical instrumentation, and pharmacologic therapies have occurred, rational integration of these modalities into clinical practice has been challenging. To meet this challenge, clinicians must acquire an understanding of both the basic mechanisms underlying such modalities and the means by which they can be applied in a rational fashion to patient care.  In addition, understanding of the underlying disease states must be acquired.  These challenges remain for numerous subspecialty areas in ophthalmology.