The ninth edition of Ophthalmology Updates! has been a record-setting affair, with 250 delegates attending the 2025 conference to brush up on vital matters across the key subspecialties while taking home some new ways of thinking about ethical practice.
Delegates travelled from every state for the 30-31 August event at Sydney’s Fullerton Hotel, joined by colleagues both in person and virtually – the first time the meeting has been offered in a hybrid format.
“This year was the largest yet, with five international speakers, plus the highest number of delegates and sponsors. It was very well received – even on Sunday when the Sydney Marathon made it more challenging to get to the venue,” said event convenor and founder Professor Adrian Fung.
The two-day meeting is designed so generalists and subspecialists can grasp what is changing outside their area of expertise, sharpening their referrals and diagnoses.
The format ensures delegates gain both practical take-home insights and space for collegial exchange. A dinner at Shellhouse proved another highlight on the Saturday, where delegates enjoyed oysters, champagne and a live DJ.
Day 1
A highlight of the first morning was Dr Ben LaHood’s session, which cut through the hype around intraocular lenses (IOLs) and focused on what the latest technology is really delivering in practice.
He described how monofocals were still the quiet achievers, with new data on Alcon’s Clarion showing excellent stability and even better-than-expected intermediate vision.
On EDOF lenses, the Adelaide ophthalmologist pointed to Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s TECNIS PureSee as a go-to over the past year. It’s offered reliable distance and intermediate vision, minimal dysphotopsias, and strong refractive outcomes (95% of his patients within 0.50 D) speaking to its tolerance of small amounts of residual astigmatism.
Dr LaHood also covered advances in multifocal and full range of vision IOLs, and highlighted the much-discussed Rayner Galaxy spiral design that’s showing promise, but adaptation and patient counselling remain key.
On the horizon, he said lenses like Alcon PanOptix Pro and Hoya’s Gemetric design could soon broaden surgeons’ options even further in Australia.
Later on day one, Associate Professor Jay Sridhar from Los Angeles had some intriguing insights into the treatment of diabetic macular oedema. US retinal specialists tend to use less steroid than Australian counterparts, and there was discussion of the best treatment regimen to use (monthly vs. treat and extend vs. PRN [as needed]).
He also explained the controversy around photobiomodulation for intermediate age-related macular degeneration. This light therapy is now FDA-authorised in the US, but some physicians remain sceptical over the strength of the available data.
Among the most talked-about sessions was the first-ever Pregnancy & Ophthalmology panel, where seven speakers tackled challenging scenarios across subspecialties.
The discussion explored issues related to pregnancy, including worsening of disease in areas like diabetic retinopathy, thyroid eye disease, and idiopathic intracranial hypertension, and the risks of treatment such as anti-VEGF therapy, glaucoma drops and surgery.
Key clinical takeaways included:
- Anti-VEGF is not an absolute contraindication in pregnancy.
- Diabetic retinopathy does not necessarily improve postpartum.
- Brimonidine (Alphagan) is the safest anti-glaucoma drug in pregnancy.
- Pharmacological management of thyroid eye disease remains largely restricted to steroids.
- Women with idiopathic intracranial hypertension should focus on nutrient-rich rather than calorie-dense foods.
Another standout moment was the Bioethics in Ophthalmology session, led by Professor Ian Kerridge, which explored areas like social media promotion, raising poor performance of professional peers, and commercial interests and incentives.
“It was an opportunity to reflect on why we became doctors in the first place,” Prof Fung noted.
“[Prof Kerridge] expanded on the virtues of humility and sagacity, which are often overlooked by the more traditional ‘pillars’ of ethics. It was refreshing to have industry representatives on the panel for their unique perspective too.”
Day 2
Sunday’s program continued the momentum with a strong focus on emerging retinal therapies.
A/Prof Jay Sridhar was on stage again to present on methotrexate for proliferative vitreoretinopathy, while Dr Amy Cohn explored novel approaches to macular telangiectasia type II with ciliary neurotrophic factor (Encelto).
Dr Jennifer Fan Gaskin’s session on normal tension glaucoma was also well received.
It tackled critical questions around what target intraocular pressure (IOP) and management should be considered in patients with IOPs that are already considered “low”, how to determine if there truly is progression, what lifestyle advice to consider, and when to request neuro-imaging.
International experts
Prof Fung was proud of the calibre of international speakers secured for this year’s conference.
Among them was Professor Richard Allen, from Baylor College of Medicine, Texas. Dr Allen is famous for his OculoSurg video library of oculoplastics procedures, the largest such repository in the world and staple viewing for surgeons.
He spoke on teprotumumab, the first-in-class human monoclonal antibody used for treatment of active moderate to severe thyroid eye disease. One of the side effects to look out for, however, this treatment is hearing loss.
Associate Professor Simon Fung flew in from San Francisco and showed how corneal transplantation could be successfully performed in children, for challenging diseases such as Peter’s Anomaly.
“All his surgery looked challenging but beautiful, with perfectly aligned sutures at the end of each case,” Prof Fung noted.
Dr Sui Wong from Moorfields Hospital, London, provided the latest updates on ocular myasthenia, and factors to look out for when screening for conversion to systemic myasthenia gravis.
“She also gave a refreshing talk on mindfulness for visual snow symptoms, and how clinical group therapy was transforming her practice,” Prof Fung added.
Looking ahead, Prof Fung confirmed that the 2026 event is already in planning.
“I expect the venue to be the same (Fullerton Hotel), but the date may change to September or October. We are already planning more exciting speakers – but if there is someone you think would be great, please reach out. Watch this space.”
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