A New Era of ICSC

The 2024 International Congress of Scleral Contacts (ICSC), held May 10–11 in San Diego, had some changes in store for returning attendees. In addition to moving from its traditional location of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the format of the meeting changed a bit as well to include more panel discussions in lieu of lecture-based instruction. These changes were thanks to the meeting’s new program chairs, Brooke Messer, OD, FAAO, FSLS; John Gelles, OD, FAAO, FIAO, FCLSA; and Ariel Cerenzie, OD, FAAO, FSLS.

To reflect on all these new initiatives, we invited James R. Hoffman, OD, FAAO, and Karen R. Hoffman, OD, a husband-and-wife duo (Figure 1) who practice in Orange Park, Florida, to share their perspectives. Dr. Karen Hoffman began fitting scleral lenses in 2006 and has long been a fan of ICSC. This year, she and Jim made the trek to California to continue learning with the scleral lens community. Learn more in the article below.

- Alex Brodin, Senior Editor

For as long as I (KH) can remember, I have been captivated by the anatomy of the eye and the complex gift of vision. I started occasionally fitting scleral contact lenses in 2006, but had not yet been formally trained. Once I realized my passion for fitting sclerals and other specialty contact lenses, I sought to learn any bit of information I could use to better my understanding and skills.

EARLY ICSC IMPRESSIONS

It was not until I attended my first International Congress of Scleral Contacts (ICSC) meeting that I gained the encouragement, confidence, and momentum that would help make me successful. I was a beginner at that time, so every presentation was mesmerizing. My attendance at this meeting has become the centerpiece of my development as a specialty lens fitter. To me, ICSC is like a fine wine that gets better with time. Since the beginning, the organizers have displayed a sincere effort to help attendees continue to learn, and the ICSC faculty is second to none. They are real practitioners who work daily in clinical settings and convey their knowledge on how to overcome challenges.

APPRECIATING THE CHANGES

The event now offers two tracks: foundations for those just starting out, and masters for those who are more advanced at the craft. This arrangement welcomes new fitters into an environment led by experienced practitioners. I really enjoyed the faculty panel discussion format for the 2024 meeting. As the panel members interacted with each other and the audience, I felt like I was involved in a conversation versus attending a lecture. There was also a good balance between studies, clinical experiences, and input as to how we can all improve.

ICSC is truly an international meeting, welcoming scleral lens fitters from all over the world—this year including the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Middle East. These presenters shared their journeys with scleral lenses, including the technology and materials available to them in their clinics, as well as how insurance billing and payment for the lenses and fitting works in their respective practice locations.

Continuing education hours are available to attendees, which makes attendance even more valuable. I am repeatedly impressed with the array of topics that are covered and instruction on how to “think outside the box” to solve complex fitting concerns; this year featured an interesting discussion of fenestrations.

In the past, ICSC has taken place in Fort Lauderdale, which was convenient, but I traveled to San Diego this May, despite the meeting being on Mother’s Day weekend. The venue was spacious and had everything we needed. It was wonderful to see so many new faces among attendees. I made a lot of connections from the western half of the United States (Figure 2).

A MEETING WITH MANY VALUABLE TAKEAWAYS

I have attended ICSC for several years, and I attend to obtain information that I can implement in everyday patient care. My husband and I own a six-practitioner private practice, and, until recently, I was the only practitioner fitting scleral lenses. Being isolated on your own “scleral contact lens island” can be intimidating, and it is valuable to have inspiring colleagues in this specialty field. I look forward to seeing what is to come in future ICSC meetings.

THE “OTHER” HOFFMAN

When I (JH) began practicing optometry in 1981, I was impressed by the vision that corneal rigid lenses could provide for patients with regular or irregular corneas. My passion has been focused on fitting rigid gas permeable (RGP) interpalpebral lenses, and we have found great success for patients with the need for rigid lens optics. However, there were challenges for irregular corneas with dystrophies and keratoconus, particularly with comfort, centration, proper corneal touch, and 3:00 to 9:00 clock staining. I improved patient results with experience and higher-Dk RGP lenses, and yet I still wondered if there was a better way.

FIRST-TIME PERSPECTIVE

When I initially tried fitting scleral lenses, I had limited success. Listening to the elevated results of an accomplished scleral practitioner such as my wife, however, made me more than curious. Karen had attended the ICSC meeting before and raved about the education and experience, so I attended this year, signing up for the foundations track. The event truly exceeded my expectations. From start to finish, each presentation was intended to give attendees the foundational knowledge to successfully prescribe scleral lenses and improve patient outcomes. The education was delivered in an effective manner that improved attendees’ confidence by explaining the “why” behind scleral fitting designs. Although I was a novice in the scleral lens field, I never felt embarrassed at my lack of knowledge. The hands-on workshops provided additional small-group learnings to customize the next step in our evolution as providers of specialty lenses (Figure 3), and the vendor exhibit hall provided not only our delicious meals, but also one-on-one learning opportunities with experts in lens technology and innovation (Figure 4). Lively and helpful peer-to-peer discussions offered pearls from the real-world experiences of doctors and their patients. But more than that, each presenter was available for personal questions and learning throughout the event. I had a marvelous hallway conversation with one of the presenters, Zachary Cairns, OD, a practitioner in Dubai. He listened intently to my questions and was pleased to share his experience.

Attendees from all over attended this California-based ICSC to find that the location, facilities, and meal service went well beyond the standard eye care meeting experience. Meeting participants ranged in age and experience from residents and early career optometrists to seasoned practitioners with many years of experience. All those attending learned how to incorporate scleral lenses into their specialty practice and to help patients become even more successful with contact lenses.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

One of my goals in attending this meeting was to learn which technology would improve our patients’ outcomes and to purchase a device. The education and experience at ICSC gave me the confidence to realize that while profilometry instruments to design a freeform lens are available, they are not required to become an accomplished scleral lens practitioner. I would highly recommend attending ICSC to any practitioner interested in learning more about scleral lenses and providing better care for their patients.