ASCRS 2025 Kicks Off in the City of Angels: Lenses, AI and a Whole Lot of Buzz

IOLs, AI and innovation steal the spotlight as ASCRS 2025 lights up L.A.‒clouds be damned.

It’s Day 1 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS 2025), and the venue is positively gleaming—not from the California sunshine bouncing off glass towers (it was overcast and cold), but from the collective sparkle of thousands of ophthalmic minds lighting up the L.A. Convention Center. If you listen closely, you can almost hear the sound of refractive lasers whirring in harmony beneath the hum of enthusiastic networking.

Held in tandem with the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASOA) annual meeting, this year’s gathering is already living up to the hype: part medical masterclass, part tech showcase and part “Let’s catch up over a beer on a rooftop terrace.”

Just a puck’s throw from the Crypto.com Arena—home to the Lakers, Clippers, Kings and Sparks—the energy here feels more playoff than professional conference. So lace up your sneakers and keep your eye on the ball—we’ve got highlights, hot takes and hallway whispers coming your way in this Day 1 rundown.

Day 1 sessions

If Day 1 at ASCRS 2025 had a theme, it was this: the future is now, and it’s caffeinated. From business makeovers to AI breakthroughs, today’s live coverage served up serious inspiration with a side of spectacle.

First up, a sunrise strategy session that was anything but sleepy. The BRiCS Breakfast Symposium woke us up with the gospel of premium intraocular lens (IOL) adoption, business model overhauls and the radical notion that your front desk might just be the MVP of your refractive cataract game.

Led by the ever-energized Dr. Vance Thompson (United States), the session got real about the “adoption gap” in advanced-technology IOLs. Despite strong patient interest, only a slim slice of the population is opting in. Why? Spoiler: it’s not just about the lens. It’s about how we talk about it, educate and build systems that support the whole patient journey—from first call to post-op high five.

There were quotes. There were acronyms. There was Jaime Johannesen (United States) reminding us that change isn’t magic, it’s meetings (just 15 minutes a week, promise). And in true BRiCS fashion, attendees left with homework.

Meanwhile, in a packed symposium, artificial intelligence (AI) was busy shedding its sci-fi mystique. Speakers ditched the buzzwords and dove into what’s actually working right now.

Dr. Grayson Armstrong (United States) kicked off with an “AI for Dummies” masterclass of sorts, comparing neural networks to medical trainees. Dr. Robert Chang (United States) made jaws drop with his 30-second clinical notes and emotionally intelligent phone bots. And Dr. Ryan Smith (United States) showed us how AI is making IOL calculations not just smarter, but spookily accurate.

If you’ve ever wanted your clinic notes to write themselves, your surgery plans to self-optimize, and your phone system to not sound like a robot from 1996, this is your moment.

Later in the day, Prof. Ronald Yeoh (Singapore) delivered the Binkhorst Medal Lecture during the opening ceremony, offering a fresh look at hydrodissection using intraoperative OCT and decades of surgical insight. Dr. Elena Barraquer (Spain) received the Chang-Crandall Humanitarian Award for her foundation’s global impact, while Dr. Richard Lindstrom (United States) was inducted into the ASCRS Hall of Fame for his lifelong contributions.

The session also marked the leadership handover from Dr. Vance Thomspon (United States to Dr. Francis Mah (United States), who emphasized mentorship, government advocacy and global mission work. Amid reflections on resilience following L.A.’s recent wildfires, the ceremony set an inspiring tone for the meeting ahead.

Industry making moves in L.A.

On Day 1 of ASCRS 2025, the buzz wasn’t about big lenses or tiny incisions, but about comebacks and cool tech. In one corner, we have a company bouncing back from a recall like a pro gymnast. In the other, a new MIGS device sliding onto the scene with serious swagger. And still just around the corner, a quiet revolution in dry eye care making waves.

Nordic Pharma is drawing crowds for Lacrifill canicular gel, a novel cross-linked hyaluronic acid therapy that fills the lacrimal canaliculi, essentially supercharging the patient’s natural tears. Think of it as a plug without a plug—comfortable, invisible and infection-free.

Live demos and Q&A sessions with top docs are happening tomorrow, so swing by if you’re ready to rethink your approach to ocular surface management.

Meanwhile, Bausch + Lomb proved that even in the surgical implant world, a little crisis can lead to big character development. After voluntarily recalling its enVista intraocular lenses in response to reports of TASS (toxic anterior segment syndrome), they managed to not just fix the problem but do it with speed, transparency and a touch of AI magic.

Vice President Anthony Wallace (United States) described the ordeal like a Silicon Valley tech sprint, complete with 20-hour delays, data-driven diagnostics and an Avengers-level task force of KOLs. The culprit? A rogue monomer supplier. The solution? Enhanced quality controls, tighter vendor oversight and a playbook on how to handle medical recalls that might as well be required reading at business schools.

Now enVista is back on the market with what Dr. Sydney Tyson (United States) called a masterclass in recall response. Confidence: restored. Monomers: monitored. Comeback: complete.

And Sight Sciences rolled out a shiny new toy: the OMNI Edge surgical system (the official launch happens tomorrow). Not just an update, this device is equipped handsomely with TruSync technology and a supersized viscoelastic reservoir (21 μL, if you’re counting).

Designed for the MIGS aficionado who wants more control, more precision and zero implants, OMNI Edge takes aim at all three outflow resistance points—trabecular meshwork, Schlemm’s canal and collector channels. That’s like a triple threat in glaucoma management, all packed into a sleek, ergonomic handpiece.

Whether it was breakfast with BRiCS, robots writing your chart notes or a MIGS device flexing, Day 1 at ASCRS 2025 proved there’s no such thing as a sleepy start in this crowd.

And let’s not forget, while the skies above Los Angeles may have been gray, inside it was filled with intellectual sparks. So hydrate, recharge and get ready for Day 2. Because if today was the warm-up, tomorrow’s looking like the main event. See you then!
READ MORE: This is just the beginning. Follow our daily ASCRS 2025 coverage here for more to come!

Editor’s Note: Reporting for this story took place during the annual meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS 2025) being held from 25-28 April in Los Angeles, California, United States.