The ophthalmic goods are in Orlando, and we’re here at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting 2025 (AAO 2025) covering the research, the innovation, and the clinical pearls driving ophthalmology forward in the United States and the world.
From flapless refractive advances to diagnostic tips and award-winning corneal preservation research, our first day of coverage captured the breadth and depth of what’s shaping contemporary ophthalmic practice.
Flapless refractive surgery
Dr. John Doane (USA), Prof. Dr. Thomas Kohnen (Germany), Dr. Ronald Krueger (USA), Dr. Soosan Jacob (India), Dr. Nandini Venkateswaran (USA) and Dr. Rahul Tonk (USA) led the charge on their survey keratorefractive lenticule extraction (KLEx).
Biomechanical advantages, meta-analysis data showing KLEx performing equivalently to PRK and LASIK, and more were on the podium with some of cornea and refractive surgery’s most recognizable global names. For a survey of what’s out there to what’s coming next with KLEx, head on over to https://cakemagazine.org/purelenticule-precision-at-aao-2025/ for the latest on flapless refractive surgery.
READ MORE: Pearls Under Pressure: Practical Glaucoma Tips from AAO 2025
Award lecture highlights
Dr. Lee Jampol (USA) delivered the Charles L. Schepens MD Lecture on diagnostic pattern recognition while Dr. Christina Bavone (Italy) earned the Troutman Prize for corneal preservation research. Dr. Jampol walked through CNV, acute idiopathic maculopathy linked to hand, foot and mouth disease, and indolent B-cell lymphoma, emphasizing comprehensive history-taking and physical examination. Dr. Bavone demonstrated non-inferiority of dehydrated donor corneas stored with silica gel for up to 12 weeks versus standard 28-day preservation—COVID-era innovation addressing perpetual tissue shortages. Catch the full award lecture summaries here. .
Practical glaucoma management
Rapid-fire clinical pearls are already on the menu at subspecialty day, and a glaucoma highlight session spanned OCT literacy to OR ergonomics. Dr. Swarup Swaminathan (USA) warned against “green disease” masking asymmetric damage, while Dr. Rebecca Chen (USA) defended perimetry as irreplaceable decision fuel. Dr. Prithvi Sankar (USA) spoke on thoughtful medical therapy. Dr. Eileen Bowden (USA), Dr. Constance Okeke (USA), Dr. Anup Khatana (USA), Dr. Angela Turalba (USA) and Dr. Manjool Shah (USA) also brought their practical wisdom to better glaucoma outcomes, so read up here.
READ MORE: No Flap, No Fuss: Pure Lenticule Precision at AAO 2025
What’s up in retina, round one
Durability and personalization dominated retina updates in the first look of the conference at the hottest innovations and techniques in the space. Dr. Mark Johnson (USA) championed customized macular edema treatment with his mantra “treat the patient, not the OCT.”
Dr. Barbara Blodi (USA) highlighted AI screening adoption and extended-interval anti-VEGF dosing with aflibercept 8 mg and faricimab reaching 12-16 weeks. There’s even more from Dr. Jason Comander (USA) and Dr. Jennifer Lim (USA), including emerging tyrosine kinase inhibitors and a frank look at the future, so read the full roundup now.
RayOne EMV toric launch
Rayner’s FDA-approved RayOne EMV Toric IOL extends the EMV platform to astigmatic patients with exceptional rotational stability. Developed with Prof. Graham Barrett, FDA IDE data showed 0.9° absolute rotation at Day 1-2, 3.5° alignment at Month 6, and greater than 85% within ±0.50 D of target from Month 1. The non-diffractive design delivers controlled positive spherical aberration with monofocal contrast sensitivity and low dysphotopsia. Dr. William Wiley (USA) also praised the clinical outcomes and platform stability—see all the data and analysis here.
Stay tuned to our daily live coverage of AAO 2025 on PIE and CAKE.
Editor’s Note: The American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting 2025 (AAO 2025) is being held on 17-20 October 2025, in Orlando, Florida. Reporting for this story took place during the event. This content is intended exclusively for healthcare professionals. It is not intended for the general public. Products or therapies discussed may not be registered or approved in all jurisdictions, including Singapore.