ASCRS and Sustainability

ASCRS recognizes and is committed to supporting sustainability in healthcare. It is one of the founding co-sponsor societies of EyeSustain, a global coalition of ophthalmologists and eye societies seeking to engage, network, and educate our global ophthalmic community about more sustainable practices.

The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery recognizes that unnecessary waste produced during medical procedures will negatively affect the environment. We are taking the lead to sensitively identify areas of waste that can be safely addressed, without compromising our commitment to the highest quality of patient care and always putting patient safety and outcomes first. —Elizabeth Yeu MD, President, ASCRS

Sustainability at the ASCRS Annual Meeting

While the Annual Meeting is primarily a forum for clinical and surgical education, sustainability in ophthalmology is a regular feature. Here are a sampling of presentations and courses that focused on sustainability.

EyeSustain Discussion and Recognition of David Chang, MD: In this “Saturday on the Main Stage” session, a panel discussed how climate change negatively impacts healthcare, while the healthcare sector itself is a significant contributor of carbon dioxide emissions. Dr. Chang, Oliver Findel, MD, John Hovanesian, MD, and Aakriti Shukla, MD, share information about EyeSustain, medical waste, sustainability efforts, and more. Watch the discussion.
Making Ophthalmology Sustainable: Reducing Your Overhead and OR Waste: This instruction course led by Barbara Erny, MD, covers data on the financial, access, and quality benefits of making environmental improvements in medical practices and how to achieve them. Watch the session.

Young Eye Surgeons Focus on Sustainability

ASCRS Young Eye Surgeon (YES) members are active in areas of sustainability and sustainability research. There are several YES members on the EyeSustain Editorial Board.

Check out this YES Connect webinar that focused on EyeSustain and the importance of sustainability in ophthalmology.

YES members also have published several articles and resources related to sustainability in society publications and peer-reviewed journals, such as:

EyeWorld

The member magazine of ASCRS, hosts a quarterly column from EyeSustain editors. Find a few of the EyeSustain update columns here: