Download NCLE Courses - Connecticut Opticians Association

NCLE Courses
Whenever Buddy Russell speaks to us in Connecticut, he receives enthusiastic
reviews from Super Sunday attendees. Comments include, …”Great speaker.
Bring him back again,” . . . so we did! With over 25 years experience fitting
specialty contact lenses, Mr. Russell is currently an Associate and Clinical
Instructor of the Contact Lens Service at Emory University, Emory Eye Center, in
Atlanta, Georgia. He is involved in visual rehabilitation with and/or
management of contact lenses for all indications including keratoconus, corneal
transplants, trauma, ocular surface disorders, and after refractive surgery. He
has a special interest in dealing with the pediatric population and their unique
challenges. His current research activities include keratoconus, INTACS and
pediatric aphakia. He serves as a contact lens consultant for The Infant Aphakia
Treatment Study (IATS, a long-term NIH/NEI-funded study.) This important study
compares visual outcomes of children with monocular cataracts.
He is a member of the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in
Buddy Russell, COMT, FCLSA(H) Ophthalmology; the Association of Technical Personnel in Ophthalmology; the
C.O.T. Flashcard Study Committee; the N.C.L.E. Pass Point Committee for
Advanced Level Certification and the N.C.L.E. Board of Directors; the Georgia Opticians' Association; the
national Infant Aphakic Treatment Study (IATS), Contact Lens Consultant; and serves on the Vistakon Pediatric
Advisory Board. Russell also serves as a reviewer for Cornea. You’ll find him easy to listen to, easy to learn from,
and a great source of knowledge.
8:00 - 9:00
Management of Irregular Astigmatism ........................................................................................................ 1 Credit
Irregular corneal astigmatism occurs almost always in keratoconus and pellucid marginal degeneration, along with an
estimated 25 percent of eyes after penetrating keratoplasty or after corneal injury. Often, the method of achieving a
functional optical result is with contact lenses; GPs, hybrid designs, or tandem systems.
This course will describe those ocular conditions which result in irregular astigmatism, why contact lenses are indicated
for their correction rather than spectacles, plus the methodology for choosing and designing a contact lens system that will
provide optimal results for the patient.
9:00 - 11:00
Pediatric Contact Lens Fitting ................................................................................................................... 2 Credits
Many children require contact lenses to maximize visual potential. Whether the indication for contact lenses is congenital
or acquired, these patients require time and patience on the part of the practitioner. Case presentations demonstrating some
of the various indications a child might require a contact lens will be presented. Advantages and disadvantages of
spectacles will be discussed. Medical indications of contact lenses and various contact lens options will be presented.
Actual case histories will be presented.
11:10 - 12:10
Introduction to Corneal Topography ........................................................................................................... 1 Credit
Current corneal topography assessment techniques are undergoing considerable evolution in both hardware and in the
software algorithms used to calculate and display corneal curvature. It is therefore prudent that eye care practitioners stay
abreast of these changes, especially in light of the changes related to ocular diagnosis, contact lens designs and refractive
surgery options.
1:30 - 2:30
Update in Contact Lens Options for Keratoconus and Irregular Corneas ......................................................... 1 Credit
Keratoconus is a condition occurring in approximately 1-2 out of every 10,000 people and is characterized by thinning
and protrusion of the cornea, resulting in an irregular, conical shape. Irregular astigmatism occurs as the condition
progresses, and results in blurred vision which can be impossible to correct with spectacles. Contact lenses are the mode of
correction in most of these cases due to the irregular cornea, in most cases that being one fabricated from a GP lens
material.
This course will describe the various contact lens alternatives for management of the keratoconus patient.
2:30 - 4:30
Scleral Lens Fitting and Troubleshooting .................................................................................................. 2 Credits
Early generations of scleral contact lenses were totally replaced by soft and hard contact lenses. New designs and
materials now allow the successful use of nonfenestrated scleral contact lenses in patients who are intolerant to conventional
contact lenses. These new scleral contact lenses form a bridge over the cornea, which is thus bathed in a moisture reservoir.
Scleral contact lenses provide unique therapeutic and vision rehabilitative properties that overcome the therapeutic gaps
encountered with conventional contact lens therapies. The availability of new and diverse materials--in particular, the use of
highly oxygen-permeable materials for scleral contact lenses--has allowed reevaluation of the clinical role of scleral lenses in
the management of irregular corneal surface disorders and ocular surface disease.