Expert Insights on Managing Glaucoma: Melissa Tawa, OD, FAAO at Controversies in Modern Eye Care Meeting

On May 4, 2024, Melissa Tawa, OD, FAAO was a featured speaker at the Controversies in Modern Eye Care meeting. She participated in two glaucoma panels, where she shared her insights and expertise on the management of this eye disease.

During the first panel, Dr. Tawa reviewed glaucoma case studies and discussed surgical interventions and appropriate patient populations for technologies. She emphasized the importance of OCT and visual field interpretation in managing glaucoma patients and highlighted factors like corneal hysteresis that can impact treatment outcomes. Dr. Tawa also addressed the impact of glaucoma medications and procedures on patients’ daily lives and discussed strategies to alleviate drop burden.

In the second panel, Dr. Tawa focused on drug delivery systems like Durysta and iDose TR that aim to reduce the need for medications in glaucoma patients. She also discussed minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS) as an alternative to topical medications to help improve patient compliance and reduce drop burden. This shift towards alternative methods of controlling IOP represents a step towards enhancing patient care and quality of life.

Overall, Dr. Tawa’s pearls of wisdom and insights from the talks highlighted the importance of not only controlling glaucoma but also improving patients’ quality of life while taking into account their daily lives’ impact on their treatment outcomes.