Doyle Stulting, MD, PhD, Selected to Present Prestigious Binkhorst Lecture at ASCRS-ASOA Annual Meeting

Dr. Jonathan Woolfson

FAIRFAX, VA – February 12, 2016 – Physician-scientist, Doyle Stulting, MD, PhD, will be awarded the Binkhorst Medal, and he will present the esteemed Binkhorst Lecture during the Opening General Session of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) and American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASOA) Annual Symposium and Congress in New Orleans May 7, 2016. Dr. Stulting’s lecture will be titled “Predicting and Treating Corneal Ectasia.”

Since 1975, the Binkhorst Medal has been awarded to the world’s most prominent ophthalmologists whose careers have made significant contributions to the science and practice of ophthalmology. During his distinguished career, Dr. Stulting’s work has established him as a foremost leader in the field of ophthalmology and a primary force in the surgical management of complex cataracts, corneal disease and intraocular lens complications.

“Dr. Stulting’s research efforts have been vital to advancing the study and practice of ophthalmic surgery. It is exactly this kind of tireless dedication to the advancement of the field that exemplifies recipients of the Binkhorst Medal,” says ASCRS President Robert J. Cionni, MD.

Dr. Stulting has been performing refractive surgery for more than 20 years and is known for his clinical expertise in pediatric corneal transplantation, having published the largest clinical series in the literature on this topic. Most recently, he was principal investigator for a physician-sponsored clinical trial of riboflavin-UVA corneal collagen cross-linking–the first of its kind in the United States.

“In 1998, Theo Seiler called our attention to the possibility of destabilizing the cornea with laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), resulting in corneal ectasia, with decreasing visual acuity, thinning, and steepening of the corneal curvature,” says Dr. Stulting. “Analysis of patients who developed ectasia and others who have had successful LASIK has allowed us to identify risk factors for this undesirable outcome.”
Corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) was introduced to the print literature over a decade ago and is the standard for care for the treatment of ectatic corneal disease around the world. Stiffening the cornea with CXL can stop the progression of not only corneal ectasia after LASIK but also the progression of naturally occurring ectatic diseases such as keratoconus and pellucid marginal degeneration.

Focusing on improving the cornea’s resistance to deformation has led to exploring newer technologies that might be applied to the noninvasive measurement of corneal stiffness rather than using the traditional measurements of visual function, corneal curvature and corneal thickness. Improvements in CXL methodologies have and will continue to reduce the risks of CXL.

“Coupled with noninvasive techniques for measuring corneal biomechanics and more advanced screening methods, newer technologies for stiffening the cornea have the potential to eliminate visual loss from ectatic corneal disease,” Dr. Stulting adds, “and eliminate the need for as many as 50 percent of the corneal transplants performed in the United States.”

Dr. Stulting received his MD and PhD degrees from Duke University, in Durham, N.C, graduating summa cum laude. He served his internal medicine internship and residency at Washington University’s Barnes Hospital and his ophthalmology residency at the University of Miami, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Dr. Stulting completed a fellowship in cornea and external disease at Emory University, where he practiced, taught, and performed research as a member of the faculty from 1982 to 2010. In 2010, he founded the Stulting Research Center at Woolfson Eye Institute, where he conducts a variety of clinical trials in cataract, refractive surgery, cornea and external disease.

Dr. Stulting has served as a member of the FDA Ophthalmic Devices Panel and completed a term as Chair of the Panel in 1998. He is Past President of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, has served on the Board of Directors of the Eye Bank Association of America, is a member of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Eye Bank, and is Co-Medical Director of the Georgia Eye Bank. He recently completed a 10-year term as Editor-In-Chief of the journal Cornea and is on the editorial board of other journals.

Registration is open for the ASCRS-ASOA Annual Symposium and Congress, which will be held in New Orleans May 6-10. This is the only event in the United States dedicated to the needs of the anterior segment specialist. More than 14,000 medical doctors, nurses and technicians, practice administrators, industry leaders and exhibitors attend the meeting.

The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery is an international educational society with more than 9,000 members. Its mission is to advance the art and science of ophthalmic surgery and the knowledge and skills of ophthalmic surgeons by providing clinical and practice management education and by working with patients, government and the medical community to promote the delivery and advancement of high-quality eye care. ASCRS.org

The mission of the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators is to advance the skills and professionalism of ophthalmic practice management. Founded in 1986 by administrators for administrators, ASOA is the premier organization for the business side of the ophthalmic practice. Serving administrators, managers, physicians and office staff, ASOA offers avenues for personal and professional growth and provides support, tools and resources for the daily challenges of managing a practice. ASOA celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2016. ASOA.org