Sell Out Success: CCLSA NSW Presbyopia Workshop

Sixty delegates attended the event at the Novotel Darling Square, which was led by Chapter President Sujan Hong. 

The evening moved away from traditional lectures in favour of a fast-paced series of hands-on workshops and featured a rare collaboration between the ‘Big Four’ contact lens manufacturers: Alcon, Bausch and Lomb, CooperVision, and Johnson and Johnson Vision. Experts from each of the companies stood side-by-side to present a unified voice on multifocal contact lens (MFCL) fitting. 

Choose one brand, fit it exclusively until you understand its nuances in your own hands, and then move to the next

Bridging the Confidence Gap  

Drawing on her experience training surgeons and practitioners, Ms Hong noted that a “confidence gap” often prevents clinicians from routinely offering multifocals. She said the first step toward clinical predictability is to master manufacturer fitting guides. 

“Don’t try to be an expert in every design at once,” Ms Hong said. “Choose one brand, fit it exclusively until you understand its nuances in your own hands, and then move to the next. That is how you build true clinical intuition.” 

Active Learning in Action  

The highlight of the night was a rotation of 10-minute workshop sprints. Attendees, ranging from students to industry veterans, worked through real-world case studies at every station to perform calculations and troubleshoot fitting hurdles, designed to ensure the learnings stuck. 

The program was supported by clinical insights from experienced optometrists Margaret Lam and Narelle Hine, as well as early-career optometrist Stephanie Huang, demonstrating that multifocal contact lens success is accessible at any career stage. 

CCLSA’s next event – the biennial International Cornea and Contact Lens Conference, themed ‘The art of possibility’ will take place in Hobart from 16-18 October.