The Art of Possibility at ICCLC 2026

Held at the Crowne Plaza Hobart from 16–18 October, the 20th ICCLC brought together clinicians, researchers, and industry colleagues for three days of learning. Organised by the Cornea and Contact Lens Society of Australia (CCLSA), the congress explored developments in corneal care, contact lenses, and ocular surface health, with a focus on their application in practice.

Getting the Foundations Right

Friday’s ‘Advanced corneal RGPs: Tips & tricks’ workshop, presented by Jessica Chi (Vic), Dr Hugh Bradshaw, and Celia Bloxsom (both Qld), focused on a fundamental requirement for successful lens design: reliable topographic measurements. The presenters shared techniques for improving image capture, identifying unreliable measurements, and recognising when scans should be repeated. Their attention to these early steps demonstrated how careful data collection supports lens design and fitting decisions.

The advanced dry eye workshop combined demonstrations with clinical guidance. Martin Robinson (Tas), Scientia Professor Fiona Stapleton AO (NSW), and Dr Leigh Plowman (Vic) demonstrated meibomian gland expression, ocular surface assessment with the Oculus Keratograph 5M, and Zest, an in-office eyelid cleansing procedure using an okra-based formulation to remove debris from the eyelids and lashes.¹ Professor Lyndon Jones (Ontario, Canada) delivered a comprehensive 15-minute overview of the Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society Dry Eye Workshop III (TFOS DEWS III). The reports bring together evidence on dry eye diagnosis and management, helping clinicians identify contributing factors and tailor treatment.^2,3 Alongside the demonstrations, this connected current guidance with techniques optometrists could apply in practice.

Welcome drinks in the exhibition area concluded the day, allowing delegates to meet speakers, reconnect with colleagues, and speak with industry partners.

Alongside the demonstrations, this connected current guidance with techniques optometrists could apply in practice.

From Paediatrics to Presbyopia

Saturday began with Dr Alex Koutsokeras (NSW) presenting Johnson & Johnson’s breakfast session, ‘From paediatrics to presbyopia: Innovation across a lifetime of vision’.

The session examined Acuvue Abiliti 1-Day, a daily disposable silicone hydrogel lens launched in Australia in August 2025 and included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.^4,5 Its 13.8 mm diameter is designed for smaller paediatric eyes, while RingBoost technology combines vision correction with treatment zones intended to slow myopia progression in children.⁶

The Acuvue Oasys Max 1-Day family followed. TearStable technology supports moisture retention and tear-film stability, while OptiBlue filters blue-violet light. Astigmatism designs use blink stabilisation to maintain orientation, and multifocal designs account for pupil-size differences associated with age and refractive error.⁷

New Perspectives on Cornea and Contact Lens Care

Lachlan Hoy’s (SA) ‘Grafts and cones’ lecture highlighted how keratoconus assessment extends beyond anterior corneal mapping. Posterior corneal changes, pachymetry, and biomechanical findings can contribute to earlier detection and more informed monitoring and referral.⁸

Contact lens safety remained a recurring theme. Prof Stapleton’s Kenneth W. Bell Medal Lecture examined corneal infection in contact lens wearers, while Scientia Associate Professor Nicole Carnt (NSW) discussed recognising infectious keratitis and identifying patients at risk. Prof Jones addressed compliance and everyday habits influencing safe wear.

Other presentations explored interactions between corneal immune cells and nerves, anterior segment immunology, and ocular surface complications associated with chemotherapy agents.

The afternoon returned to fitting. Daniel Moriarty (SA), Mr Hoy, Damon Ezekiel (WA), and Millicent Meegan (SA) explored scleral lenses and software-assisted design. Concurrently, Paul Rose CNZM (Hamilton, NZ), Dr Margaret Lam (NSW), and Grant Watters (Auckland) demonstrated selecting and fitting Rose K designs. Live troubleshooting allowed delegates to follow the reasoning behind each adjustment. These demonstrations allowed clinicians to observe how different lens designs fitted on the eye and how the available clinical information guided adjustments to optimise the fit.

A key message was to look beyond headline percentages and consider the actual differences in axial elongation and refractive progression.

Making Sense of Myopia Management

Using case studies, a panel worked through the range of options available for myopia management, including myopia-control spectacle lenses, soft contact lenses, orthokeratology, and low-dose atropine. The session encouraged optometrists to consider the ages and populations studied, the evidence for each treatment, and what would suit the child and family. Orthokeratology received particular attention for its usefulness in selected children with myopic astigmatism or anisometropia.

A key message was to look beyond headline percentages and consider the actual differences in axial elongation and refractive progression. These results need to be interpreted alongside study duration and participant characteristics, rather than directly comparing percentages from different trials.⁹

The panel also explored a different way of looking at existing data: accounting for the physiological eye growth expected in children without myopia. This can offer another perspective on how closely treatment approaches normal growth.⁹

The case studies brought these considerations back to practice, challenging optometrists to choose an approach based on the child’s age, clinical findings, readiness, and willingness to try different options. Alongside treatment efficacy, the discussion emphasised a practical point: a management plan needs to be one the child and family can follow consistently.

Professor Mark Willcox and Emeritus Professor Eric Papas (both from NSW) subsequently delivered the CCLSA Brien Holden Memorial Award and Lecture, ‘The things that oxygen can’t fix’, examining discomfort, microbial colonisation, and inflammation.

Dr Shonit Jagmohan (Vic) explored alternatives to scleral lenses in post-graft fitting, while Professor Laura Downie (Vic) introduced Admier, an emerging diagnostic approach measuring tear extensional viscosity – how tears resist stretching.¹⁰

A Splash of Colour

Saturday’s ‘Art vs science – a splash of colour’ gala dinner brought a lively change of pace. Masquerade masks, bright outfits, and fluorescent touches accompanied a three-course dinner and music from Superband.

The evening offered time to get to know colleagues beyond their presentations. Poster sessions and the exhibition provided further opportunities to explore research and continue conversations.

Industry supporters were Alcon, Johnson & Johnson, Bausch + Lomb, EyeSpace, CSL Seqirus, CooperVision, BOC Instruments, Capricornia Contact Lens, Medmont, Menicon, Gelflex, Optopol Technology, Ophthalmix, Good Optical Services, Eyerising International, Sun Pharma, Rohto Eye Care, OphthalmoPro, OptiMed EssilorLuxottica, and Save Sight Registries, with mivision as media partner.

ICCLC 2026 left clinicians and researchers with practical ideas, professional connections, and questions to explore back in practice. The conversations that began in Hobart offered a fitting reminder of Albert Einstein’s words: “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence.”¹¹

Sheila Lam M Clin Optom B Vis Sci is a principal optometrist at Eye Definition Optometrists in Sydney and the current Chair of Young Optometrists. She is a Clinical Excellence and Education Consultant for Menicon Australia, a committee member of Cornea and Contact Lens Society of Australia, and a member of the Orthokeratology Society of Oceania.

References

1. Zocular. Zest professional eyelid cleansing. Available at: zocular.com/ [accessed 18 Oct 2026].
2. Wolffsohn JS, Benítez-del-Castillo JM, Jones L, et al. TFOS DEWS III: diagnostic methodology. Am J Ophthalmol. 2025;279:387-450. doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2025.05.033.
3. Jones L, Craig JP, Yoon KC, et al. TFOS DEWS III: management and therapy. Am J Ophthalmol. 2025; 279:289-386. doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2025.05.039.
4. Therapeutic Goods Administration. Johnson & Johnson Vision Care (Australia) Pty Ltd — soft corrective contact lens, daily-disposable. ARTG 475505; 10 January 2025. Available at: tga.gov.au/resources/artg/475505 [accessed 18 Oct 2026].
5. Optometry Australia. Introducing Acuvue Abiliti 1-Day contact lenses for myopia management. 20 August 2025. Available at: optometry.org.au/institute-of-excellence/cpd-events/introducing-acuvue-abiliti-1-day-contact-lenses-for-myopia-management/ [accessed 18 Oct 2026].
6. Johnson & Johnson Vision Care (Australia) Pty Ltd. Acuvue Abiliti 1-Day. Australian product information. Available at: acuvue.com/en-au/products/abiliti-1-day/ [accessed 18 Oct 2026].
7. Johnson & Johnson Vision. Acuvue Oasys Max 1-Day family. Professional product information. Available at: jnjvisionpro.com/en-gb/acuvue-oasys-max-family/ [accessed 18 Oct 2026].
8. Gomes JAP, Hafezi F, Hillen M, et al. Global consensus on keratoconus and ectatic diseases – Edition 2. Cornea. 2026;45(7):888-908. doi: 10.1097/ICO.0000000000004170.
9. Bullimore MA, Saunders KJ, Wildsoet CF, et al. IMI – interventions for controlling myopia onset and progression 2025. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2025;66(12):39. doi: 10.1167/iovs.66.12.39.
10. McDonnell A, Lee JH, Downie LE, et al. Tear film extensional viscosity is a novel potential biomarker of dry eye disease. Ophthalmology. 2019;126(8):1196–1198. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2019.03.014.
11. Miller W. Old man’s advice to youth: “Never Lose a Holy Curiosity”. In: Death of a Genius. Life. 2 May 1955:64.