THE 2025 GLOBAL SPECIALTY LENS SYMPOSIUM (GSLS), presented by Contact Lens Spectrum, was held January 15-18 at Horseshoe Las Vegas. This year’s program hosted nearly 1,000 attendees, speakers, and industry representatives. Attendees hailed from 45 states throughout the country as well as 29 countries worldwide. Sessions covered aspects of specialty contact lens wear and how practitioners can help each patient as an individual by tying into this year’s theme: “It’s Getting Personal.”
The 2025 GSLS Education Committee was comprised of Jason J. Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD (chair); Karen DeLoss, OD (vice chair); Patrick Caroline; Eef van der Worp, BOptom, PhD; and Ashley Wallace-Tucker, OD.
The 2025 schedule kicked off on January 15, with 4 preconference workshops. The “Scleral and Corneal GP MF Fitting” workshop was presented by Susan J. Gromacki, OD, MS, and Daniel G. Fuller, OD. The workshop provided a comprehensive guide to multifocal lens fitting techniques and troubleshooting strategies, emphasizing essential steps in selecting and fitting GP multifocal lenses for both corneal and scleral designs. Key topics included diagnostic lens usage, proper lens centering, and addressing common visual challenges such as poor distance and near acuities. Attendees also explored advanced solutions, such as adjusting lens base curves, prism, and segment heights, to optimize patient outcomes.
The “Advanced Scleral Lens Workshop: Taking it to the Next Level” was presented by Robert Ensley, OD; Kelsea Skidmore, OD, MS; and Gloria Chiu, OD, all members of the Scleral Lens Education Society. This two-hour interactive workshop covered utilizing technology to assist in the fitting and troubleshooting of scleral lenses on a variety of patients.
Of note, the “Keratoconus: Clear Vision Ahead, from Diagnosis to Management” workshop was presented in both English and Spanish. Speakers included Daddi Fadel, DOptom; Karen Carrasquillo, OD, PhD; Patricia Flores, DO, MSc, PhD; and Norma Cárdenas, OD, MSc. This workshop covered keratoconus in depth, including its definition, diagnosis, treatment options, and more, in addition to future directions.
The final workshop, “Unconventional Applications of Scleral Lenses,” was presented by Dr. Fadel and Melissa Barnett, OD, and explored the applications of scleral lenses beyond vision correction.
This year’s program also featured 7 general sessions and 19 breakouts with an emphasis on all things specialty lenses, including contact lens care and compliance, dry eye, myopia management, presbyopia, scleral lenses, and more. The first general session was comprised of 2 keynote speeches. Read recaps of the presentation by Fiona Stapleton, PhD, FCOptom, on page 12, and the presentation by Lyndon Jones, DSc, FCOptom, on page 17.
There were a record-breaking 200 entries this year for scientific posters and free papers. New in 2025, GSLS held 2 poster sessions (one on Friday and one on Saturday) to allow for more interaction and learning with the authors. Additionally, during the Rapid-Fire Poster general session, 8 presenters were given 4 minutes each to present a “teaser” of their posters. The posters presented this year are listed here. To view these or any of the other posters, visit bit.ly/GSLSposters25.
• Muriel Schornack, OD, and Cherie B. Nau, OD – Intracorneal Hemorrhage Associated with Scleral Lens Wear
• Gloria Chiu, OD; Mihaela Campan, PhD; Kent Nguyen, OD; and Pamela Ward, PhD – Evaluation of Sars-Cov-2 And Variant Viral Particles from Scleral Lens Fluid Reservoir
• Javier Rojas-Viñuela, OD, MSc; Alejandra Consejo, PhD; and David Piñero, PhD – Corneo-Scleral Transition in Both Eyes of Soft Lens Users
• Valery Medina, OD; W. Chamberlain, MD, PhD; A. Dieu, OD; and D. Louie – Saved by the Edge Vault
• Mary Avisado, OD, MS; Patrick Caroline; Matthew Lampa, OD; Mari Fujimoto, OD; and Randy Kojima – Corneal Eccentricity and Gas Permeable Fitting Considerations in Keratoconus
• Gulnoza Azieva Gomez, OD, MS; Stephen Dellostritto, OD, MS; Julianna Dolinski, BS; and Eva Duchnowski, OD – Spontaneous Extrusion of 10-Year-Old Intacts in a Keratoconus Patient
• Giancarlo Montani, DipOptom; and Eef van der Worp, BOptom, PhD – Power Profiles of Different Daily Disposable and Monthly Replacement Soft Multifocal Contact Lenses
• Christine Sindt, OD; Xifeng Xiao; and Daniel Neal – Dynamic Wavefront Measurements to Eliminate Tear Film Variability in the HOA Measurement
In addition, the Free Paper session was held to highlight additional abstract submissions. Each presenter was given about 8 minutes to get their message across. Attendees were able to interact with the panel during a Q&A at the end. This year’s featured papers included:
• Gillian Uldrich, OD – Using 10 mm Chord Diameter to Predict SAG Needed for Scleral Lens
• Rute J. Macedo de Araújo – Assessing 18-Month Stability of Optical and Visual Quality and Symptoms in Scleral Lens Wearers
• Jennifer Harthan, OD – Midday Fogging in Scleral Lens Wearers with Meibomian Gland Disease
• Langis Michaud, OD, MS – Short-Term Effect of Blue Light on Choroidal Thickness and Retinal Vasculature in Young Adults
• Jennifer Fogt, OD – Satisfaction with a Single-Use Soft Multifocal Contact Lens – In Previous Presbyopic Lens Wear Dropouts
Networking Opportunities
In addition to the numerous CE sessions, attendees also had several opportunities to visit with the 61 vendors in the exhibit hall. During the multiple lunches and cocktail receptions, GSLS participants could also be seen catching up with old colleagues or meeting new ones.
Save the Date
The 2026 GSLS will be held January 7-10 at Paris Las Vegas.
