AAO Annual Meeting 2026

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
900 Convention Center Blvd
New Orleans, LA 70130

Oct 9-12 2026

Meet RCA in New Orleans

Connect with RCA at the AAO Annual Meeting

Join Retina Consultants of America at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists on October 9-12, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. A number of retina specialists from the RCA network will present on various topics throughout the Meeting, including new therapies and current ongoing national studies regarding the treatment of retinal disease. We're looking forward to learning and networking with other retina specialists from around the country.

2026 Annual Meeting Program

We're honored that the RCA network is so well represented at this year's Meeting. Browse presentations featuring RCA providers, or click the link below to view the complete agenda on the AAO website.

Learn More

    • Aug. 5 : Early registration fee deadline. Fees increase Aug. 6.
    • Sept. 9 : Advance pricing fee deadline. Fees increase Sept. 10.

RCA-Hosted Physician Reception

Join RCA for a private reception on Friday evening and get to know our team!

Friday, October 9th, 2026
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM CST

Brennan’s 417
Royal Street, New Orleans, LA 70130

Register Here

Featured Speakers

Meet the RCA retina specialists featured in this year's program.

Friday, October 9, 2026

  • Section I: Surgical Videos—Cool Cases and Complications

    Kourous Rezaei, MD
    Illinois Retina Associates
    Moderator

  • Section III: Dry AMD

    Nathan C Steinle, MD
    California Retina Consultants
    Panelist

  • AAOE - Retina Practice Resilience: Leading with Precision in a High-Stakes Environment

    Ankoor R Shah, MD
    Retina Consultants of Texas
    Instructor

  • Section III: Back to Jazz in Treme and the Marigny: Posterior Uveitis and Imaging

    Christopher R Henry, MD
    Retina Consultants of Texas
    Presenter

  • Section III: Back to Jazz in Treme and the Marigny: Posterior Uveitis and Imaging

    Eduardo Uchiyama, MD
    Retina Group of Florida
    Moderator

  • Section IV: Not Easy in the Big Easy—ROP Debates

    C. Armitage Harper III, MD
    Austin Retina Associates
    Presenter

  • Section VI: AI and the Business of Retina

    Geoffrey G Emerson, MD, PhD
    Retina Consultants of Minnesota
    Presenter

  • Coding Camp

    Ankoor R Shah, MD
    Retina Consultants of Texas
    Instructor

  • Section V: The House of the Rising Sun: Surgery and Complications

    Veena R Raiji, MD
    Illinois Retina Associates
    Panelist

  • Section VII: My Best Medical Retina Case

    Mathew W MacCumber, MD, PhD
    Illinois Retina Associates
    Presenter

  • Section VIII: The 2026 Debates

    John T Thompson, MD
    Retina Specialists, Maryland
    Presenter

  • Section VIII: The 2026 Debates

    Sohail J Hasan, MD, PhD
    Illinois Retina Associates
    Presenter

  • Section X: Clinical Trial Updates, Part I

    Joel A Pearlman, MD
    Retinal Consultants Medical Group
    Panelist

Saturday, October 10, 2026

  • Scleral Buckle and Pneumatic Retinopexy for Repair of Retinal Detachment

    Barton Lynn Blackorby, MD
    The Retina Institute, St. Louis
    Instructor

  • Scleral Buckle and Pneumatic Retinopexy for Repair of Retinal Detachment

    Ryan Sabherwal, MD
    Illinois Retina Associates
    Instructor

  • Wet AMD Mimickers: Beware!

    Bradley T. Smith, MD
    The Retina Institute, St. Louis
    Senior Instructor

  • Management of Complex and High-Risk Retinal Detachments

    Bradley T. Smith, MD
    The Retina Institute, St. Louis
    Senior Instructor

  • Management of Complex and High-Risk Retinal Detachments

    Edwin Hurlbut Ryan, Jr., MD
    Retina Consultants of Minnesota
    Instructor

  • Preventing and Managing Complications Following Vitreoretinal Surgery

    Athanasios Papakostas, MD
    The Retina Institute, St. Louis
    Instructor

  • Section XVII: Diabetic Retinopathy

    Jeremiah Brown, MD
    Retina Consultants of Texas
    Panelist

  • Section XVII: Diabetic Retinopathy

    Kevin J Blinder, MD
    The Retina Institute, St. Louis
    Panelist

  • Section XVIII: How Do I Do It?

    Edwin Hurlbut Ryan, Jr., MD
    Retina Consultants of Minnesota
    Instructor

  • Section XVIII: How Do I Do It?

    Murtaza K Adam, MD
    Colorado Retina Associates
    Presenter

  • OMIC Bruce Spivey MD Forum: Anesthesia Liability in Ophthalmology: Proactive Risk Management Approaches

    Jeremiah Brown, MD
    Retina Consultants of Texas
    Panelist

  • Section XIX: Clinical Trial Updates - Part II

    Carl C Awh, MD
    Tennessee Retina
    Panelist

Sunday, October 11, 2026

  • Diabetes 2026: Course on Diabetic Retinopathy

    Abdhish R Bhavsar, MD
    Retina Consultants of Minnesota
    Course Director

  • Diabetes 2026: Course on Diabetic Retinopathy

    Jeffrey G Gross, MD
    Palmetto Retina Center
    Instructor

  • Diabetes 2026: Course on Diabetic Retinopathy

    Kenneth C Fan, MD
    Retina Consultants of Texas
    Instructor

  • Diabetes 2026: Course on Diabetic Retinopathy

    Keye L Wong, MD
    Retina Group of Florida
    Instructor

  • Scleral Buckling: A Forgotten Art

    Kevin J Blinder, MD
    The Retina Institute, St. Louis
    Instructor

  • How to Approach the Workup and Treatment of Patients With Ocular Inflammatory Disorders

    Akshay S Thomas, MD
    Tennessee Retina
    Presenter

  • How to Approach the Workup and Treatment of Patients With Ocular Inflammatory Disorders

    Ashleigh Laurin Levison, MD
    Colorado Retina Associates
    Presenter

  • How to Approach the Workup and Treatment of Patients With Ocular Inflammatory Disorders

    Christopher R Henry, MD
    Retina Consultants of Texas
    Panelist

  • Open-Globe Trauma: Surgical Management for the On-Call Ophthalmologist

    Barton Lynn Blackorby, MD
    The Retina Institute, St. Louis
    Instructor

  • Open-Globe Trauma: Surgical Management for the On-Call Ophthalmologist

    Grant A Justin, MD
    Mid-Atlantic Retina Specialists
    Instructor

  • Dry AMD: From Observation to Intervention—What’s Real, What’s Next and What Matters

    Mathew W MacCumber, MD, PhD
    Illinois Retina Associates
    Presenter

  • Management of the Vitreous for the Anterior Segment Surgeon

    Jack A Cohen, MD, FACS
    Illinois Retina Associates
    Instructor

  • Diabetes 2026 Lab: Fluorescein Angiography Interpretation and Multimodel Imaging

    Abdhish R Bhavsar, MD
    Retina Consultants of Minnesota
    Instructor

  • Diabetes 2026 Lab: Fluorescein Angiography Interpretation and Multimodel Imaging

    Eduardo Uchiyama, MD
    Retina Group of Florida
    Instructor

  • Diabetes 2026 Lab: Fluorescein Angiography Interpretation and Multimodel Imaging

    George P Skopis, MD
    Retina Group of Florida
    Instructor

  • Diabetes 2026 Lab: Fluorescein Angiography Interpretation and Multimodel Imaging

    Jeffrey G Gross, MD
    Palmetto Retina Center
    Instructor

  • Diabetes 2026 Lab: Fluorescein Angiography Interpretation and Multimodel Imaging

    Keye L Wong, MD
    Retina Group of Florida
    Course Director

  • Retina, Vitreous Original Papers

    Kenneth C Fan, MD
    Retina Consultants of Texas
    Instructor

  • YO Program Part 2 - Beyond Clinic: Expanding Your Professional Portfolio

    Vivek Chaturvedi, MD
    Illinois Retina Associates
    Presenter

  • Podium Posters: Retina, Vitreous

    Robert W Wong, MD
    Austin Retina Associates
    Presenter

  • Global Controversies in Endophthalmitis Management: Myths and Realities

    Abdhish R Bhavsar, MD
    Retina Consultants of Minnesota
    Senior Instructor

  • Review of Principles and Pitfalls in the Treatment of Ocular Inflammatory Diseases

    Akshay S Thomas, MD
    Tennessee Retina
    Instructor

  • Retina, Vitreous Original Papers

    David Brown, MD, FACS
    Retina Consultants of Texas
    Paper On-Demand

  • Global Vitreoretinal and Uveitis Outreach: Building Sustainable Programs to Prevent Blindness

    Grant A Justin, MD
    Mid-Atlantic Retina Specialists
    Senior Instructor

  • Pediatric Neuro-Ophthalmology: Why Children Are Not Just Small Adults

    Robert A Avery, MD
    California Retina Consultants
    Instructor

Monday, October 12, 2026

  • Retina, Vitreous Original Papers

    Ashleigh Laurin Levison, MD
    Colorado Retina Associates
    Panelist

  • Management of the Vitreous for the Anterior Segment Surgeon

    Jack A Cohen, MD, FACS
    Illinois Retina Associates
    Instructor

  • Private Equity: All the Things I Wish I Knew Before Signing

    Abdhish R Bhavsar, MD
    Retina Consultants of Minnesota
    Senior Instructor

  • Damage Control Ophthalmology: Ocular Trauma for the Ophthalmologist on Call

    Barton Lynn Blackorby, MD
    The Retina Institute, St. Louis
    Instructor

  • Surgery for Macular Holes

    Ashleigh Laurin Levison, MD
    Colorado Retina Associates
    Virtual Moderator

  • Middle Segment Surgery: Pars Plana–Assisted Management of Anterior Segment Surgical Challenges

    Murtaza K Adam, MD
    Colorado Retina Associates
    Instructor

This Year's Venue

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
900 Convention Center Blvd,
New Orleans, LA 70130
Oct 9-12 2026

Learn More

If you have any questions about how to connect with us at this year's AAO Annual Meeting, please contact us.