Leading with Vision

Terry Kim, MD, is Professor of Ophthalmology at Duke University Eye Center, Durham, NC, where he served as Chief of the Cornea and External Disease Division, Director of the Refractive Surgery Service and Director of the Duke Sports Vision Center. As Past President of ASCRS, member of the AAO’s Annual Program Committee and the Cornea Society Board of Directors, he was also principal and co-investigator on a number of clinical trials and research grants from the National Institutes of Health and other industry sponsors.

In 2024, Kim became Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Head of Global Medical Safety at Alcon, where he works to integrate scientific and clinical priorities across the Surgical and Vision Care franchises, support the development of Surgical and Vision Care clinical evidence, and represent the company to academic, scientific and industry communities, and government agencies.

The Ophthalmologist sat down with Kim for his take on how breakthrough technologies and a spirit of collaboration and innovation are combining to transform the future of eye care.

What are the most exciting areas of ophthalmology right now?

The pace of innovation happening across eye care is extraordinary, and Alcon is leading the charge. I am excited about this year’s innovations across several key areas, including cataract, refractive, retina and glaucoma with the launches of UNITY® VCS, DSLT, Clareon® PanOptix® Pro, wavelight® plus and Adi Practice Solutions.* I believe that each of these innovations has the potential to shape the future of eye care.

I’m also very optimistic about the innovative advances in cell therapy, including endothelial and retinal pigment epithelial cell therapy, which can significantly change our approaches to the management of blinding conditions like Fuchs dystrophy and geographic atrophy (1, 2).

How do you see disruptive innovations in robotics, AI and digital health changing the landscape?

Some of the most exciting advancements in ophthalmology will be robotics, personalized medicine, virtual reality (VR) and digitalization/artificial intelligence (AI).

Robotics is set to revolutionize ophthalmology by enhancing precision and expanding access to advanced eye care (3). Surgeons are already utilizing robot-assisted technology in laser refractive surgery and femtosecond-laser assisted cataract surgery procedures (3). This approach will increase as we find ways to use AI-driven robotics technology to help with disease detection, teleophthalmology and remote surgery by enhancing visualization and automating surgical steps in the hopes of reducing complications and decreasing the surgeon’s workload (4, 5).

Today’s patients and physicians are also looking for more personalized treatment and care without compromising on efficiency. Alcon has recently introduced new technologies across its Surgical and Vision Care portfolios to meet this demand. Specifically, in Vision Care, we have launched MARLO and introduced a new contact lens, PRECISION7®, to meet the preferences and pricing needs of our consumers. In Surgical, we’re rolling out wavelight® plus across the globe, the first fully personalized refractive treatment (6-11).*

In addition, the Fidelis Virtual Reality Ophthalmic Surgical Simulator is a learning tool that replicates the operating room environment using immersive, haptic VR simulation to improve training outcomes and increase surgeon confidence (12).* And digital health products and offerings such as Adi Practice Solutions are designed to connect and streamline the data passing between the clinic and the operating room – delivering complete, connected care to patients, surgeons and staff.*

I believe that generative AI will play a pivotal role in these technologies in the near future, especially for the early detection of eye diseases and development of patient treatment plans.

How do you see Alcon’s new offerings making an impact on the industry?

Alcon has a long-standing legacy of involving customers throughout the R&D process, allowing eye care professionals to help to shape the types of products that are coming to market. For our upcoming product launches, we collaborated closely with our customers to ensure they are designed to meet the unmet needs that they face in their practices on a daily basis. These technologies will help address needs for increased efficiency and greater accessibility, while enabling excellent patient outcomes.

Alcon’s R&D team, led by Franck Leveiller, is always investing significant time and resources on upstream cutting-edge research opportunities that will continue to innovate and advance ophthalmology to bring the best technologies to our patients. I believe that 10 years from now we will be able to look back and say that the work and care put into developing these products was the catalyst for the next generation of eye care.

What makes a great leader in ophthalmology?

I’ve learned some valuable pearls on leadership from three of my colleagues, who have all mastered the “leadership through service” approach that I believe yields a lasting impact in our field. Richard Lindstrom has been a tremendous mentor to me and so many other leaders in ophthalmology, and he has always guided his ophthalmic career based on three principles to drive excellence in the field: education, innovation and investment. David Chang exemplifies excellent service to international ophthalmology through so many of his efforts, including his past leadership of the ASCRS Foundation as well as his sustainability campaign, which has really gained traction here in the U.S. and abroad. And Thomas Kohnen’s expertise in the field has driven excellence not only in his clinical practice but also in his research endeavors, which have brought innovative intraocular lens (IOL) technologies to the forefront for so many patients.

What advice would you give to ophthalmologists who are just starting out?

My advice would be simple: find a mentor, who can be a senior resident, fellow, junior or senior faculty member or practice partner. I would recommend finding someone you respect and who embodies similar professional/personal goals and viewpoints as you. A few things that I love about our field are the collaborative spirit, the understanding that we are only as good as those who came before us, and how seriously we take our responsibility to steward the next generation of eye care professionals. There are so many ways to get involved in our professional and scientific communities – and I am a better ophthalmologist because of them.

*Please refer to product labeling for a list of indications, warnings and precautions.

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