Ophthalmology
Update on emerging therapies for age-related macular degeneration
The 23rd European Society of Retina Specialists (EURETINA) Congress, held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, provided a timely update on anti-complement therapy for geographic atrophy and emerging investigational therapies for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Anti-complement therapy for geographic atrophy Geographic atrophy...
My top five: A foundation doctor’s top five misconceptions about ophthalmology
Choosing a specialty is challenging. As a foundation doctor, it often feels as if this choice is based solely on fleeting experiences. Compared to other specialties, there is relatively little exposure to ophthalmology during either medical school or foundation years....
From novice to overnight on-calls: developing an ophthalmology bootcamp to ease the learning curve for new trainees
Introduction My first ophthalmology on-call was nine years ago and it was a fairly traumatic experience. I was an FY2 in a Welsh district general hospital and I was on my own – at least, that’s how it felt to...
Glaucoma: 30 years on
Back in 1993, the late and great Barry Cullen FRCS (Cavan born, Dublin trained), the first editor of Eye News, asked me to write an article about the current treatment of chronic open angle glaucoma (COAG). At the time I...
Understanding the inequalities of ophthalmic care for Indigenous people in a first world country
Aboriginal Australians have faced numerous challenges over the past centuries. Here in this article, Edward Saxton highlights why there are inequalities of ophthalmic care in Australia and why this has led to increased levels of blindness in Aboriginal people relative...
My top five: Influential ophthalmologists
Ophthalmology has witnessed remarkable evolution and advancements throughout history. The field has undergone dramatic change and development since the times of Ancient Egypt where the first reference to eyes was made in the Code of Hammurabi (2250 BC) [1]. From...
How do you solve the problem of trachoma in Ethiopia?
Background Trachoma is one of the oldest diseases known to humankind and the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. Spread by the bacterium chlamydia trachomatis, it is transmitted through contact with the eyes, eyelids and nose of those infected. The...
Impact of Eye Health Surveys and Partnerships in The Gambia
This article brings together the three national eye health surveys that have been undertaken in The Gambia between 1986 and 2019 and the impact that the results have had nationally and internationally. In it we describe the long-term capacity-strengthening for...
Retinoblastoma – the challenges of a rare cancer and the role of international partnerships
Introduction: the global challenge The global burden of retinoblastoma (Rb) is one in 15,000-18,000 live births, which equates to 8000 new cases worldwide each year. The global disparities in Rb outcome represent a paradigm of health inequality worldwide [1]. In...
The ROP Network: a south-south collaboration to improve care for premature babies
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a disorder of the immature preterm retina and a leading cause of preventable, irreversible blindness in children. There are 15 million preterm births annually, and over 32,000 neonates became blind from ROP in 2010 [1]....
Second sight: Ian McKinley
I have always been captivated by a true-life story demonstrating the human spirit of triumph over adversity. For me, one of the most memorable sportsmen overcoming an injury has always been the mountaineer Joe Simpson and his tale of survival...
The New Zealand National Eye Centre and the land of the long white cloud
Located southeast of Australia in the South Pacific Ocean, New Zealand (Aotearoa) is home to five million culturally diverse people. Renowned for its lush nature spanning from unexplored forests to active volcanos and snow-capped mountains, New Zealand has become both...
