Evolving towards an interventional glaucoma mindset
Traditionally, a newly diagnosed glaucoma patient would be treated first with medical therapy. As the disease progressed or the initial intervention failed to adequately control intraocular pressure (IOP), clinicians would add more drops, selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT), repeated SLT and...
100 years since Sir William Duke-Elder graduated from the University of St Andrews
With sincere thanks to Andrew King, Ophthalmic Optician and owner of Andrew King Opticians near Glasgow, for his extensive research into Duke-Elder’s life.' Sir William Stewart Duke-Elder. Photo credit: Edward Irvine Halliday, Institute of Ophthalmology. In the world of ophthalmology,...
Running a high-volume nurse led intravitreal service using the Sp.eye device – the Stanley Eye Unit experience
Introduction The vast majority of ophthalmology units utilise allied healthcare professionals (AHPs) to deliver intravitreal injections (IVIs). The Royal College of Ophthalmologists issued a statement 10 years ago advocating the use of non-medical practitioners performing IVIs [1]. The main benefit...
Investigating the link between corneal clarity and statin use
Transparency is a vital attribute of the cornea, necessary in preserving healthy vision. Maintaining this requires the collective input of the various layers of the cornea. Mostly, the layers implicated in this are the corneal stroma and endothelium [1]. Our...
The REAL Clinic: a dual-purpose model
Naveen and Robbie discuss the benefits that come with a clinic offering both ophthalmic and plastic / cosmetic surgery services at REAL, a purpose-built clinic near Battersea Power Station, South London. Not unlike plastics / cosmetic surgery, ophthalmology is changing....
Blinded by an Ofsted inspection
Introduction The Association of Health Professions in Ophthalmology (AHPO) is a charity, whose objectives are to promote the practice, education, training and research in ophthalmology and vision science in the UK. The extraordinary developments in diagnostic equipment and technologies have...
The work of BIPOSA
The British and Irish Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Association (BIPOSA) was set up in 2008 to merge two streams of ophthalmology, namely the practice of paediatric ophthalmology and the practice of strabismus (to include refracting in children, and strabismus in...
The work of RNIB and ECLOs
With more than 2,000,000 people in the UK living with some degree of sight loss and over 300,000 registered as blind or partially sighted, it is important for anyone living with sight loss to know they’re not alone. At what...
Observership in Dar es Salaam
In this report, both authors present their personal experiences of an observership at the Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT) Hospital, a large regional teaching hospital located in Dar es Salaam, with a particular focus on resource management, attitudes...
A novel integrated practice unit (IPU) approach to periocular skin cancer management
The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the biggest challenges to face NHS workers. However, history has repeatedly shown that times of difficulty can result in the development of significant social and technological advances. We describe our own experience of this...
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....