Ophthalmology
Vitreous loss fire drills – ophthalmic simulation improves trainee surgical competence and confidence with posterior capsule rupture scenarios
Ophthalmic trainees have reported limited exposure and low confidence regarding the management of cataract complications such as posterior capsule rupture (PCR) / vitreous loss (VL). This report evaluates the impact of a simulation-based educational training event on these concerns. Introduction...
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...
A case of retinal cavernous haemangioma – don’t let it slip through the grapevine
We present a case of a seven-year-old male who presented to the emergency eye referral clinic with red eye. He was diagnosed and treated for allergic conjunctivitis, however, on clinic review, wide field retinal imaging was performed (as has been...
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...
Unilateral central scotoma following dengue fever
Case report A 16-year-old Caucasian male was referred to the eye casualty at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust by the infectious diseases unit in September 2013. He gave a history of photophobia, pain on eye movements and central blurred vision...
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...
The madarosis mystery: unravelling the clues to a host of health issues
Eyelash madarosis is a medical condition characterised by the loss of eyelashes caused by the destruction of hair follicles. It can range from a few missing lashes to a complete absence of lashes on the eyelids. This condition can be...
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...
