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The clues of the eye – what is medical ophthalmology?

The author looks at the increasingly significant role of medical ophthalmologists and the importance of integrative healthcare. The eye is a remarkable organ, and for decades we have been discovering intimations of pathology existing elsewhere in the body [1] simply...

Pathway innovations to address cataract services post-COVID-19

Background The demand for cataract services prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was already recognised to be high and growing - in the face of an ageing population and reduced surgical thresholds. When added to the growth in demand for ophthalmic...

Understanding spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS): what do we know?

Introduction Formerly known as visual impairment and intracranial pressure syndrome (VIIP), space-related neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) is defined by a collection of ophthalmic and neurological findings in astronauts after long-term spaceflight [1]. Changes in the eyeball, such as hyperopic shift, during...

Mastering clinical skills in ophthalmology

To young junior doctors, and some senior doctors who may not have had much exposure to ophthalmology, the specialty can seem very foreign. Not only are the conditions and examination findings specific to the eyes, but the skill set required...

How to get the most out of your ophthalmology elective

If you are in your penultimate year (or even earlier) and have already decided that you want to do ophthalmology, good for you! Ophthalmology is one of the most competitive specialties, and one of the easiest ways to demonstrate your...

My top five: Uses of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a prominent topic of discussion within the field of ophthalmology, captivating researchers and practitioners alike. Although recent attention has been drawn to the integration of AI in ophthalmology, it’s important to recognise that AI...

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...

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...

My top five: Emerging alternatives to manage and treat nAMD

Wet (exudative or neovascular) age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is characterised by choroidal neovascularisation, in which new blood vessels from the choroid invade through Bruch’s membrane. These blood vessels proliferate beneath or through the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), causing patients to...

The Escape Room and gamification of ophthalmology teaching

Recently, there has been an interesting development in medical education and its ‘gamification’. Educators are constantly looking for new ways to engage their students by adding a friendly element of competition, as evidenced by the great success of online education...

Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery: What options are there and when might they be considered?

In recent years there has been a rapid expansion in a group of operations termed ‘minimally invasive’ or ‘micro invasive’ glaucoma surgery (MIGS). These options generally offer less significant IOP reduction, but with a more favourable safety profile when compared...

Are social media promoting ocular protection in the community?

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many countries worldwide introduced lockdown measures to control infection, causing people to spend more time at home. This resulted in reports of increasing incidences of do-it-yourself (DIY)-related trauma. When the Covid-19 pandemic started in December 2019,...