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An eye on novel anti-cancer agents: an evidence-based approach to external eye assessment

Novel anti-cancer therapies have led to significant advancement in cancer treatment, however, they can be associated with external eye complications. It is important to be mindful of such adverse effects during assessment of patients enrolled in clinical trials. Annually, approximately...

Does vitrectomy increase the risk of glaucoma? A retrospective review from a UK hospital

The authors investigate what proportion of patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy subsequently developed ocular hypertension or a diagnosis of glaucoma. A systematic review carried out in 2017 including seven studies found that there is evidence that pars plana vitrectomy (PPV)...

Ophthalmology history and examination – a guide for medical students

*First author Students have very little exposure to ophthalmology during their years at medical school. Teaching consists of a handful of lectures followed by a short placement in which students are expected to practise histories and examinations on patients with...

Reflections on designing and delivering an undergraduate ophthalmology teaching programme

Dr Alexander Strother reflects on his time designing and delivering a classroom-based programme to ensure that medical students know how to take comprehensive ophthalmic histories from patients. Working as a clinical teaching fellow, in 2021 I had the great privilege...

My top five: Elective grants for an ophthalmology elective for a medical student surviving in a cost-of-living crisis

In a time where cost of living is significantly increasing, and the student NHS bursary is remaining stagnant, funding a medical elective is becoming increasingly more challenging for medical students. Surveys have shown that medical students typically get two to...

Implications of missed foreign bodies under the upper eyelid

Children aren’t the best historians. As a result, clinicians sometimes rely on the accounts of parents regarding problems. Missed foreign bodies due to poor histories or incomplete examinations may result in irreversible loss of vision. This case report shines light...

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...

Enhancing ophthalmology training: Unleashing the power of simulation

Ethical and practical barriers hinder early surgical experience in ophthalmology training [1], which is problematic when early-career trainees bring a higher risk of poor surgical outcomes and patient harm [2]. The European working time directive and the surgical backlog secondary...

Ophthalmic exposure for emergency medicine doctors

Emergency medicine is a challenging specialty which requires managing a range of acute issues. In this article, I explore the experiences of emergency doctors towards ophthalmic cases presenting in the emergency department, identifying what initiatives have helped trainees. Emergency medicine...

How to get a trainee from 0 to 600 cataracts in two years: Perspectives from the trainee and the trainer

Trainee’s perspective I remember my first day as an ST1 at Moorfields Eye Hospital in Croydon. I was in theatre for a cataract list, and the challenges were numerous. From draping to hydrating the wound, it was all completely new...

Assessing the effectiveness of undergraduate ophthalmic assessments in the UK: A literature review

During 2008–2009, 300,000 patients presented to hospital emergency departments in the UK with eye conditions. This rose by nearly 200,000 over the next decade. As the population ages, the prevalence of eye disease increases [1,2]. However, the stake ophthalmology holds...

The extended role of the specialist ophthalmic photographer

The prevalence of certain retinal conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is projected to grow substantially over the next decades. Estimates for the projected growth in burden on eye services for diabetic retinopathy and neovascular ARMD...