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Preoperative povidone iodine: weighing the risks

Following on from our recent online survey, the authors examine the potential risks and benefits of diluting the concentration preoperative povidone iodine. Povidone iodine (PI) is an iodophore that has an established use as a broad-spectrum antiseptic, mainly for the...

“Steel True, Blade Straight”

Steven Kerr of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh explores the medical career of Arthur Conan Doyle, his relationship with his mentor Joseph Bell and his fascination with ophthalmology. Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh on the...

Development of a modern surgical simulation suite to promote safer ophthalmic surgical training

For trainees, having access to surgical simulation equipment is more important than ever. The authors describe the creation of a bespoke teaching and training suite in Glasgow to help trainees develop their skills and promote surgical excellence. Simulation has become...

Ophthalmology research: lessons from the Academic Foundation Programme

The author discusses practical lessons learned during eight months of ophthalmology research as a guide for candidates considering a research themed AFP post, with general tips for anyone undertaking research whilst balancing clinical duties. Ophthalmology is already one of the...

Life as a Global Citizen Consultant Ophthalmologist: a personal view of working in Scotland and Tanzania

Global Citizen post - a new challenge I was looking for a new challenge. I had been in the same consultant post with a subspecialty interest in paediatrics and strabismus for 17 years and was rattling around in an empty...

Redeployment during the COVID-19 pandemic: personal accounts from four ophthalmology trainees

We once believed that the coronavirus would not penetrate the safe confines of the United Kingdom, like so many outbreaks before this. Once the news came that this pandemic descended into our hospitals, the anxieties about redeployment began. Many of...

Planes, trams, and auditoriums: Beware predatory conferencing

Predatory open-access journals and predatory conferences are considered the two main areas of predatory infiltration in academic medicine that are of growing concern [1–7]. Unsolicited publishing requests from potentially predatory publishers occur frequently among faculty in ophthalmology [8]. Predatory conferencing...

One bottle, many eyes: The hidden dangers of sharing eyedrops in the community

We report a case of unilateral mydriasis in a female patient referred by her general practitioner (GP) with a dilated and sluggish left pupil, likely caused by the accidental use of her husband’s prescription eyedrops. This case highlights the importance...

The invisible touch: a VISION 2020 LINK with Indonesia

Indonesia’s population, the world’s fourth largest, is spread across 6,000 inhabited islands. Whilst some areas (e.g. Kalimantan, Papua) are relatively sparsely populated, Java is the world’s most densely populated island, with twice the population of the UK in half the...

Ophthalmology in the developing world

After the second year of medical school, I spent my summer vacation working as a volunteer for a small Italian non-government organisation (NGO), named HEALTH-AID. As part of my volunteering experience, I joined a team of European doctors, medical students...