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How to nearly (but not quite) get into ST1 ophthalmology training – some reflections

Ophthalmology is often considered to be an elite, highly competitive specialty, with little room for failure. Candidates and trainees tend to cultivate a certain urbane and confident style, and the bottleneck at ST1 can feel rather intense. The majority of...

The results of the last survey Apr25

Postoperative endophthalmitis is arguably the worse possible complication of cataract surgery. We are a victim of our own success as the procedure has such an amazing safety profile that when things go wrong patients are bound to feel aggrieved and...

High-stakes scenarios in retinal vein occlusion: A survey of medico-legal implications

Central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) is the second most common retinal vascular disease after diabetic retinopathy, and its clinical complexity often intersects with medico-legal scrutiny [1]. Missteps in timely diagnosis, inadequate follow-up or poor documentation can lead to patient harm...

Does a gut-eye axis exist?

Simerdip Kaur takes a look at the latest ophthalmology-related news stories and asks which are based on facts and which are ‘fake news’. Headline: Does a gut-eye axis exist? Over a decade ago, the Human Microbiome Project was launched by...

Can OCT predict Alzheimer’s disease?

Simerdip Kaur takes a look at the latest ophthalmology-related news stories and asks which are based on facts and which are ‘fake news’. Headline: Can OCT predict Alzheimer’s disease? In 1986 Hinton et al. demonstrated evidence of optic nerve degeneration...

Macula re-attachment following intravitreal ranibizumab in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

Ranibizumab (Lucentis) is a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor (anti-VEGF) used for treatment of choroidal neovascular membrane [1]. We report a case where macula off inferior rhegmatogenous retinal detachment was misdiagnosed as wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and three intravitreal...

Is this a retinal detachment?

Despite the help of allied health professionals in triaging and managing acute ophthalmic emergencies, eye casualty remains overburdened. Trainees at the beginning of their training often struggle to manage such busy clinics with varied presentations. We present a case that...

Trans-sinus endoscopic removal of retrobulbar air gun pellet within the orbital apex

Injuries to the eye have been widely reported in medical literature due to a variety of mechanisms causing significant morbidity and occasional unexpected mortality for the patient [1]. It is often wrongly assumed that air gun pellets lack this potential....

Deciphering dark retinal patches

We present a case of bilateral extensive dark without pressure (DWP) located outside the retinal vascular arcades in a young female. This retinal finding is benign but, in some instances, darkened retinal patches could be associated with potential sight-threatening conditions....

Ophthalmology specialty training applications: a costly affair?

Ophthalmology is one of the most competitive specialties to pursue training in worldwide. In the United Kingdom, the ST1 entry national selection competition ratio for the past few years has ranged between four to five applicants per post [1]. The...

Human factors in the operating room

The importance of minimising human error in surgery is well established. This was initially sparked by lessons learned from the aviation industry in the 1970s after several fatal flight accidents [1]. This became a catalyst for a movement on training...