Ophthalmology
Stem cell transplantation and pterygium surgery
Pterygium is a benign, fibrovascular overgrowth of bulbar conjunctiva extending onto the cornea and has been associated with ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. The prevalence of pterygium worldwide varies between geographical zones but has been reported to range between three and...
Corneal transplantation in the United Kingdom: are we blind to the challenges that still exist after the Organ Donation Bill?
Corneal transplantation (CT) is a significant treatment option for a huge number of patients in the United Kingdom (UK) [1]. For an individual, CT results in a substantial improvement in quality of life. Penetrating keratoplasty with full thickness grafting has...
Dr Glaucomflecken: Stayin’ Alive
Peter Cackett spoke to ophthalmologist and social media sensation Dr Glaucomflecken about his early days in comedy, the role satire can play in impacting medical governance, and where he might take his brand of medical comedy next. It was towards...
My Top Five: Ophthalmology Twitter accounts
There are approximately 4.2 billion active social media users worldwide. This figure represents over half of the global population and is steadily rising [1]. There are currently over 217 million active Twitter users and given the platform’s versatility and ability...
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...
100 years of insulin
*Joint first authors The centenary of the discovery of insulin is a time to celebrate one of the most significant scientific discoveries of the 20th century. Background Before 1923, Type 1 diabetes mellitus [T1DM] resulted in death from severe ketoacidosis...
Code-Free Deep Learning: a step into the future of ophthalmology
A new focus has arisen within the research domain of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare called code-free deep learning (CFDL), and recent research demonstrates that ophthalmology is becoming one of the leading specialties in this field. Artificial intelligence (AI) is...
FAQs about cerebral visual impairment (CVI): identifying and helping those affected
Cerebral visual impairment is common in both adults and children, yet the diagnosis can easily be missed unless one is tuned into the presenting features. This article provides a succinct introduction to this important topic. What is vision? Vision is...
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...
Broadening of treatment options for potentially blinding retinal conditions
Rod McNeil provides an update on a promising bispecific antibody recently approved for treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and diabetic macular oedema (DMO) and considers emerging developments in biosimilars to established anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapies, including...
Lost in translation
The article that follows is a collection of reflections and observations by Peter (British) and Nathan (Singaporean) living and working in each other’s countries. Peter Cackett “Best thing about this place is it’s not still full of pompous ex-colonials who...
