Competition ratios: Is the future of ophthalmology too bright?
29 August 2023
| Bilal Khan
|
EYE - General
In the UK, ophthalmology is a highly competitive speciality, attracting many medical graduates keen to pursue a career in this area. However, in recent years, the competition ratios for ophthalmology ST1 training posts have increased significantly, creating a challenging environment...
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...
Uveal melanoma
3 August 2023
| Mertcan Sevgi, Timothy Beckman, Paul Cauchi, Julie Connolly, Vikas Chadha
|
EYE - Pathology, EYE - Oncology, EYE - Imaging
Uveal melanoma is the most common primary intraocular tumour. However, they are still rare, with an incidence of 2-8 per million [1]. The presence of a choroidal naevus is a risk factor for uveal melanoma [1]. Patients with choroidal lesions...
My top five: Uses of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology
3 August 2023
| Bilal Khan
|
EYE - General
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...
The last three patients: dermatology (Patient Three)
3 August 2023
| Jonathan Rees (Prof)
For the third and final reflection in this series (see Part 1 and Part 2), Professor Jonathan Rees recounts his experience of a patient with cancer who was failed by the NHS, and how their inadequate treatment illuminates some issues...
Spotlight: The Community Eye Health Journal
3 August 2023
| Victor Hu, Hugh Bassett, Elmien Wolvaardt
|
EYE - General
In many low-income settings, where vision loss is greatest, eyecare is hampered by shortages in trained health workers. In sub-Saharan Africa, there are fewer than five ophthalmologists per million population, compared to over 70 per million in high-income countries. Eyecare...
Navigating the retina: the nitty-gritty of slit-lamp fundus examination
3 August 2023
| Pratik Bikkannavar, Mala Subash
|
EYE - Vitreo-Retinal
The slit-lamp fundus examination can be a difficult and disorientating task for beginners due to the retina being viewed in a non-anatomical orientation, the small area of retina illuminated, and the counterintuitive technique of the examination. This article provides a...
How effective is nurse-led telephone preassessment for cataract surgery?
25 July 2023
| Colver Ken Howe Ne, Tabitha Kusi-Yeboah, Madhavan S Rajan
|
EYE - Cataract, EYE - Refractive
Cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgical procedure in the UK [1]. The demand for cataract surgery is projected to increase with ageing population, and the recent pandemic has further contributed to the extended waiting times in the UK....
My top five: Elective grants for an ophthalmology elective for a medical student surviving in a cost-of-living crisis
5 June 2023
| Neel Vyas
|
EYE - General
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...
The last three patients: general medicine (Patient Two)
5 June 2023
| Jonathan Rees (Prof)
|
EYE - General
For the second reflection in this series (see Patient One here), Professor Jonathan Rees recounts his experiences of the last patient he saw as a medical registrar, telling the tragic story of a young man’s death and the risks that...
Simulating the visual impairment symptoms of age-related macular degeneration in virtual reality
5 June 2023
| Cameron R M Wilson, Ian Underwood, Baljean Dhillon (Prof)
|
EYE - Vitreo-Retinal
A new virtual reality application visually simulates age-related macular degeneration and demonstrates its progression over time including some Charles Bonnet syndrome hallucinations. Introduction Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in developed countries with the prevalence of...
Emerging therapies for geographic atrophy: complement inhibitors show potential to slow progression and preserve RPE and photoreceptor integrity
5 June 2023
| Rod McNeil
Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) characterised by progressive, irreversible loss of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and photoreceptors and is estimated to account for approximately 10% of AMD-related blindness [1-4]. The Age-Related Eye...
