Ophthalmology
Is lens constant optimisation for IOLMaster indispensable in order to achieve a good refractive outcome?
A study of refractive outcomes following cataract surgery was carried out with the aim of comparing the postoperative refractive outcomes against Royal College of Ophthalmologists standards and to determine the extent of association between accuracy of intraocular lens (IOL) power...
Therapy for limbal stem cell deficiency: cell fate after limbal stem cell transplants
“The beauty of scientific research lies in that the search for answers often yields yet more questions.” A large body of evidence points to the corneoscleral limbal location as the repository of putative epithelial stem cells [1]. Thoft proposed the...
Management of proliferative diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a major cause of blindness in the working-age population. Due to the worsening global epidemic of diabetes, the incidence of morbidity caused by the disease is set to increase [1]. The prevalence of diabetes in the UK...
How to examine the visual system Part 2: Accommodation, pupils, fundoscopy and additional tests
Examining the visual system can be a tricky skill for medical students to master, yet it is a task that is frequently tested in examinations. This is the second of a two-part series of articles, which together aim to improve...
Comic leaflets: an innovative method of patient education
Nowadays almost everyone has been exposed to comics, especially during childhood. In a way, this is a natural form of progression from children’s story books, which also contain words and pictures. This exposure has helped us to develop the graphic...
An eyeful of independence
Scots will decide this September whether or not Scotland should be an independent sovereign state. “As all key areas of our business are already fully devolved, it’s very much business as usual for us,” noted a spokesperson for Healthcare Improvement...
What to expect when meeting a statistician
There are a growing number of statisticians working closely with ophthalmologists. They have different training but they are driven by the same goal: to perform high quality evidence based clinical research [1,2]. In a perfect world we would simply conduct...
NICE drugs: an update on what’s good to go
Treatment options recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) must be readily available for use in the NHS of England and Wales. This article provides an overview of recent guidance from NICE and summary advice issued...
How to examine the visual system Part 1: visual acuity, visual fields and eye movements
Asking candidates to perform an examination of the visual system, either as part of a full cranial nerve exam or as an individual entity, is a common station in practical examinations during medical school. It is important to practise for...
Adaptive optics imaging: resolving single cells in the living eye
The human retina is unique in the central nervous system (CNS) in that it can be directly visualised non-invasively. Technological advances of several imaging modalities, including optical coherence tomography (OCT), multichannel scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) and fundus photography, have afforded...
Letter from America: Orbit and oculoplastic fellowship, University of California, San Diego
I was the fortunate recipient of the 2012 Keeler Scholarship, granting me the incredible opportunity to undertake a fellowship at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in orbital, oculoplastic and reconstructive surgery. My fellowship mentors were the renowned Professor...
Innovations in ophthalmology: what can the innovations of the past teach us about tomorrow?
BUOS Prize Essay – 2nd prize winner for 2013 submissions Introduction An essay titled Innovations in Ophthalmology might choose to focus on the history; from cataract couching to femtosecond lasers, ophthalmology has had no shortage of topics worthy of discussion....
