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The bionic eye – behind the headlines

Multiple visual prosthetic projects and other vision regeneration initiatives being tested in preclinical and clinical development worldwide illustrate continuing progress and opportunities in addressing profound blindness from hereditary retinal diseases and other causes (Table 1). Three implantable bionic vision systems...

What’s new in glaucoma? Clinical trials drive practice changes, surgical advancements gather pace

Rod McNeil reviews the latest developments in the treatment of glaucoma in the UK. Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), which accounts for over two-thirds of all glaucoma cases, has an estimated UK prevalence in 2017 of approximately 2% of people over...

Refined glaucoma referral practice offers prospect of improved capacity and expanded role for primary eye care professionals

Glaucoma is the most frequent cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and the second leading cause of blindness in the UK [1,2]. The global prevalence of glaucoma in 2010 was approximately 3.5% for people aged 40-80 years, according to Jonas et...

An introduction to research governance

Research is the process of acquiring new generalisable knowledge and should be fully integrated into health care work. There is a growing drive to encourage and further develop evidence-based practice in ophthalmology so that staff and patients benefit from improved...

Renewed momentum in ocular gene and cell therapy, broadening application to chronic disease

Gene and cell therapies offer the prospect of ground-breaking new avenues for the treatment of diseases, reflected in a renewed explosion of interest and investment in retinal gene therapy. Rod McNeil reports recent clinical trial readouts across a diverse range...

The role of inflammation in the pathophysiology of DMO

Diabetic macular oedema (DMO) is a major cause of visual loss in diabetes, with a complex multifactorial pathogenesis. In the UK alone it is estimated that there are nearly 2.5 million diabetic patients aged over 12 years. Approximately 65,000 of...

DR-NET Workshop – information-sharing for strengthening DR programmes

Contributors: Rosie Brennan, Anshul Chauhan, Mona Duggal, John Ellis, Michael Gichangi, Edwin Grayson, Catherine Jamieson, Ankita Kankaria, Oliver Kemp, Hendra Kusuma, Nanda Matthew, Geeta Menon, Habibah Muhiddin, Tunde Peto, Recivall Salongcay, Frank Sandi, Hazel Shillingford-Ricketts, Bernadetha Shilio, Caroline Styles, Sharon...

VISION 2020 LINKS Programme: the Madagascar-Leeds LINK

Madagascar is a fascinating and culturally rich island which has an ‘exotic’ status in most people’s eyes. Yet it is among the poorest countries in the world. According to the World Bank, 92% of the population live on less than...

Blame the lens – not its position – in refractive surprise

Aetiology of postoperative refractive surprise Weber coined the term “wrong eye, wrong intraocular lens, wrong patient” in 2008 as an aide memoir of major factors believed to underlie refractive surprise – defined as a significant unintended difference between dioptric refraction...

Working smarter not harder: How to transform eyecare delivery in the United Kingdom (part 2)

Are we doing enough to meet the current demands on ophthalmic services? In part two of a two-part series (see Part 1 here), Rosalind Harrison explains how efficiency can be improved by setting up eye services in community hubs. The...

Grading of ocular inflammation in uveitis: an overview

Anterior uveitis is the commonest form of uveitis, which can lead to severe morbidity if not treated appropriately [1]. Data from general ophthalmology practices suggest around 90% of uveitis encountered by comprehensive ophthalmologists is anterior uveitis [2]. Intermediate (vitreous), posterior...

Retinoblastoma – the challenges of a rare cancer and the role of international partnerships

Introduction: the global challenge The global burden of retinoblastoma (Rb) is one in 15,000-18,000 live births, which equates to 8000 new cases worldwide each year. The global disparities in Rb outcome represent a paradigm of health inequality worldwide [1]. In...