Many of this issue’s topics offer a glimpse into the promising future of the profession
Recently, I was asked to prepare a 2-hour lecture on the history of refractive surgery for Chicago-area residents. Quite a tall task to complete in only 2 hours!
While reflecting on my personal journey in ophthalmology, spanning the past 29 years, I realized that hardly a year has gone by without some new development in refractive surgery. What’s more, it became clear that I had been blessed to have had at least some personal experience with just about every new technology that came (and went) in the realm of refractive surgery. I still, to this day, marvel at just how far refractive surgery has come since those early days. But, don’t just take it from me. Be sure to check out “A History of Keratorefractive Surgery” (p. 26), where Audrey Talley Rostov, MD, plumbs the memory of living legend Marguerite B. McDonald, MD, FACS, in a Q&A.
To see where the future of ophthalmology is headed, which holds much hope for progress, if not more, than the last nearly 3 decades, I invite you to devour the additional content offered in this issue:
Combining Surgery
In “Combined MIGS and Cataract Surgery” (p. 18), I. Paul Singh, MD, discusses the burgeoning field of minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS). Specifically, he offers advice, such as “start with gonioscopy in the office to get more comfortable with landmarks,” to the corneal surgeon interested in this one-and-done procedure.
Advances in Optics
In “Assessing Phakic IOL Technology” (p. 32), Mike DeCourcey, MD, William F. Wiley, MD, & Shamik Bafna, MD, talk about the latest offerings in phakic IOLs, showing the devices are a more mainstream option for many myopic patients.
Dr. Wiley also delves into the 2 treatments available to enable presbyopic patients to achieve satisfactory vision: an eye drop and an IOL that provides extended depth-of-focus vision, in “Sizing up Small Aperture Optic Innovations” (p. 28). Incidentally, this month’s “Product Spotlight” (p. 8) is on an extended depth-of-focus IOL.
Calls to Action
To highlight the importance of swift diagnosis and treatment, Beeran Meghpara, MD, discusses an encounter with a conjunctival lesion in the new magazine department “My Corneal Save” (p. 10).
Following suit, Caroline Watson, MD, & Elizabeth Yeu, MD, share their insights on the conventional treatment of a rather common disease, blepharitis. Also, they discuss new paradigms in treatment. See “Why We Should Care About Blepharitis” (p. 14).
Related to Current Events
In “Building Your Social Media Presence” (p. 22), physician-influencer Dagny Zhu, MD, discusses why ophthalmologists should create accounts for the most popular social media platforms. Additionally, she provides 7 action steps to facilitate success in attracting and retaining patients, and making a name for yourself among colleagues and industry professionals.
In “Covering COVID-19s Impact on Eye Banking” (p. 30), Dena Ballouz, MD, & Shazad Mian, MD, talk about the pandemic’s effect on tissue bank policies and procedures.
Finally, Neel S. Vaidya, MD, reveals the impact of socioeconomic factors on keratoconus (KCN), giving you the opportunity to identify KCN patients who may be at a higher risk of poor outcomes from the condition. See “Research Article Spotlight,” (p. 35).
More to Come
As I reflect on my own career, I am just a little bit biased in my belief that no other field in medicine has come along farther and faster than ophthalmology. It will certainly be interesting to look back 30 years from now and see just how much our field has grown. I hope I am around to witness it! Enjoy this issue. CP
