“The wise man doesn’t give the right answers, he poses the right questions.”– Claude Levi-Strauss
Second-stage operation of Mooren’s ulcer
Mooren’s ulcer is a clinical entity that results in peripheral ulcerative keratitis and corneal ulceration. A subset of these patients requires surgical intervention to stabilize the cornea and maintain ocular integrity. Although both cell-mediated and humoral immune mechanisms have been implicated in the possible pathogenic pathway leading to peripheral corneal melt and corneal ulceration, the exact etiology is yet to be fully understood.The clinical signs and symptoms and the types of Mooren’s ulcer were described in a previous Ocular Surgery News article about the first stage of surgery in this (Read more...)
The learning curve: Ways to perfect premium surgery
A learning curve, by definition, is a graphical representation of the increase of learning with experience. A learning curve can be used in two main ways: either the same task is repeated over and over again, or a body of knowledge is learned over time. As premium surgeons, we know practice improves our surgical skill set, but “perfect practice makes perfect.” We must perform the necessary due diligence before performing any ocular surgery to make sure the surgery goes as planned. Likewise, the phrase “knowledge is power” is not far (Read more...)
Intraoperative OCT system may improve posterior, anterior segment surgeries
A spectral-domain OCT system integrated into a surgical microscope may improve the quality of posterior and anterior segment procedures, according to a study.In recent years, several research groups have developed similar devices to allow the use of OC…
Barraquer lecturer separates fact from fiction for LASIK
LAS VEGAS — Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD, received the José I. Barraquer Award for excellence in refractive surgery at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting, and in his lecture on the future of LASIK, he separated fact from fiction from a surgeon’s perspective.“LASIK has fallen into a precipitous decline in the last couple years,” Donnenfeld said, attributing much of the decline to the change in the economy starting in 2008. Even with an upswing in the economy and consumer confidence, there has not been a rebound for LASIK in either (Read more...)
Man presents with chronic headaches and progressive vision loss
A 60-year-old Hispanic man presented to the emergency department for evaluation of worsening chronic headaches and vision loss in the right eye more than the left eye. He had headaches for many years and had been managed with oral steroids by an outsid…