In a recent post on an ophthalmology forum, one doctor made an important clarification about patients having eye surgery. The post had to with a type of bacteria–methicillin-resistant Staph aureus (MRSA). If a patient has an active infection, especially of the face, with MRSA, we may strongly consider cancelling cataract surgery. Usually, we can reschedule…

In the November 2023 edition of the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, Lydia Lam and colleagues published a paper that shows that there is significant waste associated with betadine use in the ophthalmic operating room. Betadine is used as an antiseptic during many surgeries, including eye surgeries. The authors of this study found quite…

In the October 2023 edition of the Journal Ophthalmology, Dr. Ian Gaddie and colleagues published a study about lotilaner. Lotilaner is a medication that fights Demodex mites. Mites!?! Yes, some people can get mites that live in their eyelashes and cause inflammation. Lotilaner treatment for 6 weeks decreased a lot of the symptoms and killed…

In the October 2023 edition of the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Dr. Youngsub Eom and colleagues showed that patients preferred illumination from the inside of the eye rather than the outside. Conventional eye surgery often relies on a microscope with bright lights shining down on the patient’s eyeball. These bright lights certainly can…

In the October 2023 edition of the journal Cornea, Dr. Daniela Nosch and colleagues published a study that showed that corneal sensitivity may decrease with increasing age. I think that this has long been suspected from a clinical perspective. However, the authors warn, and I agree, that this should not be taken to mean that…

In a word, I’d say ‘Yes.’ But they aren’t as safe as some people think they are. If I have a patient who is a contact lens user and they have any eye symptoms other than severe decreased vision, there is a very high likelihood that the reason behind the eye problems is contact lens…

In the October 2023 edition of JAMA Ophthalmology, Dr. Anne Nguyen and colleagues reported ocular symptoms in people aged 13-24 years who used electronic cigarettes, cigarettes, or both. They found that users of both e-cigarettes and cigarettes were more likely to experience the sort of symptoms we associate with tear film dysfunction and eye surface…

In the September 2023 edition of JAMA Ophthalmology, Dr. Lloyd Zhao and colleagues published a study about the use of adjustable-focus spectacles in children aged 5-11. They reference that these adjustable glasses have been used in older patients successfully in the past to achieve good vision. While the younger kids were able to achieve good…

Prem Patel and colleagues published a study in the September 2023 edition of the journal, Ophthalmology. Their study suggests that one third of U.S. ophthalmologists had job turnover between 2014 and 2021. Though I don’t know this for sure, it seems that this is decreased job stability compared to what it was a couple of…

In a series of articles in the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Bobby Osher has written about the importance of music in the OR. He states that it is important to make operating less stressful, and he also mentions that it is part of patient comfort. So, don’t worry, I’ll always want soothing sounds…