“This issue of EyeWorld is exciting because not only does it showcase some interesting cataract articles, but it also features previews of the 2022 ASCRS Annual Meeting,” said EyeWorld Cataract Editor Rosa Braga-Mele, MD.
Two experts discussed why IOL power misses occur, what the options are for corrective action, and how to avoid such misses in the first place.
Even with a technically perfect outcome after cataract surgery, physicians may still find that some patients are unhappy. This dissatisfaction can be due to a number of factors that go beyond visual outcome. Two surgeons shared what can cause unhappiness and how they discuss it with patients.
A patient comes in for a postop visit unhappy with their vision after they’ve received a presbyopia-correcting IOL—now what? Tal Raviv, MD, created an algorithm, the Raviv “Getting to Happy” Post-IOL Algorithm, to help guide physicians through the process of managing a patient who is unhappy with their presbyopia-correcting IOL.
According to Tal Raviv, MD, comanagement has been a part of ophthalmology for more than 40 years as a means to coordinate surgical ophthalmic care among different provider types. “It has regained attention and scrutiny with the growth of refractive cataract surgery,” he said. “But today’s practice environment is quite different from the past.”
“If there was ever a top 10 list of issues on which eyecare as a whole could ‘up its game,’ it should include the fact that we all need to be more aggressive about educating patients on the fact that they can create their own self-induced keratoconus by repetitive pressure on their eyes,” according to EyeWorld Refractive Editor Vance Thompson, MD.
With keratoconus, it’s important to diagnose patients as early as possible in order to treat them before more drastic procedures, like a corneal transplant, might be needed. Crosslinking has aided in the early treatment of keratoconus, and now, the use of genetic testing is another tool for doctors to add to their armamentarium.
To patients, eye rubbing might seem innocuous, but to the ophthalmologist, it’s an action that can have sight-threatening consequences and is something that patients should be warned against.
When choosing a refractive procedure, there is a lot of information for surgeons to go over with the patient, and the possibility of needing implant surgery in the future is one point for discussion. Three experts shared how they counsel patients, specific considerations, and how changing technology has had an impact on this and may open more options in the future.
EyeWorld Cornea Editor Clara Chan, MD, discusses “one of her most dramatic cases” involving ocular complications associated with rosacea, previews the content in the Cornea section of this issue, and shares excitement for the ASCRS Annual Meeting.