“As we advance in medicine, the next frontier will be getting a true picture of the state of the patient—genetics, environment, and lifestyle—and using this to find the correct diagnosis and treatment,” said Julie Schallhorn, MD, as she introduced the articles in the Cornea section of the issue.
“To take something known and look at it from a new direction, to question our view of reality, to wonder, these are the strengths of children, but also of innovators,” said Julie Schallhorn, MD, introducing and commenting on the articles in the Cornea section of this issue.
Cornea Editor Julie Schallhorn, MD, shared her thoughts on the diagnosis and treatment of ocular surface disease, “one of the most vexing issues in ophthalmology.”
Cornea Editor Julie Schallhorn, MD, shared the story of a personal friend of hers to introduce the “must-read” article on corneal side effects of cancer-specific therapies, also mentioning the articles on Sjogren’s disease and pinhole apertures in the management of irregular corneas.
Cornea Editor Julie Schallhorn, MD, gave a preview of the articles in the section and talked about the current climate for institutional funding for research.
“The articles in this issue’s Cornea section focus on challenging situations in cornea and the tools that we have to address them,” said Cornea Editor Julie Schallhorn, MD. She expressed her frustration with the current healthcare environment in meeting the needs of these more challenging patients.
Julie Schallhorn, MD, shared the topics covered in the Cornea section, specifically noting that while she is excited for cultured endothelial cell therapies, she will “remember the ingenuity that went into the development of endothelial keratoplasty and the supreme teaching and innovation that made it a procedure adopted worldwide.”
In her introduction to the Cornea section, Julie Schallhorn, MD, pointed out that more and more, physicians are turning to chat groups and listservs when they face a hurdle. “I challenge our readers to think critically about the experiences and the anecdotes they encounter on listservs, chat groups, and social media,” she wrote.
“As we continue to see progress in ocular surface therapeutics, we need to continue to evolve our vocabulary surrounding ocular surface disease. I challenge you to start differentiating your ‘dry eye’ patients as you see them in clinic,” said Cornea Editor Julie Schallhorn, MD. Read her introduction to the Cornea section for more details.
The articles in the Cornea section represent a challenge to corneal specialists to develop the centers necessary to treat complex conditions or refer patients to providers who have. “Reading them made me feel a renewed energy and commitment to patient care, and I hope you feel the same,” said Cornea Editor Julie Schallhorn, MD.