With the arrival of Eyezirgan (commercial available topical ganciclovir), we now have a more readily accessible preservative-free option for treatment of HSV.  So why is Eyezirgan a potentially important new player on the market?  How does one decide between oral or topical treatments for HSV, and is there a longer-term role for antivirals in the treatment of Zoster, in addition to just HSV? Dr. Parwez Hossain joins the podcast. 

This episode is sponsored by Thea Pharma Canada - https://www.theapharma.ca

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Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) is one of the most dreaded diagnoses in ophthalmology; not only can it cause vision loss, but it can also be life threatening.  So what is the threshold for going down the 'GCA diagnostic path'? When should one order an ESR and CRP?  When is the concern high enough to warrant a temporal artery biopsy, and when should steroids be started?  How is temporal artery biopsy changing our diagnostic alogirthm.  Dr. Andrew Lee joins the podcast. 

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Thea Pharma Canada - https://www.theapharma.ca

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/blind-spot-the-eye-doctor-s-podcast--5819306/support.

While the terms 'tech' and 'AI' might seem overwhelming to the average ophthalmologist and optometrist, the reality is that the future of medicine will certainly be intertwined with these technologies.  So what exactly is 'health tech' in the context of eye care?  Dr. Lisa Jagan is the founder of Lid Express, an online platform that allows patients to submit photos of eyelid lesions to be reviewed by a team of oculopplastic surgeons in an expedited fashion.  She joins the podcast to share her experience developing an oculoplastics tech platform and the lessons she has learned along the way.  

Lid Express
Website - https://clarityeye.ca/services/lid-express/
Email - [email protected]
Instagram @lidexpress

This episode is sponsored by Thea Pharma Canada - https://www.theapharma.ca

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/blind-spot-the-eye-doctor-s-podcast--5819306/support.

As preservative-free eye drops become more common, one has to wonder why it is so important to reduce our use of preservatives.  What kind of toxicity do preservatives wreak on the eye?  And without preservatives, are eye drops still as effective and resistant to infection?  Especially in the realms of dry eye and glaucoma, how have preservative free drops started to change the landscape, and what can we expect moving forward? Denmark's Dr. Miriam Kolko joins the podcast. 

This episode is sponsored by Thea Pharma Canada - https://www.theapharma.ca

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/blind-spot-the-eye-doctor-s-podcast--5819306/support.

Acanthamoeba keratitis can be one of the most devastating diagnoses in ophthalmology, as it can wreak havoc on the cornea unlike few other microbes.  On the same token, if caught early, acanthamoeba can be treated quite efficiently and effectively, and patients can have minimal, if any, long-term visual sequelae.  Given acanthamoeba is such a dreaded diagnosis, just the thought of it can invoke fear into the ophthalmologist.  And while many of us might have a basic approach to acanthamoeba, we also surely have blind spots in our diagnosis and management of this condition, as evidenced by many patients being diagnosed weeks after it occurs. Dr. Chris Rapuano joins the podcast to discuss this important condition. 

This episode is sponsored by Thea Pharma Canada - https://www.theapharma.ca 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/blind-spot-the-eye-doctor-s-podcast--5819306/support.

For decades now, we have been able to offer anti-VEGF treatments to patients with wet AMD.  Yet for dry AMD, there have been few options we can recommend to our patients outside of AREDS formulations and lifestyle modifications.  But with newer scientific advances, there are indeed new classes of injectable medications that are now being offered to some patients wtih dry AMD.  Retinal specialist Dr. Ashkan Abbey joins the podcast to share the latest research. 

This episode is sponsored by Thea Pharma Canada - https://www.theapharma.ca 

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The Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) has taken the refractive world by storm over the past couple of years, with an excitement that rivals the enthusaism for the latest multifocals or EDOFs to come on the market.  So what's all the hype?  How does this lens actually work?  And even if the refractive results are impressive, do patients really want to wear UV-blocking lenses for weeks following surgery?  Is the time and cost investment worth it for patietns? Dr. Ralph Chu joins the podcast.  

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One of the most common clinical presentations to ophthalmologist is 'the eyelid lesion'.  While sometimes it might seem obvious what the diagnosis is, other times it's tough to make a spot diagnosis or even to decipher whether the lesion is concerning or not.  So what are some helpful examination tips to help us discern the benign from the malignant?  Oculoplastics specialist Dr. Lisa Jagan joins the podcast to share an effective approach on how to decide what types of eyelid lesions warrant a biopsy. 

This episode is sponsored by Sun Pharma Canada - https://sunpharma.com/canada/

Check out Lid Express to help expedite a patient's referral for an eyelid lesion - https://clarityeye.ca/services/lid-express/ 

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Extended depth of focus (EDOF) lenses have transofmed the intraocular lens (IOL) landscape.  As opposed to the binary choice of a monofocal or a multifocal IOL, there is an 'in-between' option that allows for more intermediate vision than monofocal lenses but less dysphotopsias than the mutifocal lenses.  How do these lenses work, how should we explain them to patients, and what are the factors that guide our decisions on lens selection? Dr. Eric Donnenfeld joins the podcast.

This episode is sponsored by SunPharma Canada - https://sunpharma.com/canada/

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Cataracts and AMD are two of the most common ocular pathologies.  But in patients who have both conditions, are there special considerations that should be taken into account?  Should cataract surgey potentially be delayed in AMD patients because a protective effect of the cataract?  Does cataract surgery exacerbate AMD and potentially lead to progression to geographic atrophy or conversion to wet AMD?  Dr. Ashkan Abbey joins the podcast. 

This episode is sponsored by Sun Pharma Canada - https://sunpharma.com/canada/

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/blind-spot-the-eye-doctor-s-podcast--5819306/support.