Prof. Schmidt-Erfurth is a Professor and the Past Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Medical University of Vienna and the director of Vienna Reading Centre. She has been a pioneer in the application of AI in retinal image analysis. In this episode, she describes various applications of AI in retina research and the work that her group has been doing over the years. The following article is a review of the some of her work:

Enzendorfer ML, Tratnig-Frankl M, Eidenberger A, Schrittwieser J, Kuchernig L, Schmidt-Erfurth U. Rethinking Clinical Trials in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: How AI-Based OCT Analysis Can Support Successful Outcomes. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2025 Feb 20;18(3):284. doi: 10.3390/ph18030284. PMID: 40143063; PMCID: PMC11945239.

This episode is another retina-focused EyeNovation episode featuring Prof. Robyn Guymer who presented an in-depth discussion on the SIRE sign, assessment of visual function in Geographic atrophy and also current GA trials and treatments.

YouTube link: https://youtu.be/p-R4_OsuGKE

This episode is a reproduction of the second retina-focused EyeNovation webinar series and a result of a special collaboration between Canadian Retina Society and Canadian Ophthalmological Society. 

Dr. Angie Fong from the University of Hong Kong gives a fantastic overview of pachychoroid spectrum of conditions with a focus on central serous chorioretinopathy and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. She gives an in-depth review of pathogenesis, recent clinical trials, and emerging management strategies and discussed the incidence and risk factors for PDS progression based on natural observation studies.

Dr. Wai-Ching Lam from the University of British Columbia is the moderator for this webinar. 

Dr. Wu discusses prospective cognitive outcomes of children who had treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity. The analysis suggests that cognitive outcomes were similar for children who had either laser or anti-VEGF injections for ROP treatment. 

Dr. Wu will be one of the invited guest speakers at the Canadian Retina Society meeting in Vancouver, BC from April 25-April 27, 2025. You can register for this meeting at:

https://crsscr.ca/meeting

Discussed article:

Wu PL, Shih CP, Huang YS, Chen HC, Hsueh YJ, Lee CW, Chiang MC, Lien R, Lee CC, Chu SM, Chou HD, Liu L, Chen KJ, Hwang YS, Lai CC, Wu WC. ADMINISTERING INTRAVITREAL BEVACIZUMAB FOR RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY: 8-Year Cognitive Outcomes In A Prospective Cohort. Retina. 2024 Nov 1;44(11):1952-1960. doi: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000004222. PMID: 39121508.

This episode is a recording of the retina-focused EyeNovation webinar episode which was a collaboration between Canadian Ophthalmological Society and the Canadian Retina Society. Dr. Chakravarthy will provide a background to the double layer sign, its definition and how it is detected.  Data to support the presentation will be from the EDNA trial . This study possesses an imaging dataset that was captured  longitudinally in over 500 high risk eyes and obtained robust rates of progression to neovascularization as well as  time to the event.  The presence of  the DLS and or other features of intermediate AMD were assessed at baseline and included measurements of length of separation of the RPE from its basement membrane, height of separation and the number of B scans involved.    Rates of progression in eyes without and with DLS were computed and models built to assess risk of progression to neovascularization.   In addition the DLS and SIRE signs were compared for their contributions to risk of progression.   The findings from these analyses and their clinical significance will be discussed .

Make sure to register for the Canadian Retina Society (CRS) annual meeting which will take place in Vancouver, BC from April 25-27, 2025. Go to https://www.crsscr.ca to register.

In this episode, Dr. Muni discusses two of his recent publications on repair of retinal detachment. In the first article, he discusses long-term reattachment rates of patients that were studied in the PIVOT trial, showing that both groups of patients who underwent either pneumatic retinopexy or vitrectomy had excellent long-term attachment rates. In the second article, he discusses Suprachoroidal Viscopexy, which is a novel in-office method of repairing retinal attachment, using viscoelastic agents injected in the suprachoroidal space to create a temporary buckling effect. 

Discussed Articles:

• Chen TS, Motekalem Y, Melo IM, Hillier RJ, Berger AR, Giavedoni LR, Wong DT, Altomare F, Muni RH. Long-Term Redetachment Rates of Pneumatic Retinopexy versus Pars Plana Vitrectomy in Retinal Detachment: A PIVOT Post Hoc Analysis. Ophthalmol Retina. 2024 Aug 23:S2468-6530(24)00397-X. doi: 10.1016/j.oret.2024.08.011. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39182651.

• Muni RH, Melo IM, Demian S, Minelli T, Batawi H, Park J, Pecaku A. In-Office Suprachoroidal Viscopexy for Acute Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2024 Dec 12. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2024.5202. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39666366.

Dr. Cindy Chen describes her group’s work on a retrospective review of association of systemic methotrexate therapy and a lower rate of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) after retinal detachment repair in large cohort of 2674 eligible patients. 

Professor Maher Saleh discusses his group’s findings for the use of perfluorocarbon in the treatment of macula-off retinal detachment. The study results suggest that perfluorocarbon liquid use during vitrectomy for macula-Off Retinal detachment has no impact on Macular folds and Metamorphopsia.

Discussed article: 

Wurtz M, Dormegny L, Muller C, Bourcier T, Ballonzoli L, Gaucher D, Saleh M. PERFLUOROCARBON LIQUID USE DURING VITRECTOMY FOR MACULA-OFF RETINAL DETACHMENT HAS NO IMPACT ON MACULAR FOLDS AND METAMORPHOPSIA. Retina. 2024 Nov 1;44(11):1891-1898. doi: 10.1097/IAE.0000000000004220. PMID: 39102743.

Dr. Marc Spirn from Wills Eye Hospital discusses the results of a retrospective study of performing lattice degeneration on a series of patients who had lattice degeneration with high risk features.

The discussed article:

Kazan AS, Mahmoudzadeh R, Salabati M, Sharpe J, Fineman MS, Hsu J, Yonekawa Y, Spirn MJ. Indications and Outcomes of Laser Retinopexy in Eyes With High-Risk Lattice Degeneration. J Vitreoretin Dis. 2024 Apr 25;8(4):381-387. doi: 10.1177/24741264241248253. PMID: 39148566; PMCID: PMC11323511.

Dr. Witkin from the American Society of Retina Specialists talks about our current knowledge of the incidence of retinal vasculitis following intravitreal injection of Pegcetacoplan for treatment of geographic atrophy.

Discussed article:

Witkin AJ, Jaffe GJ, Srivastava SK, Davis JL, Kim JE. Retinal Vasculitis After Intravitreal Pegcetacoplan: Report From the ASRS Research and Safety in Therapeutics (ReST) Committee. J Vitreoretin Dis. 2023 Dec 21;8(1):9-20. doi: 10.1177/24741264231220224. Erratum in: J Vitreoretin Dis. 2024 Feb 29;8(3):363. doi: 10.1177/24741264241238212. PMID: 38223782; PMCID: PMC10786078.