How to Succeed in Ophthalmology Residency

Pavlina Kemp, MD; Samuel Tadros, MD; Blake K. Williamson, MD, MPH; and Gary Wörtz, MD

Eyetube

Blake Williamson, MD, MPH, and Gary Wörtz, MD, return for a new season of Ophthalmology off the Grid! This season, the hosts dive into the basics of training and education at the most prestigious programs in ophthalmology across the United States. In this episode, they invite Pavlina Kemp, MD, residency program director at the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and Samuel Tadros, MD, a PGY-4 ophthalmology resident, to share a state of the union on ophthalmology residency. They discuss what it takes to stand out during the application and interviewing process and find success in the field.

Go-to Techniques for Complex Cataract Cases

Three surgeons share the maneuvers they rely on to improve control, safety, and efficiency in eyes with soft or dense nuclei, during IOL exchange, and in eyes with intumescent white cataracts.

Rosa Braga-Mele, MD, MEd, FRCSC; Uday Devgan, MD, FACS; and H. Burkhard Dick, MD, PhD, FEBOS-CR

Cataract and Refractive Surgery Today

KEY TAKEAWAYS Pocket chop creates a central groove that improves visualization and lets surgeons control soft or dense nuclei without advancing a chopper blindly toward the equator The twist-and-out technique removes a foldable IOL through the original phaco incision by rolling the optic, avoiding intraocular cutting and incision enlargement For intumescent white cataracts, a two-OVD strategy indents the anterior capsule, lowers the pressure gradient, and supports controlled capsulorhexis formation Pocket Chop for Soft and Dense Cataracts Rosa Braga-Mele, MD, MEd, FRCSC Many new tools and phaco technologies have made cataract surgery easier to manage, particularly in challenging situations. One technique that works reliably well with newer technologies is pocket chop, which can improve efficiency and safety in eyes with a soft or dense cataract.1 The beginning of a central groove, or pocket, is created in the center of the lens. The phaco needle is then embedded in the pocket with no vacuum for soft nuclei or with high vacuum for dense nuclei (Figure 1). A chopper is advanced from the distal edge of the capsulorhexis toward the pocket to create a horizontal chop (Figure 2).

Influence of Mediterranean-Style Diet on AMD

Our findings suggest certain dietary and lifestyle habits may confer long-term protective benefits.

Christopher Phung, BA; Beryl Zhou, BS; Robert Luca, BA; and Dimitra Skondra, MD, PhD

Retina Today

KEY TAKEAWAYS Gut dysbiosis, or an imbalance in the composition of the gut microbiome, has been identified in patients with AMD, pointing toward a potential role of the microbiome in disease progression. In our study, mice were fed three diets: a Mediterranean diet, a Western diet, and a low fat, high fiber mouse diet rich in wheat and corn that is standard for laboratory mice. Compared with the Western diet, the Mediterranean diet was protective against wet AMD and was associated with a decrease in proinflammatory gut bacteria. AMD is a progressive, multifactorial cause of vision loss, especially in Western countries. While early stages may be only mildly symptomatic, advanced AMD, whether geographic atrophy or neovascular disease, can significantly affect a patient’s independence and quality of life. Among the identified risk factors—age, genetics, smoking, race, hypertension, diet—few are readily modifiable, which, given the noncurative nature of currently available therapies, places great emphasis on those that are adjustable. Epidemiological research has demonstrated an association between diet and the risk of AMD development or progression. Diets rich in saturated fats, refined grains, and red meats, reflective of a typical Western diet, are linked to increased AMD risk.1 In contrast, a Mediterranean diet, characterized by high levels of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish, is associated with slower disease progression.2 Despite these findings, a definitive causal link has not been established, and the biological mechanisms underlying this apparent gut-eye connection remain poorly understood. Thus, gut microbiome has gained attention as a promising area of investigation with significant mechanistic and therapeutic implications. The gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem of microbes within the gastrointestinal tract that is heavily influenced by host intake and exerts systemic effects on host immune function and metabolism.