Subscribe to Newsletter
Subspecialties Retina, Other, Refractive

Peerless

I write a lot about how ophthalmology is at the forefront of medical advances; that rather than being a window to the soul, it’s a window to not just the structures of the eye, but the vasculature and neural tissue too. We see exquisite engineering in instruments that can do incredible things – but surely innovation occurs in the rest of medicine too? Am I being blinkered, thoughtlessly repeating a mantra when the evidence to back it up in my mind is biased?

I don’t think so. Spark Therapeutics’ $850,000-a-dose Luxturna (voretigene neparvovec, which delivers copies of the functional RPE65 gene for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa) is one of the first gene therapies to be approved by the FDA – and the very first non-cancer therapy by them. We have the ophthalmic microsurgery robots being developed for use in the eye, which are pushing the boundaries of precision in robotic surgery, and which will almost certainly push the entire field of medical robotics forward – you can see clear applications elsewhere, particularly in neurosurgery.

Only two issues prior, we had the story of Medisoft, an ophthalmology EMR that eschewed encoding billing information in all its forms for the data that’s genuinely useful to clinicians who want to follow their patients and audit their outcomes. A large chunk of why ophthalmology is leading the way in artificial medical intelligence (AMI) – and, in particular, the use of machine learning to analyze medical images – is thanks to the quality information contained in that EMR system, which has helped train these AMI algorithms, and is bringing about (to use a Terminator reference) ‘Judgement Day’ far sooner than later – that point when computers, not humans, are reading the images and making diagnostic suggestions.

Even technology that’s considered ‘old news,’ like the excimer laser, continues to improve – so much so that, in combination with (I want to say ‘advanced’, but it’s actually ‘routine’) corneal biometry, suitable LASIK surgery candidates gain excellent outcomes virtually every single time. And I haven’t even started examining the incredible diagnostic instruments that are now available.

So readers, I think you can start 2018 in the knowledge that you’re part of an elite cadre, leading the way in medicine and medical science. And, without wanting to stir up age-old inter-specialty rivalries, could dermatologists say the same?

Happy New Year!

Mark Hillen
Editor

Receive content, products, events as well as relevant industry updates from The Ophthalmologist and its sponsors.

When you click “Subscribe” we will email you a link, which you must click to verify the email address above and activate your subscription. If you do not receive this email, please contact us at [email protected].
If you wish to unsubscribe, you can update your preferences at any point.

About the Author
Mark Hillen

I spent seven years as a medical writer, writing primary and review manuscripts, congress presentations and marketing materials for numerous – and mostly German – pharmaceutical companies. Prior to my adventures in medical communications, I was a Wellcome Trust PhD student at the University of Edinburgh.

Related Product Profiles
Uncover the Unique DNA of SPECTRALIS®

| Contributed by Heidelberg Engineering

Subspecialties Retina
ForeseeHome® – remote monitoring to help detect wet AMD earlier and improve outcomes

| Contributed by Notal Vision

Product Profiles

Access our product directory to see the latest products and services from our industry partners

Here
Register to The Ophthalmologist

Register to access our FREE online portfolio, request the magazine in print and manage your preferences.

You will benefit from:
  • Unlimited access to ALL articles
  • News, interviews & opinions from leading industry experts
  • Receive print (and PDF) copies of The Ophthalmologist magazine

Register

Disclaimer

The Ophthalmologist website is intended solely for the eyes of healthcare professionals. Please confirm below: