Soosan Jacob

About Soosan Jacob

What major trends in cataract and refractive surgery are catching your attention right now?

I think therapeutic refractive surgery is really coming into its own, especially for the treatment of irregular and ectatic corneas. My own favorite is CAIRS – or Corneal Allogeneic Intrastromal Ring Segments – for the treatment of keratoconus. With customization and custom CAIRS, the game is going to a whole new level! It has caught the attention of patients and corneal and refractive surgeons worldwide, and I predict a lot of activity in this field!

In what ways do you think AI and machine learning will impact cataract & refractive surgery?

Artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML) will become more and more integrated into the way we practice and do surgeries. Right from the use of AI/ML in history taking, analysis of history, findings and data to the integration of all of this in order to maximize results for our patients. This has already started happening.

A digital twin will be another great revolution, not just in ophthalmology but medicine in general. A virtual replica of the patient's eye with integrated real time and historical data would allow for patient specific modeling, personalized diagnosis, simulated disease progression, treatment planning including surgical planning, and outcome prediction will be a reality.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Learn more, adapt more, relax more, rest more, and re-energize more. Learn, unlearn, and then learn again. Pivot rather than resist change.