Today our podcast is just me, answering so many great questions that have been sent in by our viewers and listeners. The topics cover the range from philosophical to personal to surgical to learning. To make this as real as possible there are no edits in this video -- it is me talking straight for an hour so feel free to hit the 1.5x or 2x button o…

I was recently asked which ophthalmologist had the biggest impact on my career (and life) and it is without a doubt Robert H. Osher MD who is the Godfather of Ophthalmic Surgical Videos. He is the original professor who used video to teach new techniques to surgeons from around the world, training thousands and ultimately benefitting millions of pa…

As ophthalmologists, we are smart and hard working and that's how we earned one of the coveted spots to do this specialty (only 525 spots in the USA per year which is up from 460 in years prior). What if we applied those same talents to the world of Wall Street Finance, Investment banking, or hedge funds? Would we have been happier and now retired …

Dr Pradip Mohanta is a very talented ophthalmic surgeon and teacher with a YouTube channel which is full of great videos. If you are keen on learning new surgical techniques, particularly with anterior segment surgery, there is so much that he can teach you. In this podcast we cover his path in ophthalmology, his secrets to success, and how best to…

Dr Stephen Lash is a consultant ophthalmic surgeon in Southampton, England and the author of a book that will be of great interest to you: Improving Surgical Skills and Outcomes which you can find here. We speak in depth about the steps you can take today to become a better surgeon and what are the characteristics that make for a good surgeon. Defi…

Dr Milind Pande (or Mr Milind Pande as surgeons are properly addressed in England) is a world class ophthalmologist who I've looked up to for 20 years. I first presented a lecture at his Royal College of Ophthalmologists meeting in Hull, England in 2005 and I was there again about 10 years later and then finally once more just last month. It's a fa…

Today we feature Dr Neel Pasricha who is a cornea specialist and expert with anterior segment surgery who also performs ground breaking research on ocular surface electrophysiology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). In this podcast we delve into important surgical developments that can help you deliver a higher level of care to …

Professor Prem Subramanian MD PhD is an expert in neuro-ophthalmology as both a medical and surgical subspecialty. He forged an amazing path in ophthalmology and due to his experiences in treating trauma patients, he developed world class skills in orbital surgical treatment. If you have an interest in this field, there are so many great resources …

Starting your own private practice is absolutely 100% possible today and in this podcast Dr Jennifer Loh will explain how she did this from scratch. She has grown her practice and has since added 5 additional doctors to her staff. And this started from a simple idea: create your own practice where you can deliver the highest level of care and be yo…

Most ophthalmologists do not stick with their first job for the entirety of their careers. And that is perfectly fine because we all need to find the right fit for ourselves, and that, too, can evolve over time. Our guest, Dr Alison Early, enjoyed working at her first job right out of residency and she flourished, racking up great surgical experien…

For this podcast our guest is Dr Deborah Ristvedt who is an ophthalmic surgeon who practices in a small town, Alexandra, Minnesota, and transitioned her practice from a small solo family venture into part of a larger group under the Vance Thompson Vision umbrella. This has given her increased resources and has allowed her to grow the practice subst…

If you were at the last ASCRS meeting then you know that the winner of the high impact surgical tip award was Dr Priya Narang who taught us how to perform a pinhole pupilloplasty for cases of irregular corneal distortion. She is a brilliant ophthalmologist and a master of complex anterior segment surgeries. In this podcast we learn insight into inn…

We all love to learn surgical pearls from YouTube videos, and our podcast guest today, Dr Deepak Megur, is a pro at making great videos. His YouTube channel hosts more than 500 surgical teaching videos and has garnered tens of thousands of subscribers and tens of millions of views. While I'm sure you love watching our CataractCoach videos on youtub…

Our podcast guest is Dr Andrzej Dmitriew who is more than simply an ophthalmologist. He is an amazing person who went from professional athletics to a serious heart condition that nearly cost his life. He then went on to become a very successful refractive surgeon in his hometown in Poland who also travels the world teaching surgical techniques. I'…

Professor Ken Nischal MD is a pioneer in pediatric anterior segment surgery, particularly cataract and corneal surgery for our youngest patients. His technique of TIPP (two incision push pull) for capsulorhexis creation transformed the way that we approach baby lensectomy and we will feature that video tomorrow as video 2576. Worldwide, most pediat…

Our guest surgeon, Dr Sourabh Patwardhan is a renowned professor and surgical teacher for anterior segment surgery, particularly cataract surgery. He has many great teaching videos on YouTube, a free phaco handbook here, and he offers in-person training for a few weeks (or longer) at his institute in India. In this podcast he offers some great advi…

When I was at the Italian Cataract & Refractive surgery meeting (Associazione Italiana di Chirurgia della Cataratta e Refrattiva), I had the pleasure of meeting Dr Miguel Rechichi and I enjoyed the conversation so much that I invited him to be on our podcast to share his experiences with everyone. He has an amazing enthusiasm for learning and now, …

I attend many ophthalmic surgical lectures every year and many meetings in many countries. And you know that the lecture is amazing when I start taking notes! Dr Beeran Meghpara is a cornea, refractive, cataract, and anterior segment surgeon and professor at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, USA. His surgical pearls about nanophthalmic eyes and F…

This is a really fun and engaging podcast with a truly remarkable surgeon, Dr Steve Sarkisian from Oklahoma City, OK, USA. He specializes in truly cutting edge glaucoma therapies and has been an innovator in so many trials for new glaucoma devices and procedures that his middle name is now "MIGS". Ok, I'm kidding, but he is truly remarkable and the…

Professor Stephen Klyce PhD has truly innovated so much when it comes to the cornea, kerato-refractive surgery, corneal pathology like keratoconus, and just about every corneal diagnostic device in our clinics. Every day when we look at a topography map of the cornea to plan cataract surgery and astigmatic treatment, we are relying on his large bod…

I first met Dr Helen Wu more than 20 years ago when she taught me great surgical pearls for techniques of LASIK (which was very different compared to the amazing technology we have now). She is a truly gifted teacher and professor and has taught refractive surgery to thousands of ophthalmologists over the past few decades. She also has a deep exper…

Our guest is Dr Malik Kahook who is a professor, surgeon, scientist, and inventor (with 80+ patents in ophthalmology!) at the University of Colorado in Denver. You have likely used one of his devices, the Kahook Dual Blade / KDB Glide to treat glaucoma in your patients and he has influenced other parts of ophthalmology that also impact your practic…

We have been hearing about in-office (or in-clinic) surgery suites where we can perform intra-ocular surgery such as cataract surgery without having to go to an ASC (ambulatory surgery center). Decades ago we shifted from performing ocular surgery in hospitals to out-patient surgery centers and today that is where we perform most of our cases. Some…

Sometimes we are so involved in our own practices that we forget about the very important public health aspects of ophthalmology. This includes so much such as determining the best procedures and practices for our patients but also how to critically look at the data. When we see a Medicare cut to certain MIGS procedures, is it any surprise that the…

Nothing beats hard work and determination. And that certainly sums up the stellar career trajectory of Dr Greg Parkhurst. He decided to start a private refractive surgery practice from the ground up and he has built it into a very successful endeavor in San Antonio, Texas, USA. Over the years I have heard his name more and more, and I reached out t…

Our guest today is Dr Nikolina Budimlija who runs a dedicated Ocular Surface Disease Clinic and has a deep expertise in the subject. She is a member of the Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS), European Society of Cornea & Ocular Surface Disease Specialists (EuCornea), and the ESCRS. She offers some great practical advice for ophthalmologists …

Dr Lucy Shen is an associate professor of ophthalmology at Mass Eye & Ear, Harvard Medical School where she specializes in complex glaucoma cases and directs the glaucoma fellowship. In addition to her patient care duties, she also mentors medical students and residents while also performing important research in glaucoma imaging and detection. She…

For our 100th podcast episode, we have a very special guest... Prof. Pradeep Prasad, MD, MBA who is the host of our sister channel RetinaRounds.com where you can sign up for the free daily email. The first post on RetinaRounds.com will be premiering next week on March 1, 2025. Dr. Pradeep Prasad is a leader in the field of ophthalmology, vitreoreti…

Dr Rich Davidson is an anterior segment surgeon and Professor at the University of Colorado, USA. He has spent his entire career after training as a faculty member at that institution and has trained scores of residents and fellows over the past 20 years. In this podcast he shares his best advice for maximizing your success in residency, fellowship…

Our podcast guest is Dr Dee Stephenson who is a cataract surgeon in Venice, Florida, USA who has a passion for the newest surgical technologies and techniques which she teaches at many national and international meetings. She has been a strong advocate about the power of private practice, particularly solo practice, and she shares her best pearls a…

Dr Jack Parker is a corneal specialist who has truly mastered the art of lamellar surgery and amazingly performs more than 1000 surgeries per year in his clinic-based operating room. And that is without IV anesthesia, using only room air, and without any required head positioning. We have previously featured great cases from him and he makes it loo…

Dr Ivan Gabrić is a refractive surgeon who is advancing the limits of corneal refractive surgery and I enjoyed visiting him at the Svjetlost Eye Clinic in Zagreb, Croatia where he performed innovative corneal lenticular refractive surgery. This included unusual cases such as pure myopic cylinder which can be very tricky due to the lenticule shape. …

Dr Erik Mertens is an ophthalmologist in Antwerp, Belgium at the Medipolis clinic where he performs refractive surgery, both lenticular and corneal, as well as some oculoplastic procedures. He has built his clinic and a worldwide reputation over the years and in this podcast he gives his best words of wisdom for success in your own practice. Since …

Dr Rupa Wong specializes in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus at her clinic in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA and she has developed a worldwide following for her efforts in educating the public about eye related issues. In this podcast, I learned so much from her that I ended up taking notes! On her website she has a number of great resources, in…

Dr Bruno Trindade is a corneal, cataract, and refractive surgeon in Belo Horizonte, Brazil where is does private practice as well as professor duties with his residents and fellows at a large public hospital. He (and his family) have a long history of producing award-winning surgical videos to teach techniques of anterior segment surgery at major m…

Dr David Kang 강성용 is a refractive and cataract surgeon in Seoul, South Korea where is also a Professor at two local universities. He has a particular expertise in corneal refractive surgery and he has seen his practice transition from primarily doing LASIK and PRK, to now doing nearly exclusively corneal lenticule extraction. Because he has access …

I first met Dr Nicole Fram almost 20 years ago when she was a resident at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, USA. I was there giving a series of lectures as a visiting professor in their department and was impressed with Dr Fram and her co-residents. In the past two decades Dr Fram has cemented her role as an expert with complex re-operations wher…

The real world is a different place than what you experienced during your ophthalmology training and navigating this new frontier can be challenging. Our guest today is Dr Lisa Nijm who is both an ophthalmologist and an attorney who has started the Real World Ophthalmology endeavor to help. This encompasses the website, a podcast, social media page…

Severe damage to the ocular surface can mean near total loss of vision for patients and these complex injuries require specialized care for rehabilitation. Our guest surgeon is Prof. Edward Holland MD who has developed techniques such as the Cincinnati procedure for Ocular Surface Transplantation and has now started the Holland Foundation For Sight…

Building a world-class eye institute and research laboratory is a large task that takes decades to accomplish. Our guest surgeon Dr Naren Shetty and his family have built Narayana Nethralaya (which literally means temple of the eye) in Bangalore, India. I had a chance to visit this amazing institution and spend time learning about the incredible re…

We have previously featured a few videos of artificial iris implants and every time, I am amazed at the functional and cosmetic results. Our guest today is Dr Michael Snyder who has built a practice at the Cincinnati Eye Institute where he does many of these complex cases every week. This must be the world's largest volume of experience with these …

One of the most amazing and dynamic ophthalmologists whom you will ever meet is Professor Ramesh Ayyala, Chairman of Ophthalmology at University of South Florida in Tampa. His path in ophthalmology has taken him around the world and as such he is licensed to practice in three continents. He specializes in both glaucoma and cornea and has given us s…

Our podcast guest is Dr German Bianchi from Cordoba, Argentina where he specializes in cataract and refractive surgery. In addition to his busy surgical practice, he also teaches these techniques across the globe and through his meeting Oftalmo Cordoba which he co-hosts with others. In this podcast we discuss his approach to various surgical cases …

Professor Gene de Juan Jr has an incredible lifetime of innovations and inventions where great ideas are turned into ophthalmology practice. In this episode we talk about his time at Duke University (with the father of vitrectomy, Prof Robert Machemer), the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University, and Doheny Eye Institute at the University…

In this very special podcast episode, we feature a father-son due of Dr Luis J. Escaf and Dr Luis C. Escaf, both from Barranquilla, Colombia at the Clinica Oftalmologica del Caribe. This podcast is also about half in English and half in Spanish. The story behind this amazing clinic is very compelling: it started with just a single exam room and now…

Dr Audrey Rostov is a talented corneal and cataract surgeon in the Seattle area with a passion of combining aspects of private practice with global surgical teaching. She reflects back on her past decades and offers some critically important advice for navigating the different periods of our careers and also how to change gears and pivot. Great pea…

Dr John Berdahl is an anterior segment surgeon in South Dakota USA with a special interest in glaucoma. In this podcast he explains how he approaches the physics of glaucoma and asks us if intra-cranial pressure can affect glaucoma. It is an interesting question and I think that he is truly on to something. Perhaps we need to rethink the way that w…

Professor Shady Awwad is a refractive surgeon with a deep expertise in complex cases including helping patients who need multiple procedures such as cross-linking, corneal stromal allogenic implants, excimer laser ablation, and then phakic IOL implantation. His revolutionary way of thinking has earned him the Waring Medal in ophthalmology and he co…

Dr Mitch Jackson is a refractive, cataract, and anterior segment surgeon in the Chicago area with a zest for life who is also a world-class DJ with a deep expertise in music. He has been through family challenges where has learn from his late brother to say, "I did" instead of "I wish" and that is a fantastic philosophy. He has built a busy private…

Dr Inder Paul Singh is a glaucoma and cataract surgeon in Wisconsin, USA where he runs a private practice that was started by his father many decades ago. Paul is a great surgeon and a fantastic teacher and he helps educate practicing ophthalmologists like us about the new techniques and technologies that are being developed. In this podcast we tal…