Ep. 010: The One-Eyed Surgeon With Only One Thumb and Other Stories - with John C. Barber, MD

In this tenth episode, Dr. Suh takes a departure from his usual format to interview his ophthalmology residency director and chairman, Dr. John Barber, about the three books he has written since retirement. 

His first book, The Joy of Medical Practice: Forty Years of Interesting Patients, is about the many interesting patients he has encountered from his medical school years to his last years in practice.

In his second book, Hey, Doc! What’s Wrong with My Eye?: A General Guide to Eye Symptoms, Dr. Barber writes about common symptoms and diseases of the eye and discusses treatments.

Some common causes of red eyes include:

• Conjunctivitis – often called pink eye, the translucent outer coating (conjunctiva) in front of the white part of the eye (sclera) becomes inflamed from viruses, bacteria, allergens, or chemicals
• Corneal abrasion – a scratch on the outer layer of the cornea usually from trauma
• Corneal ulcer – an infection on the cornea that can be caused by various pathogens
• Subconjunctival hemorrhage – a bruise within the conjunctival layers that can be caused by coughing, sneezing, eye rubbing, lifting heavy things, taking blood thinners, etc.  Although it can be surprisingly red, it is almost always a benign condition.
• Blepharitis – inflammation of the eyelids in which they become red, irritated and itchy. It usually presents with flaky scales on the eyelashes and plugged up oil glands.

 Dr. Barber’s last book is The One-Eyed Surgeon with Only One Thumb: Adventures with My Dad, Harry C. Barber, MD, FACS. He chronicles stories that his father told him as he was growing up. He recounts his life as a physician/surgeon in a small town and in Greenland during World War II.

You can find all of Dr. Barber's books on his website.

This is intended for informational and educational purposes only, and nothing in this podcast/blog is to be considered as recommending or rendering medical advice or treatment to a specific patient. Please consult your eye care specialist for proper diagnosis and treatment of any eye conditions that you may have.