Blind Spot - The Eye Doctor's Podcast
Blind Spot is the Eye Doctor's Podcast that challenges eye care specialists to examine their own blind spots in the clinical and surgical management of eye disease. Each episode features a different guest expert and focuses on a particular clinical diagnosis or surgical challenge in ophthalmology. The show is hosted by Toronto-based ophthalmologist Dr. Zale Mednick. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/blind-spot-the-eye-doctor-s-podcast--5819306/support.
Episodes
June 25, 2025 • 53 mins
Fuchs Dystrophy is an important condition to be aware before operating on any patient. Cataract surgery, in particular, can cause someone with otherwise asymptomatic Fuchs to develop debilitating corneal edema. Then again, not everyone with Fuchs Dystrophy is destined to develop corneal swelling. So how do we determine which patients are at increased risk of corneal decompensation? How do we know which Fuchs patients warrant co...
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May 21, 2025 • 26 mins
With so may IOP-lowering drops on the market, it can be challenging to know which is the most appropriate drop to start a patient on for glaucoma. How does one choose between the variety of prostaglandin analogs, beta blockers, alpha agonists and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors that are available? When whould one choose monoterapy vs combination therapies? How do the drops' side effect profiles influence one's first choice on whic...
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April 15, 2025 • 32 mins
With the arrival of Eyezirgan (commercial available topical ganciclovir), we now have a more readily accessible preservative-free option for treatment of HSV. So why is Eyezirgan a potentially important new player on the market? How does one decide between oral or topical treatments for HSV, and is there a longer-term role for antivirals in the treatment of Zoster, in addition to just HSV? Dr. Parwez Hossain joins the podcast.
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March 27, 2025 • 22 mins
Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) is one of the most dreaded diagnoses in ophthalmology; not only can it cause vision loss, but it can also be life threatening. So what is the threshold for going down the 'GCA diagnostic path'? When should one order an ESR and CRP? When is the concern high enough to warrant a temporal artery biopsy, and when should steroids be started? How is temporal artery biopsy changing our diagnostic alogirthm. D...
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March 6, 2025 • 27 mins
While the terms 'tech' and 'AI' might seem overwhelming to the average ophthalmologist and optometrist, the reality is that the future of medicine will certainly be intertwined with these technologies. So what exactly is 'health tech' in the context of eye care? Dr. Lisa Jagan is the founder of Lid Express, an online platform that allows patients to submit photos of eyelid lesions to be reviewed by a team of oculopplastic surgeon...
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February 12, 2025 • 30 mins
As preservative-free eye drops become more common, one has to wonder why it is so important to reduce our use of preservatives. What kind of toxicity do preservatives wreak on the eye? And without preservatives, are eye drops still as effective and resistant to infection? Especially in the realms of dry eye and glaucoma, how have preservative free drops started to change the landscape, and what can we expect moving forward? Denm...
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January 29, 2025 • 31 mins
Acanthamoeba keratitis can be one of the most devastating diagnoses in ophthalmology, as it can wreak havoc on the cornea unlike few other microbes. On the same token, if caught early, acanthamoeba can be treated quite efficiently and effectively, and patients can have minimal, if any, long-term visual sequelae. Given acanthamoeba is such a dreaded diagnosis, just the thought of it can invoke fear into the ophthalmologist. And w...
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January 8, 2025 • 22 mins
For decades now, we have been able to offer anti-VEGF treatments to patients with wet AMD. Yet for dry AMD, there have been few options we can recommend to our patients outside of AREDS formulations and lifestyle modifications. But with newer scientific advances, there are indeed new classes of injectable medications that are now being offered to some patients wtih dry AMD. Retinal specialist Dr. Ashkan Abbey joins the podcast t...
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November 13, 2024 • 28 mins
The Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) has taken the refractive world by storm over the past couple of years, with an excitement that rivals the enthusaism for the latest multifocals or EDOFs to come on the market. So what's all the hype? How does this lens actually work? And even if the refractive results are impressive, do patients really want to wear UV-blocking lenses for weeks following surgery? Is the time and cost investment wo...
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October 10, 2024 • 36 mins
One of the most common clinical presentations to ophthalmologist is 'the eyelid lesion'. While sometimes it might seem obvious what the diagnosis is, other times it's tough to make a spot diagnosis or even to decipher whether the lesion is concerning or not. So what are some helpful examination tips to help us discern the benign from the malignant? Oculoplastics specialist Dr. Lisa Jagan joins the podcast to share an effective a...
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September 11, 2024 • 25 mins
Extended depth of focus (EDOF) lenses have transofmed the intraocular lens (IOL) landscape. As opposed to the binary choice of a monofocal or a multifocal IOL, there is an 'in-between' option that allows for more intermediate vision than monofocal lenses but less dysphotopsias than the mutifocal lenses. How do these lenses work, how should we explain them to patients, and what are the factors that guide our decisions on lens sele...
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August 21, 2024 • 23 mins
Cataracts and AMD are two of the most common ocular pathologies. But in patients who have both conditions, are there special considerations that should be taken into account? Should cataract surgey potentially be delayed in AMD patients because a protective effect of the cataract? Does cataract surgery exacerbate AMD and potentially lead to progression to geographic atrophy or conversion to wet AMD? Dr. Ashkan Abbey joins the p...
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August 7, 2024 • 27 mins
Pterygium surgery is one of the more common procedures performed by ophthalmologists. Yet despite how common it is, multiple techniques are used by different doctors. In this episode, Dr. Allan Slomovic joins the podcast to share tips on pterygium removal, indications for excision, and pearls on recurrent pterygia.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/blind-spot-the-eye-doctor-s-podcast--5819306/s...
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/blind-spot-the-eye-doctor-s-podcast--5819306/s...
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July 18, 2024 • 14 mins
July is Dry Eye Awareness month. In this episode, five cornea specialists each contribute a tip on how to better diagnose and manage dry eye. Speakers includ Dr. Clara Chan, Dr. Chris Rapuano, Dr. Ashley Brissette, Dr. Tanya Trinh, and host Dr. Zale Mednick.
This episode is sponsored by Sun Pharma Canada
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/blind-spot-the-eye-doctor-s-podcast--5819306/support.
This episode is sponsored by Sun Pharma Canada
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/blind-spot-the-eye-doctor-s-podcast--5819306/support.
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July 3, 2024 • 38 mins
While there are specific guidelines for diagnosis, not every patient falls easily into a particular category of glaucoma. Many times, it can be challenging to place some patients neatly into one of the glaucoma buckets. So what are some tips that can help us in diagnosing these grey cases that may or may not be glaucoma? And how does this impact treatment decisions? Are there certain cases in which it’s okay to monitor a patient...
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June 19, 2024 • 39 mins
Recurrent Corneal Erosion Syndrome (RCES) is an extremely uncomfortable condition for patients to live with. With so many management options, including ointments, bandage contact lenses, superficial keratectomy, anterior stromal puncture, and PTK, what actually works best? Wills Eye Hospital Cornea Specialst Dr. Chris Rapuano joins the podcast.
This episode is sponsored by Sun Pharma Canada - https://sunpharma.com/canada/
Become a...
This episode is sponsored by Sun Pharma Canada - https://sunpharma.com/canada/
Become a...
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June 3, 2024 • 34 mins
The incidence of musculoskeletal injuries in ophthalmology is probably higher than you think. Whether it's an acute injury or a chronic injury from poor posture and positioning, ophthalmologists and optometrists are at high risk for long-term back pain and other musculoskeletal problems, due to the nature of our work. So how can we better at keeping ourselves healthy, both in the short-term and in the long-run? Dr. R. Rishi Gupta j...
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May 21, 2024 • 37 mins
The toric intraocular lenses (IOL) is a mainstay in the treatment of astigmatism during cataract surgery. Many people have different thresholds, however, for when they would consider a toric IOL. What is the appropriate amount of astigmatism that warrants treatment with a toric lens? Does the threshold vary if a premium lens is being used? What lens implantation techniques can be implemented to achieve the best possible results...
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May 7, 2024 • 36 mins
LASIK has been the procedure of choice in refractive surgery for many years now. But over the last decade, the development of SMILE has changed the landscape in refractive surgery. Especially popular in Europe and China, many ophthalmologists are offering their patients SMILE in place of LASIK. So what exactly is SMILE, and why do many view it as a superior alternative to LASIK? Dr. Walter Sekundo, the developer of the SMILE pr...
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April 4, 2024 • 27 mins
As excitement grows regarding the upcoming solar eclipse, anxiety is also increasing amongst patients. How should we be counseling concerned patients regarding the solar eclipse and what precautions they should be taking to protect their eyes? Dr. Tina Felfeli joins the podcast.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/blind-spot-the-eye-doctor-s-podcast--5819306/support.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/blind-spot-the-eye-doctor-s-podcast--5819306/support.
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