Protecting Sight #191: An ultra-low-cost college degree. Punctured posterior capsule rescue, glued capsular hook technique, giant cell arteritis, and phaco tips. Giveaway contest for one copy of Phaco Tips!

Welcome to my daily learning journal. My daily goal is to watch one Ted Talk and one cataract surgery. I also plan to read one journal article and read/listen to a book chapter, podcast, or significant work.

Here’s today’s list:

1. Ted Talk – Shai Reshef: An ultra-low-cost college degree. “At the online University of the People, anyone with a high school diploma can take classes toward a degree in business administration or computer science — without standard tuition fees (though exams cost money). Founder Shai Reshef hopes that higher education is changing “from being a privilege for the few to a basic right, affordable and accessible for all.”” (ted.com)

This is one of the many reasons I watch Ted Talks everyday. Just heard of University of the People and inspired by their mission to break down the financial barriers for higher education.

2A. Cataract Surgery – Uday Devgan MD – Punctured Posterior Capsule Rescue (Guest surgeon Dr. Pradip Mohanta). Dr Devgan writes in part, “During phacoemulsification of the last nuclear piece, the phaco tip touches the posterior capsule for a fraction of a second and a hole develops and vitreous prolapses. Dr Mohanta shows us how to rescue this case and produce a beautiful surgical outcome with great vision for the patient.”

2B. Glued Capsular Hook Technique (AAO 1 minute video) – “In this 1-Minute Video, Dr. Soosan Jacob introduces the glued capsular hook technique. This method allows for sutureless, fibrillin glue-assisted transscleral fixation of the capsular bag. In this procedure, the capsular hook is inserted through a sclerotomy under the scleral flap, providing intraoperative and postoperative support to the capsular bag.” Superb technique.

Presentation

3. EyeNet (November 2020) – GCA, Part 1: Don’t Miss This Dx. “Giant cell arteritis, Part 1: Why you don’t want to miss this diagnosis. Plus: an update on immunologic markers and the use of tocilizumab.” Good article.

I’ve been interested in Giant Cell Arteritis since seeing a patient with a cotton wool spot during my first year of residency (1998-1999) which turned out to be temporal arteritis. I later assembled five cases with the help of neuro-ophthalmologists Vivian Rismondo, MD and Neil Miller, MD. An honor to present at the NANOS meeting in Montreal 2000! (20+ years ago!).

Plus, when I presented this poster at NANOS, I dined alone at the Chateau Mt. Tremblant. Seated at the next table was a neuro-ophthalmologist who regaled his friend with stories of his family’s connection to a US President. Twenty years later, I don’t remember a thing I learned studying for my OKAPs at such a fancy restaurant, but I sure do remember details of the neuro-ophthalmologist’s remarkable stories!

4. Mackool, Richard J. Phaco Tips: The First Ten Years (2002).

Reviewed phaco tips #101-120 (finished!). Phaco Tips is filled with timeless surgical pearls.

I’ve decided to giveaway a copy of Phaco Tips! See my Instagram post to enter!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJFT2WABF1m/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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