QUICK GUIDE

At a certain point in an ophthalmologist’s career, he or she hopefully develops the feeling that the diagnostics aspect of clinical care is relatively secure – that with a good ophthalmic exam and the necessary imaging and laboratory examinations, a diagnosis can be reached.

But what about the treatment aspect? Have we all memorised each of the potential therapeutic options for the rarer diseases? And in case the patient needs to be referred to a subspecialist, have we performed a sufficiently complete exam, covering each of the investigative steps required for a particular condition, so as to simplify the referral and provide the best possible transfer of care?

Ophthalmic Diagnosis & Treatment (Jaypee), by Dr Myron Yanoff, aims to provide this information within a single view. The left page covers the diagnostics, including a concise definition, signs, symptoms, suggested investigations with their respective expected results, differential diagnosis, and classification if relevant. The right page deals with the treatment, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological means, treatment aims, prognosis and follow-up. More complicated conditions are supplied with a bibliography of relevant literature for further study.

Ophthalmic Diagnosis & Treatment is a purely clinical handbook, to be used during patient care for quick reference. A useful feature that I have never previously seen in such a handbook is the number classification from The International Classification of Diseases (ICD), which allows physicians to “organise their patients’ medical records and to facilitate the timely reimbursement of their services”. This book is appropriate for ophthalmologists at every stage of their career, from training to retirement.

UPDATED OVERVIEW

Articles, books and presentations about femto-phaco techniques have been popping up like wildflowers over the past few years, and Dr Lucio Buratto and Dr Stephen F Brint have been responsible for many of these teaching modalities. For their latest work, Cataract Surgery with Phaco and Femtophaco Techniques (Slack Incorporated), they have teamed up with Dr Rosalia Sorce to provide an updated overview of femtosecond laser cataract surgery.

The text is illustrated with detailed drawings and informative surgical photographs of a femtolaser procedure. Particularly interesting for those, like me, who have never performed a femtolaser procedure, are the descriptions of the initial steps of the surgery phase. For example, how are the nucleus fragments separated into four quadrants? Answer: A so-called “prechopper” is used. This book is most interesting for late-stage residents, phaco fellows, and ophthalmologists considering making the leap from traditional to femto surgery.