This Week in Ophthalmology: Week of July 28, 2024

I am David Hutton of Ophthalmology Times. Welcome to the latest edition of This Week in Ophthalmology, a video series highlighting some of the top articles featured on the Ophthalmology Times website.

I recently talked to Dr. Ashley Brissette, team ophthalmologist for the New York Rangers to discuss eye injuries in hockey and other sports, as well as advancements in prevention and treatment for the players.

Watch: NHL ophthalmologist on eye injuries and eye health in professional sports

A recent report showed that 2 predisposing factors may have resulted in the development of SANS of greater severity in 1 female astronaut than cases of SANS that developed in other astronauts, according to the lead author Dr. Tyson J. Brunstetter from the NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston.

SANS was first reported in 2011,2 and described as “anatomical changes to the eyes and brain during spaceflight as well as visual performance decrements in a subset of cases.”

SANS can develop during or immediately after spaceflight and is characterized by optic disc edema (ODE), chorioretinal folds, globe flattening, and/or hyperopic refractive shifts. As many as 15% to 20% of astronauts can develop what are considered clinically concerning levels of SANS during the course of or following lengthy spaceflights onboard the International Space Station.

Read More: Potential risk factors for severe Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome

We also delve into a study examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ophthalmology residency and fellowship training

A team of researchers in Saudi Arabia set out to study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on residency and fellowship training in terms of clinical load, surgical exposure, medical education, and research opportunities.

The researchers, in the Ophthalmology Department at King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, maintained in the study COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected many aspects of the healthcare system.

The retrospective study was conducted at King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (KKESH), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to review the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the training program by comparing the years 2018 and 2019 before the pandemic to 2020 and 2021 after the pandemic.

Read Here: Study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ophthalmology residency and fellowship training

Ophthalmology Times learned this week that Eyenovia, SGN Nanopharma will collaborate to develop treatment for chronic dry eye disease.

Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will work to develop SGN’s Micellar Nanoparticle platform-based cyclosporine formulation for use with Eyenovia’s Optejet dispenser.

The companies said they currently are validating the novel drug-device combination product's manufacturability to back up clinical testing and will schedule a consultation meeting with the FDA to discuss clinical development.

Michael Rowe, CEO of Eyenovia, noted the Optejet dispenser has been shown in prior studies to deliver a therapeutic dose of medication with 80% less drug volume, thereby minimizing exposure to harmful preservatives and improving tolerability.

Learn More: Eyenovia and SGN Nanopharma partner to develop treatment for chronic dry eye disease

Thank you for joining me for This Week in Ophthalmology. You can read more about these and other articles on our website at OphthalmologyTimes.com. If you have an interesting idea for an article you can reach me by email.