About The Focal Point

Thank you for joining us for this inaugural season of podcasts sponsored by Sight Partners and Northwest Eye Surgeons. The content is going to revolve around the general theme of medical and surgical eyecare and utilize the expertise of our doctors and surgeons. The breadth of topics is intentionally broad to best reflect the diversity of patients you encounter in practice, and the patients that we often mutually co-manage.

We have seen firsthand that there are a lot of demands on primary care doctors to manage an aging demographic. We also believe strongly that we respect and adhere to evidence-based guidelines with patient management decisions. We plan to focus the podcasts on germane topics that you will reasonably encounter in practice. And finally in the spirit of podcasts, we anticipate that these discussions are conversational, with what we plan are speakers talking with candor and a sincere interest to share their experience and perspectives with you.

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Meet Our Host

Dr. Bence has been the Director of Optometry at NWES medical and surgical centers for about 35 years. He balances a clinic schedule with periodic lectures, publishing, being a mentor to OD externs, residents, students, staff, giving testimonies for the Department of Health, and occasional research endeavors. He has served as the 46th  President of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO)and past President of the Optometric Physicians of Washington (AOA state affiliate). He is Chair of the Council on Optometric Practitioner Education.

For me personally, there is one overarching reason for the podcast: recognition that Optometry is instrumental in advancing broad-based primary medical and refractive eye care. We work within a large medical sphere of interprofessional coordinated care that best serves our mutual patients. The surgeons and doctors of Sight Partners and NWES applaud the professionalism of optometry in keeping their treatment acumen current. We hope that this podcast can celebrate the bandwidth of medical services that optometry provides.

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The Focal Point Podcast Presented by Sight Partners

Introduction

Thank you for joining us for this inaugural season of podcasts sponsored by Sight Partners and Northwest Eye Surgeons.

Episode 1: Any risk with atrophic retinal holes?

In this episode, Dr. Richard Lee discusses updated protocols in the management of peripheral retinal abnormalities including lattice degeneration, atrophic retinal holes and asymptomatic retinal breaks.

Episode 2: Launching A Dry Eye Practice Part 1

A comprehensive dry eye practice requires several integral practice resources as well as doctor commitment to this evolving specialty. Dr. Claypool utilizes his expertise of over 10 years of dry eye management. In this week’s episode, we will focus on patient selection, diagnosis and diagnostic testing, and staff utilization.

Episode 3: Healthy Diet, Healthy Eyes

In this episode, Dr. Ballon reviews specific foods that have scientific-based evidence of reducing risk of vision loss from common ocular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetes mellitus, and glaucoma.

Episode 4: Launching A Dry Eye Practice Part 2

Dr. Claypool joins us again to spotlight advanced dry eye treatment that utilizes in-office meibomian gland evacuation methods with an eye towards developing a partnership with patients.

Episode 5: Low Concentration Atropine For The Treatment of Myopia Progression

In this week’s episode, Optometric Physician, Dr. Leigh Gongaware, provides a short review of the key published research and clinical application of low dose Atropine versus other treatments for control of myopia progression.

Episode 6: MIGS: A Welcomed Alternative for Advancing Glaucoma

Dr. Landon Jones and Dr. Justin Wright, who lead glaucoma teams at NWES, share their views of this burgeoning field of MIG procedures, including trabecular bypass, ab interno canaloplasty, stents to subconjunctival space, and others.

Episode 7: Yes You Can! Customize the Refractive Results with the Light Adjustable Lens Implant

In this week’s episode, Dr. Kerri Svanda briefly discusses the key clinical features and decision-making when providing the post-surgical care for patients who choose the light adjustable lens implant.

Episode 8: A Surgical Conundrum: Trabeculectomy versus Tube Shunt Implants

Surgeons Dr. Bruce Cameron and Dr. Aaron Kuzin share their philosophies and preferences with decision-making when they encounter patients with severely progressive glaucoma, often on maximal medications and past unsuccessful glaucoma procedures, and needing one of the filtering surgeries.

Episode 9: PCR: A Powerful and User-Friendly Diagnostic Tool

With COVID-19, PCR proved itself as an excellent method for accurate diagnosis. The same can be said for ophthalmic infectious disease. Dr. Martin talks us through PCR testing for optometric physicians: when to use, obtaining samples, the 24-48 hour turnaround, and other logistics.

Episode 10: Refractive Lens Exchange: A Candid Viewpoint

In our season finale, Dr. Bailey provides a nicely inclusive synopsis of RLE. She discusses in detail the notable benefits, risks, the ideal patient, the less than ideal patient, and a few clinical pearls for making this important decision.

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