COMMENTARY

Exploring and Exploiting Lasers in Ophthalmology

American Academy of Ophthalmology 2013

Roger F. Steinert, MD; Mark S. Blumenkranz, MD

Disclosures

November 25, 2013

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In This Article

The Jackson Memorial Lecture

Roger F. Steinert, MD: Hello. I am Dr. Roger Steinert, Director of the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute and Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology at the University of California Irvine. Welcome to Medscape Ophthalmology Insights, coming from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) meeting in New Orleans. Joining me today is Dr. Mark Blumenkranz. Dr. Blumenkranz is the H.J. Smead Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology, and Director of the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.

We will be wrapping up the overall highlights in retina from this year's meeting and delving into laser technology for both the posterior and anterior segments.

I would like to start by having you recap the great honor you received of giving the Jackson Memorial Lecture.[1]

Mark S. Blumenkranz, MD: The Jackson Lecture was on the history and evolution of lasers in ophthalmology, a topic which hadn't been covered in 70 years of the Jackson Lecture, including the past 40 or 50 years when they have been an important part of what we do every day in ophthalmology. I thought it was a good opportunity to look back and look forward a little bit.

I tried to go back and look at the early history of the laser, because it's interesting from a technology development perspective, an economic perspective, and a medical perspective. We can learn many interesting lessons about how lasers developed and how they are continuing to change.

Dr. Steinert: You have done some excellent work and made some real contributions in laser therapy. Let's start with the retina, your area of expertise.

Dr. Blumenkranz: I thought it would be useful to talk about basic mechanisms of laser tissue interactions, particularly in the eye, and then to expand that to the retina side and, if you like, a little bit about anterior segment applications as well.

Dr. Steinert: Sure.

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