Experts InSight

Drs. Eric Suhler and Nick Butler join host Dr. Ben Young discuss an old treatment for cystoid macular edema (CME) that may be new to many of us: interferon alpha. They review its use, side effects, and success thus far.
Relevant papers discussed in this episode:
Treatment of refractory cystoid macular edema with pegylated interferon alfa-2A: a retrospective chart review
Interferon alpha 2b in the treatment of uveitic cystoid macular edema
For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts

Dr. Scott Goldstein joins host Dr. Amanda Redfern to share his approach to managing nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO) in kids and his 3-step test for evaluating epiphora in adults, including how to identify complicating factors that may warrant surgical or procedural intervention.
For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.

In today's episode, host Dr. Ben Young welcomes 3 core members of the Academy's Advocacy team: Dr. John McAllister, Secretary for Federal Affairs; Dr. John Peters, Secretary for State Affairs; and Rebecca Hyder, Vice President of Government Affairs. The panel discusses why routine patient care and advocacy go hand in hand, and how ophthalmologists can be better advocates for our patients at the clinic, local, state, and federal level.
For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.

Host Dr. Andrew Pouw welcomes Drs. Gustavo De Moraes, Aakriti Shukla, and Simon John to discuss their team's work spanning the full arc of nicotinamide as a neuroprotection candidate for glaucoma, from bench to clinical trials.
For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.

Host Dr. Jay Sridhar welcomes Dr. Sarwar Zahid to unpack a recent American Journal of Ophthalmology perspective essay on the growing segment of hospital-employed ophthalmologists. They examine the appeal of the hospitalist model—shift-based work, reduced administrative burden, and work-life balance—alongside potential drawbacks, including income ceilings, RVU pressure, and burnout. The conversation broadens to declining physician ownership, the challenges of hospital call coverage, and the downstream threat to residency training. The episode finally shifts to whether a focused practice designation (FPD) could help define subspecialty expertise, improve patient care, and give ophthalmologists a stronger seat at the bargaining table.
Discussed in this episode: Thomson M, Browning DJ. The Hospital Employed Ophthalmologist: A Growing Segment of the Profession. Am J Ophthalmol. 2026 Jan 18;284:208-215.
For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.