New Retina Radio by Eyetube

David RP Almeida, MD, PhD, MBA; Lisa Faia, MD; and Chris Riemann, MD, return for the second episode in this podcast miniseries, in which they review a trio of real-world GA cases, explore what early responses to treatment look like, and ask how to address GA in the presence of wet AMD.

Join David RP Almeida, MD, PhD, MBA; Lisa Faia, MD; and Chris Riemann, MD, as they assess which clinical and non-clinical characteristics drive their decision-making in patients with geographic atrophy (GA). After the break, Dr. Faia shares a real-world case from her clinic in which a patient who was lost to follow-up returns to consider treatment.

What conclusions can be drawn from a cross-trial comparison of randomized clinical trials assessing the safety and efficacy of anti-VEGF agents used in the treatment of AMD and DME? Paul Hahn, MD, PhD, sits down with Durga Borkar, MD, MMCi, and Ted Leng, MD, to review a recent presentation by Dr. Leng on this topic, and to examine the clinical relevance of the study's findings.

Biosimilars in retina are here. How are practices integrating them into their clinics? And how do they navigate issues around payer policy, protocol changes, and ensuring continuity of care? Moderator John Kitchens, MD, sits down with retina specialist Dave Brown, MD, and Kristin Yockus, the VP of Process Integrations at Retina Consultants of America, to answer these questions, and to preview how the coming increase in biosimilar options might play out in a real-world landscape.

How do endophthalmitis rates after intravitreal injection differ after using povidone-iodine compared with chlorhexidine? Moderator Sruthi Arepalli, MD, hears from panelists Vaidehi Dedania, MD, and Rebecca Soares, MD, MPH, about a recent peer-reviewed retrospective cohort study on this topic. After the break, the trio discuss how to manage patients who do not tolerate antiseptics, the benefits of visualizing antiseptics on the conjunctiva, and the specific practice patterns that work best in their clinics.

Performing surgery for symptomatic vitreous opacities (SVO) was once verboten in retina medicine, but the field has seen a sea-change in mindset over the past decade. In this podcast, moderator John Kitchens, MD, is joined by Edwin H. Ryan, MD; Christina Y. Weng, MD, MBA; and Alison Bozung, OD, to explore why surgery for SVO has become more palatable and how this evolution in mindset is impacting patients' quality of life.

Do the status of the fovea and/or the timing of surgery affect visual outcomes following RRD repair? Join New Retina Radio Journal Club host Lediana Goduni, MD, as she and panelists Matt Starr, MD, and Joshua Uhr, MD, dissect the findings of a recent paper exploring this question. After the break, the trio discusses tactics for overcoming challenges to real-world conditions when patients present at times when immediate surgery is not an option.

Sponsored by Apellis Pharmaceuticals. Scott Walter, MD, and Esther Kim, MD, join John W. Kitchens, MD, to discuss how they treat GA in their practices. Listen to gain expert insights as Drs. Kim, Walter, and Kitchens each share their experiences with this treatment. They also share best practices for dosing based on trial data.

Sponsored by Apellis Pharmaceuticals. John W. Kitchens, MD, invites Scott Walter, MD, and Esther Kim, MD, to discuss best practices for identifying appropriate patients with GA for treatment. Gain perspectives on patient selection, patient education, and safety considerations.

Two biosimilars are approved for use in retina by the US FDA—and more will be approved in the coming years. What exactly are biosimilars? What benefit might they provide? And how confident are retina specialist that biosimilars will deliver safe, high-quality care? Moderator John Kitchens, MD, sits down with retina specialists Carl Awh, MD, and Firas Rahhal, MD, to answer these questions, and to ask whether the economic realities of biosimilars make them a good choice for modern retina practices. This podcast is editorially independent, supported with advertising by Cimerli.

The field of retina has made significant strides when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion since Julia A. Haller, MD, penned her inspirational 2015 JAMA Ophthalmology editorial, Cherchez la Femme. The ever-growing body of research on this topic stands as a testament to her commitment to understanding the gaps in diversity, particularly in terms of gender differences in leadership positions. Adrienne W. Scott, MD, and Steven Sanislo, MD, sit down with Dr. Haller to discuss the state of affairs in retina and just how far we have come—and how much is left to do. How are we doing in terms of representation on the podium? How does diversity among retina specialists affect patient care? Why is it important to look for diversity when designing an ad board or conference agenda? What drove Dr. Haller to pursue a career in a traditionally male-dominated field? Check out this episode to hear what Dr. Haller has to say.

Reimbursements for vitreoretinal surgery have plummeted in the past decade. How dire is the situation? John Thompson, MD, updates listeners on the trends in Medicare reimbursement for a variety of vitreoretinal surgeries, imaging tests, and E&M visits—all of which have implications for the future of care and access to providers. After the break, Raymond Iezzi, MD, discusses the risks and benefits to using large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT in a retina clinic. How will LLMs better serve providers and patients? And what drawbacks might create more confusion than needed? Check out this episode to learn more. This Editorially independent content is supported with advertising.

What are the consequences to intentional suspension of anti-VEGF therapy in wet AMD patients? Join moderator Sruthi Arepalli, MD, and panelists Rebecca Soares, MD, MPH, and Vaidehi Dedania, MD, as they explore the circumstances under which treatment might be suspended, examine a paper that described the consequences of treatment suspension, and review how they approach treatment suspension in their clinics.

The FARETINA-AMD study group assessed approximately 23,000 patients with wet AMD who had received at least one dose of faricimab (Vabysmo, Genentech/Roche). What have they found? Sophie Bakri, MD, summarizes the findings of an IRIS Registry review, which uncovered data about who has been dosed with faricimab, how frequently extended dosing intervals have been achieved, and whether real-world safety issues have cropped up. And Karl Csaky, MD, PhD, offers a glimpse into the future of geographic atrophy care. Are any budding technologies better able to assess structure and function in GA patients? Keep it here to find out. This Editorially independent content is supported with advertising.

They’re here: the 96-week data on aflibercept 8 mg (Eylea, Regeneron) in wet AMD. Jean-Francois Korobelnik, MD, PhD stops by to review the 96-week data from PULSAR. How closely did the 96-week results match those at 48 weeks? And how many patients could be extended to 16-, 20-, or even 24-week intervals? Also, W. Lloyd Clark, MD, joins the show to discuss home-based OCT-guided management of wet AMD. How does home OCT fit into a patient’s life—and how might it shape the future of care? Listen here to find out.

How effective is prophylactic laser for preventing fellow eye RT/RRD in patients with lattice degeneration who underwent uncomplicated primary RRD repair? NRR Journal Club with VBS moderator David Xu, MD, and panelists Prethy Rao, MD, and Barton Blackorby, MD, summarize a recent study that explored rates of fellow eye RT/RRD in this patient population by comparing cohorts who did and did not receive prophylactic laser in their fellow eye. The group dives deeper into the data to see how PVD presence, myopia severity, and phakic status affected rates of fellow eye RT/RRD, and asks whether and how these data can be applied to a modern surgical strategy.

RGX-314 (Regenxbio) could be a one-time gene therapy that addresses diabetic retinopathy. How did it perform in the phase 2 ALTITUDE study? Mark Barakat, MD, shares 1-year safety and efficacy findings from the first two dosing levels of RGX-314 in patients with DR. What are the data? And what’s coming next? And Hani Salehi-Had, MD, joins the show to tell us about the findings in the DIAMOND study, a clinical trial assessing the safety and efficacy of OCS-01 (Oculis), an eye drop designed to treat DME. What did he and his study colleagues find? Keep it here to find out.

Do patients with a history of retinal detachment (RD) experience higher rates of postpartum RD based on whether they delivered vaginally or via caesarean section? Join NRR Journal Club with VBS moderator Lediana Goduni, MD, and panelists Matt Starr, MD, and Joshua Uhr, MD, as they recap a new paper on this topic. After the break, the group reviews the limitations of this 30-year retrospective analysis, question whether RDs observed in the study were even linked to delivery irrespective of method, and discuss whether ophthalmic history should have any bearing on delivery recommendations.

How do retina specialists manage real-world patients with chronic postoperative inflammation? Host John Kitchens, MD, poses various scenarios to panelists Brian Do, MD, and Katherine Talcott, MD, to better understand their approaches to controlling postoperative inflammation in a variety of patients. After the break, the group focuses on the real-world use of long-term steroid-eluting options in this patient population. This editorially independent episode is supported by advertising from Alimera Sciences, Inc.

Researchers performed a cost analysis of the DRCR Retina Network’s Protocol AC study comparing on-label and off-label anti-VEGF use in DME therapy. What did they determine? Moderator Priya Vakharia, MD, invites panelists Sruthi Arepalli, MD, and Vaidehi Dedania, MD, to review the details of this economic examination. After the break, they explore how studies such as this one affect policy and probe the relevance of these findings in a world with longer-acting therapeutic agents.