Week 2

This week I spent time with a glaucoma specialist in the ophthalmology clinic. It was intriguing to observe the many difference in diagnosis and treatment methods going from the cornea patients I observed last week to the glaucoma patients this week. The physicians are more focused on disease management with glaucoma patients as opposed to the more acute treatments performed for cornea patients. Glaucoma specialists must balance a complex range of factors such as patient age and overall health to the impact on their wallets when managing this disease state. In addition, it was fascinating to witness patients with glaucoma shunts which are used to decrease the intraocular pressure and relieve pressure on the retina. Next week I am scheduled to see both cornea transplant and glaucoma surgeries which will be helpful in understanding the clinic to surgery relationship in eye disease treatment.