ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the distribution of ophthalmologists across Brazilian regions to identify its association with hospital admission indicators for visual morbidities in 2021. Methods: This is an ecological study that used data from DATASUS and the Conselho Brasileiro de Oftalmologia. Rates of ophthalmologists and hospital admissions per 100,000 inhabitants were calculated. Results: A higher concentration of ophthalmologists was found in the Southeast and South regions, while the North and Northeast showed proportionally higher rates of hospital admissions. An inverse […]

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of a deep learning tool for cataract detection using retinal images from the Ocular Disease Intelligent Recognition (ODIR) public dataset. Methods: The study was conducted using a publicly available dataset, with a web-based Artificial Intelligence tool. This was an observational, cross-sectional study. A total of 230 fundus images were selected from the ODIR dataset, equally divided between 115 cataract cases and 115 non-cataract cases. The images were processed using the Gobvision Artificial Intelligence […]

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess ophthalmologists’ preferred techniques and adjuvant treatments for recurrent pterygium. Methods: An observational study in which a questionnaire was administered to ophthalmologists who regularly performed surgeries for recurrent pterygium. Results: Most surgeons did not use antiangiogenic therapy but preferred postoperative corticosteroids for one month. Symblepharon lenses were used only when available. The surgeons removed the pterygium head, including the conjunctiva and Tenon capsule, without invading the caruncle or base, preferring to remove the body first, followed by […]

ABSTRACT Objective: To conduct a study on the logistics of business implementation and viability of autologous serum eye drops therapy. Methods: One-hundred seventy-seven (177) ophthalmology services/clinics/offices were identified in the Botucatu region (SP). Five physicians, who agreed to participate in the study, selected and monitored patients with indication for autologous serum eye drop use, following the requirements of serological analysis for blood-borne diseases. The batches were customized for each patient and are mostly issued every 3 months. Results: Half of […]

ABSTRACT Introduction: It is estimated that 23% of the Brazilian population does not have access to an ophthalmologist, mainly because of the irregular geographical distribution of experts. It may be expensive to train ophthalmologists in Brazil. Objective: To estimate the cost of training an ophthalmologist and the labor market conditions so that the provider recovers the investment. Methods: Epidemiological study in databases from governmental sources and institutions related to the eye health system regulation. Results: The cost for training an […]