Private Equity Acquisition and Access to Retinal Detachment Surgery
Release Date: 07/10/2025
Experts InSight
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...
info_outlineExperts InSight
Host Dr. Andrew Pouw welcomes glaucoma specialists Drs. Karam Alawa and Pujan Dave to discuss the sometimes bumpy transition from academia to private practice. The guests highlight clinical operations hurdles, such as navigating clunky EMR systems and prior authorizations, and managing finite staff and resources. Despite administrative hurdles, they emphasize the need for committed "chair time" to counsel patients and alleviate anxiety regarding disease progression. For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit .
info_outlineExperts InSight
Host Dr. Jay Sridhar is joined by Drs. Naomi Gutkind and Ekjyot (Joey) Gill to discuss staffing ophthalmology residents in surgical training. The early-career faculty share insights on tailoring instruction to resident skill level, delivering feedback at the right moment, and handling complications with empathy. For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit .
info_outlineExperts InSight
Host Dr. Jay Sridhar welcomes Drs. Michael Ip and Sophie Bakri to discuss the challenges in caring for patients with macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO). The panel reviews the current approach to treatment using anti-VEGF agents and factors that may suggest a need for more intensive, long-term treatment. For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit .
info_outlineExperts InSight
Drs. Roni Levin and Laura Enyedi join host Dr. Ben Young to review what we know about screen time for kids and its impact on visual development and general health. Today's episode draws largely from the EyeNet article, "," which appeared in the December 2025 issue. For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit .
info_outlineExperts InSight
Drs. Priya Vakharia and Sarwar Zahid join host Dr. Jay Sridhar to discuss the history, major recent changes, and future of the Good Days Chronic Disease Fund as it pertains to medical management of patients with retinal disease. For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit .
info_outlineExperts InSight
Although severe thyroid eye disease (TED) is easily recognizable, mild TED may go undiagnosed for months if not longer. In today's episode, Dr. Vivek Patel joins host Dr. Amanda Redfern to share how he uncovers subtle signs and symptoms of TED that can lead to a quicker diagnosis and the treatments that make a meaningful impact on quality of life. For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit .
info_outlineExperts InSight
The unprecedented payment cuts that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) proposed over the summer were finalized on October 31. The on cataract surgery reimbursements alone will amount to an 11% reduction in payment. In today's emergency episode, host Dr. Andrew Pouw welcomes back three guests to rally ophthalmologists to : Dr. John McAllister, the Academy’s Secretary for Federal Affairs; Brandy Keys, the Academy’s Director of Health Policy; and Rebecca Hyder, the Academy’s Vice President of Government Affairs. Physicians shouldn’t have to choose between staying open and...
info_outlineExperts InSight
In this call to action, Drs. Robert Mazzoli, Stuart Seiff, and Jon Perlstein share the scope of issues surrounding ophthalmic trauma care in the United States and a roadmap for improving it, including how we can translate experiences from the military into our own set of Damage Control Ophthalmology (DCO) guidelines. Referenced article: For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit .
info_outlineExperts InSight
Drs. Michelle Cabrera and Alejandra de Alba join host Dr. Ben Young to discuss the finer points of what makes pediatric cataract surgery so challenging—because it's not "just" scaled-down adult cataract surgery. Referenced article: For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit .
info_outlineDrs. Durga Borkar and Yashaswini Singh join host Dr. Jay Sridhar to discuss their recent publication regarding private equity (PE) acquisition and access to retinal detachment surgery. According to the study, physicians in PE-acquired practices decreased their number of retinal detachment repairs by nearly 20% after acquisition, potentially negatively impacting access to care and patient outcomes.
Discussed in today's podcast: Singh Y, Cardenas GB, Torabzadeh H, Whaley CM, Borkar D. Private Equity-Owned Physician Practices Decreased Access To Retinal Detachment Surgery, 2014-22. Health Affairs. 2025 May;44(5):589-596.
For all episodes or to claim CME credit for selected episodes, visit www.aao.org/podcasts.