In this installment of our 2025 Power List Perspectives series, Boris Malyugin, Professor of Ophthalmology and Joan & Jerome Snyder Endowed Chair in Cornea Diseases at The Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, speaks about the trend towards dropless cataract surgery, and what advice he would give to his younger self.
What major trends in cataract and refractive surgery are catching your attention right now?
There are two things that I would like to mention.
First is the evolution of IOL optics with various multifocal profiles having a wide range of functional distances, as well as the availability of implants that we can modify postoperatively. That can be done with the UV light or femtosecond laser. Postoperative fine-tuning allows us to better match the functional outcomes of surgery with the expectations of the increasingly demanding patient population.
Second is the trend in dropless cataract surgery. We now witness the growing body of evidence showing that antibiotic and steroid use can be limited by relatively short perioperative periods without affecting the procedure’s safety and surgical outcomes.
In what ways do you think artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will impact cataract and refractive surgery?
These global trends are already affecting medicine in a variety of ways, and ophthalmology is not immune to that. Diagnostic and imaging tools we use already have inbuilt AI functions and they are expanding. Surgery-wise, combining AI and machine learning with robotics will shape the future of cataract and refractive surgery.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I will recommend myself to choose ophthalmology as my medical sub-specialty. It is an exciting part of medicine that will never disappoint, never become boring, and will always exceed expectations. I will recommend my younger self to be open-minded and to find a role model to follow, [and] to be fearless and consistent in achieving the goals set.
