Patients with open globe injuries experience best visual acuity outcomes when ophthalmologists can perform rapid surgical closure within 24 hours of injury. A UNC Department of Ophthalmology faculty and a team comprised of two medical students and an ophthalmology resident has found that rapid surgical closure of open globe injuries may be delayed by hospitals … Read more

Travel in familiar, well-lit areas. Stick with friends. Accept only wrapped candy. Don’t enter any homes going door to door. As a responsible parent, you’ve covered the customary precautions with the kids in advance of rounding the neighborhood to trick-or-treat. You’re a grown child at heart and love Halloween too. Onto accessorizing your own costume. … Read more

“Aging” can be a nebulous term. Entering their 40s, many adults are unaware that in this mid-life* decade, gradually declining health is linked to diminishing whole-body function and risk of developing chronic disease. Just as sun-damaged skin shows the effects of aging on integumentary health, the decreasing capacity to focus on near- and far-range objects … Read more

UNC Department of Ophthalmology welcomes Jon Brisley, MD, our newest Comprehensive Ophthalmologist. Dr. Brisley provides comprehensive clinical eye care at UNC Kittner Eye Center in Chapel Hill and at UNC Eye Holly Springs.  Dr. Brisley is a dyed-in-the-wool Tar Heel, returning to the institution he attended as an undergraduate and medical student, and where he … Read more

Ocular melanoma is the most common type of eye cancer in adults, yet the condition is very rare. This disease develops in uveal melanoctyes, which are the cells that produce pigment in the eyes, and affects approximately 5-6 people per 1,000,000 in the general population. It is diagnosed in about 2,500 people in the United … Read more

At a back-to-school time of year, the American Association of Ophthalmology (AAO) has designated August as Children’s Health and Safety month. Whether your high school graduate is ready to take on college life, or your grade schooler is grumbling about starting a new school year, protecting a growing child’s vision is critical as he/she fully … Read more

July ushers in the hottest, sunniest weeks of the year (in the northern hemisphere) and marks a point mid-summer when UV-blocking practices should be in place to shield one’s eyes from the sun’s harmful rays. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) has designated July as UV Safety Month and has outlined UV-blocking practices to protect … Read more

When 2021-2022 Glaucoma fellow Josh Paul, MD, finished interviews, he knew UNC’s program would push him hardest over 12 months of learning his subspecialty. For 2020-2022 UNC Vitreoretinal Surgery fellow John Deans, MD, the UNC Ophthalmology faculty who had introduced him to retinal disease fundamentals during residency were the very mentors he wanted to guide … Read more

On Saturday, June 11th, at the Rizzo Center in Chapel Hill, UNC Ophthalmology faculty, residents and fellows gathered to celebrate the end of the academic year and to honor four departing residents and two fellows at the Department’s annual graduation banquet. Several graduating residents were honored with awards for teaching, leadership and clinical excellence. Awards … Read more

Each year, three-quarters of fireworks injuries treated in emergency rooms occur between mid-June and mid-July. Fireworks are advertised like toys around the Fourth of July, and many consumers do not realize that severe eye injuries can result from the combination of force, heat and chemicals in these explosives. UNC Department of Ophthalmology highly recommends enjoying … Read more

Professor of Ophthalmology Steven Flynn, MD, PhD, has joined the UNC Ophthalmology faculty team as a comprehensive ophthalmologist. He earned his medical degree from LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport, where he also completed a residency in ophthalmology. Prior to joining UNC Ophthalmology, Dr. Flynn was Service Chief of Ophthalmology at the Ochsner-LSU Monroe Medical Center in … Read more

UNC Department of Ophthalmology Chair and Kittner Family Distinguished Professor Don Budenz, MD, MPH, has been elected President of the 580-member Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology (AUPO). The AUPO is the professional organization for Chairs of Ophthalmology and is comprised of 140 academic medical centers across the US and Canada. The mission of AUPO … Read more