Convolutional neural networks, or CNNs, have certain limitations when compared to the normal human eye’s ability to pick up on new information as it relates to melanoma and other skin cancers. CNNs can misread these cancer diagnoses as natural skin instead of the...
Retinal detachment the subject of many diagnostic errors
A recent Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company (OMIC) study has shed light on how ophthalmologists are misdiagnosing a common condition, called retinal detachment (RD), at alarming rates. Tennessee residents should know that RD involves the retina lifting away from the...
Misdiagnoses of Lewy body dementia all too common
Lewy body dementia (LBD) is not a well-known form of dementia, yet the fact is that more than 1.4 million people in Tennessee and across the U.S. have it. That's more than the number of patients with ALS, cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy combined. Doctors say...
When surgical patients have objects left in their body
Every year in Tennessee and the rest of the U.S., there are between 4,500 and 6,000 incidents where surgical patients have a foreign object left inside their body. These objects can include surgical instruments, which may cause serious injuries and even death. Here's...
Novel approaches to treating rare types of cancer
Tennesse residents who suffer from rare types of cancer may be likelier to be misdiagnosed and have trouble finding appropriate specialists and treatments for their diseases. When cancer is rare, fewer research dollars are likely to be devoted to finding treatments or...
Delivering in danger
Women who are expecting a new baby in Tennessee should consult with a doctor about the possible birth injuries that could occur before or during labor and delivery. A common injury that could occur is shoulder dystocia. This is an injury that occurs when the baby's...
Communication between doctors and Black patients may save lives
The unfortunate reality is that there is bias in medicine when it comes to race. Black patients in Tennessee and throughout the nation are routinely subject to subpar care, or they fall victim to ineptitude by the medical establishment due to subconscious racial bias....
How to tell if a doctor is overprescribing medication
Tennessee residents who regularly visit the doctor may have come across at least a doctor who seemed to overprescribe medications. Overprescribing a medication can be hazardous to one’s health and even life-threatening. Thus, it is important for patients to speak up...
Technology helps surgeons diagnose and treat glaucoma
To accurately assess and manage glaucoma, it is important to visualize the angle. For a surgeon to perform a laser trabeculoplasty, the correct angle must be visualized. This is just one example of various types of minimally invasive surgeries for glaucoma in...
The importance of assessing the angle in glaucoma management
Ophthalmologists in Knoxville, Tennessee and the wider region are realizing the importance of assessing and visualizing the angle when treating glaucoma. The state of the angle and its rate of closure are crucial in diagnosing and staging glaucoma and are directly...