A new trend on TikTok has some users claiming that rubbing castor oil, a type of vegetable oil, on your eyelids, eyelashes and under your eyes can treat vision problems including dryness, floaters, cataracts, poor vision and glaucoma, according to an Aug. 5 report from NBC News.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and the Georgia Society of Ophthalmology are praising insurer Humana for rolling back a prior authorization requirement for cataract surgery for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in Georgia, according to an Aug. 3 press release sent to Becker's. 

Miami-based Bascom Palmer Eye Institute-University of Miami Hospital and Clinics has been named the top hospital for ophthalmic care in 2023 and 2024 by U.S. News & World Report, according to a ranking released on Aug. 1. 

Management services organization US Eye has opened its second ophthalmic operating room at the Center for Visual Surgical Excellence, a Chesapeake, Va.-based ASC. 

Diane Blanck, executive director of the Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery Society, connected with Becker's to answer, "What is the biggest problem ASCs face today?"

Quantum Vision Centers, based in Swansea, Ill., is being sued for negligence after a patient allegedly lost vision in her left eye following a cataract surgery in May 2021, according to a July 31 report from the Madison-St. Clair Record.

An optometry clinic in Anderson, S.C., was involved in a ransomware attack that leaked the private information of over 60,000 patients, according to a July 27 report from Cybernews.

Ophthalmologists at North Georgia Eye Associates became the first in the state to utilize the Ally Adaptive Cataract Treatment System. 

Here are the top four residency programs for ophthalmology, according to Doxmity's Residency Navigator.

Lensar, a medical device company focused on providing ophthalmic lasers for cataract treatment, installed technology platforms in five private equity-owned ophthalmology groups that allow cataract surgeries to be performed in one-fourth of the time.

The mean hourly wage for ophthalmologists across the U.S. is $127.62, according to the Bureau of Labor Statics, which is significantly higher than the minimum wage in each state.

Outpatient care centers are the top-paying practice setting for ophthalmologists in the U.S., according to salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Management services organization EyeCare Partners has added Daniel Miller, MD, as its inaugural executive medical officer. 

Gainesville (Ga.) Eye Associates and North Georgia Eye Clinic in Braselton have partnered to form North Georgia Eye Associates, the largest ophthalmology practice in the region. 

Here are four major ophthalmology industry updates that Becker's has reported on since June 13:

A ransomware attack was staged against Fort Collins, Colo.-based management services organization Panorama Eyecare, according to a July 13 report from Invision.

Alaska is the most expensive state to have cataract surgery, according to data from Sidecar Health's care price calculator.

Definitive Healthcare published a list June 29 revealing the 10 ASCs that performed the highest number of glaucoma surgeries in 2022.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology has established a new membership group, the American Academy of Ophthalmic Professionals, to support the professional interests of technicians, ophthalmic assistants, photographers, nurses, orthoptists and other members of the clinical team. 

New York City-based Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has launched New York's first ophthalmology-focused artificial intelligence research center, the Center for Ophthalmic Artificial Intelligence and Human Health.