Yari Mitchell has questions for Eric Donnenfeld, MD: How to maintain passion for the OR

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Hi, I'm Yari and I have questions. And this is Eric Donnenfeld and he has answers. Let's see if they match. Hi Eric, thank you for joining me today.
Yari, it's always great to be with you. Thanks for inviting me.

Yeah, no problem. So, I am curious about your perceptions on what technology have you integrated in the last year that you're really excited about?

Well, there's so many technologies. That's the beauty of ophthalmology. But in the last year we've added the Apthera small-aperture lens, which has been just an unbelievable panacea for some of the hardest cases we manage. And the light adjustable lens has been amazing as well. And we've really gone all in on extended depth of focus IOLs as well. So, a lot of new IOL technology that we've really embraced in our practice. But the next technology that I'm looking at, that I'm really excited about-I can't wait for iDose to become clinically available. You put a device in an eye and have that patient not use drops for 3 years is unbelievable.

That's very cool. So much innovation is happening. I'm curious, what is your take on AI and the role that it's going to play in your practice as it continues to evolve?

Well AI is going to play an enormous role and you know something? I trained in an environment where once you trained, you did the same thing for the rest of your career. We call that the Experience Technology. And that has to end because we have to update ourselves and we have to become smarter with what we do. And rather than experience, we need to be evidence based. And artificial intelligence is going to give us that ability to be really based on evidence, which is really the way we want to be.

Yeah, do you think it will … I guess where do you think it is going to enter into your practice to begin with? IOL formulation, power calculations, or you know, where do you see it being an entry point into your practice?

You know, that's a great question Yari. And certainly for IOL calculations it can be important, but we already do a great job with calculations right now. The place where I see it really entering is in glaucoma managements. I'm anterior segment surgeon. I see a lot of patients with concomitant glaucoma, and diagnosing glaucoma early is the key to good outcomes. And if I can use AI to diagnose it early, I think I'm going to be ahead of the game.

That's very cool. Yeah, we're excited to see you know, how it moves forward. I'm curious, you know there's a lot of positive and excitement about the potential. What's the watch out for AI from your perspective?

Well, AI is only as good as the information that comes in so you need to have good evidence before you can use AI. So, we have to make sure that the information we're using, that we're putting into the computers, is accurate. Otherwise- I don't know how to say this- but excrement in, excrement out.

Yes, okay, garbage in, garbage out.

We can go with that.

There we go, perfect. Yeah, so I'm curious then, so now we've got technologies enhancing in your practice, you know you've got to have a lot of patient conversations, right? As you bring in technology you need to talk to them about their options. You know what would be one pearl you would share with the group that's with us today, on how do you have an effective conversation with patients when you're talking with them about, say, cataract surgery, or glaucoma surgery?

Yeah, again, just a great question Yari. You're always thinking way ahead of me. And the answer to that is that how you speak with patients and how you listen to patients really determines your rapport and how successful you're going to be in practice. And for me, there's a lot of things that needs to be done. We need to have videos; we need to have the ability for patients to really go back and look at some of the answers that you've given them. I always like to bring a family member in so they can hear from more than one person. But I'd say there's one key aspect that hasn't changed, is that you need to have multiple touchpoints. Patients cannot expect to learn what needs to be done with just one conversation. They need to hear it from my technicians, they need to hear it from my surgical coordinators, they need to hear it from me. They need to go back online and listen to it again a fourth time. So multiple touchpoints would be my key to better patient conversations.

That's excellent, I like that. And I think that probably bridges well with the inclusion of AI, having that be an additional proof point, data source, you know, touchpoint for patients, that you'd be able to utilize that moving forward.

Completely agree.

Yeah, excellent. So, I want to pivot into some more personal questions for you. I hope that's okay?

I'm a little nervous about this Yari, but, Okay.

Don't worry. I'll be gentle. So, my first question for you is: You've had such a tremendous career, and you're so passionate about the care that you provide, and I'm curious, is there a piece of advice that you had early on in your career that has kind of stuck with you that is behind that?

You know something, that's great. And you know, you have to have a passion for what we do and when you have a passion, you're always going to be successful. And the best advice I ever got was in my beginning of my third year of residency at Manhattan Eye and Ear. And the person that I chose to do my first cataract surgery with was Dr. Turtz. Thank you, Dr. Turtz. And Dr. Turtz and I did this surgery together. I did it and the Gods were overlooking me, and everything went really well.

The stars aligned.

And I was all done. I had this huge grin on my face, I was euphoric. My feet weren't really touching the ground as I walked out of the operating room. I had created vision. And Dr. Turtz took me aside and said, "Eric, you have all the tools you need to be a great ophthalmologist. What you need is to maintain the same passion,” so that, whenever I do a surgical procedure, I go back and I think about that advice I got early on; it’s to have that same kind of passion for every time you give the patient vision. And whenever I take a new doctor through a surgical procedure, I give them the same advice.

I love that. So, they say if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.

I'm exactly that way. As a matter of fact, my wife, Marlene, will sometimes ask me what I'd like to do on a weekend. I said, “Well I'd really like to go see some patients.” And she says, “No, that does not count. But you know every day if you wake up and you look forward to going to the office, looking forward to going to the OR, it's a great way to live life.

Yes, that's fantastic. Well last question, probably the most important. If you were an ice cream flavor, what would you be and why?

Well, you know something, if I was an ice cream flavor, I would be mint chocolate chip.

Mm, okay, I would have guessed bubblegum.

Well, there's a little bit of that too, but mint is kind of spicy and it's refreshing, and chocolate is just comfort food. So, you've got a little bit of both in there. So, I'm a mint chocolate chip.

The yin and the yang of Eric Donnenfeld.

Now Yari, I'll ask more importantly, what kind of ice cream would you be?

This is my interview, so I don't answer questions, but for you I'll make an exception. I think I'm a pistachio-almond kind of person. I'm a little bit nutty and I'm a little bit unexpected. And I might not be for everyone, but I sure am sweet.

And you know something, you are, and we both are green ice cream people.

So hey, go green ice cream.

Cheers! Thank you, take care.