A memorable interview with an amazing Ophthalmologist and a very dear Friend, Dr. Ike Ahmed.

1. Dr. Ahmed, first of all, thank you very much for finding time to do this interview. Your ophthalmology accomplishments are well known all over the world, yet you are only 38 years old. What motivated you to choose ophthalmology as your loving profession? "I always loved surgery. But I was also a big fan of technology. And when I thought about what I could do after college, it seemed to me that ophthalmology combines surgery on a very technical level. I love technical details and how technology can impact vision. Furthermore, preciseness and attention to fine detail is also something that I admire, and if you think about ophthalmic surgery, you can see that we are working on a tissue that is very small and sensitive and I love." 

2. Besides being an excellent doctor and a surgeon, you are also a great teacher, professor, and educator. What is your vision for the ophthalmology that one day we will leave to our successors? "I don't know how good teacher I am. I believe that I am helping my fellows and students the best way I can to become great doctors one day. But what I can say is that I had great teachers, and even today I have a chance to work with great people, great and ambitious fellows and students. Ophthalmology is changing rapidly; there is a lot that soon will be done with artificial intelligence, and advanced technologies are evolving every day. I think that ophthalmology of the future will be made out of personalized treatment options and treatment plans for every patient, and that artificial intelligence will help with that. I also think that it is here already." 

3. You have published more than a 1000 scientific articles, held more than 500 lectures, and the new glaucoma treatment options inspired most of them. Can you tell us more about your vision for glaucoma treatment, and why today you give more chance to surgical glaucoma treatment options compared to a traditional medication treatment? "Glaucoma is still the leading cause of blindness in the world, most people still don't know they have it, and many of them are unaware of the disease because the symptoms are not that obvious. People over 40 years of age, of African-American descent, diabetics and those who have other eye diseases are at an increased risk of developing glaucoma. However, today patient's awareness is increasing, we have more screening options, and I believe that we should use it. When it comes to treatment, I think that we have been passive in the past, we diagnosed the disease, prescribed the treatment and then just followed. Today, we are at a new phase of therapy, meaning that we can treat the disease very early, ?hit“ it to its core with early detection, with micro-invasive surgical procedures like stents and shunts, and slow-releasing drug systems. This way we can prevent further damage because the past thought us that the patient's compliance with prescribed therapy is usually very poor." 

4. At the recent Glaucoma 360 convention, you have mentioned that we are moving more towards the "interventional" glaucoma treatment. Can you tell us a little bit more about it? Does this mean that we will be able to treat glaucoma as we treat heart attacks with stents and dilatations? "Yes, I believe that more than ever before we are close to treating glaucoma as cardiologists treat acute hard attacks. Actually, we are now using this same advanced technology to improve early surgical glaucoma treatment with stenting, and we are working closely with engineers that invented stents. What we still don't have is an imaging system like coronary angiography, which would enable us to determine precisely where the problem within the eye is. But this technology is also emerging, particularly when it comes to the outflow system of the eye. I hope that very soon we will have a system in place similar to interventional cardiology and radiology."

5. After all these years you have spent treating glaucoma patients, what would be your message to all of the potential patients when it comes to glaucoma prevention and treatment? What would be the best way to preserve our vision if we ever come to the point of getting glaucoma? "The best way I think we can do to preserve our vision once glaucoma is diagnosed is to have regular checkups, undergo proper testings and diagnostics, have good compliance to the prescribed therapy, meaning that patients need to put the eye-drops properly. It is also essential to maintain a healthy lifestyle, to quit smoking and drinking, to eat healthily, etc." 

6. Can you remember a specific case in your career that was special for you, that made you emotionally attached? Would you like to share it with us? "I can honestly say that I have been blessed by having great patients. But being a parent myself, I always get emotionally attached to pediatric patients, since I also do most of my glaucoma surgeries in children. I know what kind of impact the disease can have on their whole life, so I try to do the best possible job I can and bring hope not only to them but to their parents as well." 

7. Above all of your scientific achievements, you are primarily a father and a husband. Yusuf, Aadam, Issa, and Sofie are watching you save other patient's vision, teaching other young doctors, and sharing your knowledge throughout the world. In one of your interviews, you said that your children could name all parts of the eye. Do you have enough time for them considering that you are very busy doctors and teacher? Are they the reason you are always smiling and look happy? "I think that's the main reason. I have been blessed with a great family, and that's why I can do what I do best. I know that I can always come home to the people I love the most and who support me every day. The balancing part tough is always challenging, and I try to find special time for them, especially on weekends. I plan to have afternoons and weekends free of any other activities, so I can dedicate that time to my children and my family. Furthermore, I also try to be a role model for my kids and to involve them in what I do as much as possible, even though they are still young. One of my sons recently asked me if one day he can be my fellow. That made me very proud, although I know that they will find their own path and passion in life." 

Recently, you have been contacted by Dr. Bojan Kozomara from Eye Clinic ?Svjetlost“ Banja Luka, Bosnia. Do you have many doctors from around the world coming to you for observership program and education? Can we expect to see you in this part of the world soon? "Yes, Dr. Kozomara contacted me and expressed his wish to visit me and see what I do. I look forward seeing him in Toronto soon, and I hope that the visit will be beneficial to both of us. We do have a lot of observers from all around the world, and I personally love it. It is a great and unique opportunity to meet new people, share your knowledge with them and possibly learn something from them as well. I travelled all over the world, but I still haven't had a chance to visit your country. I hope that very soon the chance will occur for me to come to visit and share my knowledge with the colleagues there."