RetinUp Podcast

Jorge Fortun, MD, of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute joins John Kitchens, MD, and Scott Krzywonos for a wide-ranging conversation on the art of retina practice, from the unique challenges of seeing highly educated, high-expectation patients in Palm Beach Gardens, to the patient communication strategies he relies on every day. He shares the analogies he uses to explain DME, GA, and AREDS vitamins, disc...

Guests: Hunter Cherwek, MD – Vice President, Clinical Services & Technologies, Orbis International Frank Brodie, MD, MBA – Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, UCSF; Co-Founder, Long Bridge Medical Show Summary Hunter Cherwek, MD, Vice President of Clinical Services & Technologies at Orbis International, joins John and Scott to discuss how Orbis has evolved from a single Flying Eye Hospit...

Guests: John B. Miller, MD – Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School; Director of Retinal Imaging; Associate Fellowship Director, Vitreoretinal Surgery, Mass Eye and Ear Show Summary John Kitchens, MD, opens with a recap of the inaugural Kiawah Eye Retina meeting, which used a case-based, panel-driven format and drew 80 retina specialists. It left him hoping for an invitation...

John Kitchens, MD, joins from Kiawah Island for the inaugural Kiawah Eye Retina meeting as he and Scott Krzywonos break down two pressing policy stories: what the GLOBE Project actually means for retina practices, and what the FDA's ongoing leadership vacuum could mean for drug approvals and smaller companies with limited runway. Arshad M. Khanani, MD, MA, then previews Clinical Trials at the Summ...

Guests: Marci English, MPH – Senior Vice President, Biopharma and Ophthalmology Development, Astellas Pharma | Erin Kimbrel, PhD – President, Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AIRM); Head of Cell and Gene Therapy Research, Astellas Pharma | Murtaza Adam, MD – Chair of Clinical Research, Colorado Retina Associates Hosts: John Kitchens, MD, Scott Krzywonos Show Summary Recorded on the fi...

Guests: Clorinda Walley – President & CEO, Good Days | Prof. Paulo Stanga – Founder & Chief Medical Officer, The Retina Clinic London; Professor of Ophthalmology, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology Show Summary This episode of RetinUp pulls back the curtain on Good Days, one of the most important — and least understood — resources in retina practice. Clorinda Walley, Good Days President &...

Show Summary This episode of RetinUp opens with a timely policy discussion between the hosts about proposed Medicare and Medicaid funding cuts, exploring what they could mean for retina practices and their most vulnerable patients. The Vitreoretinal View segment features John Kitchens, MD, sharing his decade-long experience with heads-up 3D visualization. He reviews what makes it transformative fo...

This episode of RetinUp is a special deep dive into the Vit-Buckle Society (VBS) , tracing its origins and previewing what’s ahead for the 2026 meeting. In the first segment, Ross Lakhanpal, MD, shares the founding story of VBS — from informal dinner discussions among fellows to one of the most distinctive and influential meetings in retina. What began as an effort to preserve surgical retina educ...

In this breaking news episode, John Kitchens, MD, and Scott Krzywonos react to the announcement that Biogen will acquire Apellis Pharmaceuticals for $5.6 billion, an approximately 8x revenue multiple driven largely by Syfovre (pegcetacoplan), which accounts for the majority of Apellis’ srevenue. The discussion focuses on what this acquisition could mean for the future of geographic atrophy (GA) tr...

This episode of RetinUp combines clinical innovation and device engineering, starting with a discussion on photobiomodulation (PBM) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), followed by a deep dive into the future of ophthalmic laser technology. First, Marion Munk, MD, shares her extensive real-world experience using the Valeda Light Delivery System (Alcon) for PBM, including patient selection, t...

Hosts: John Kitchens, MD Scott Krzywonos Show Summary In this special RetinUp Mailbag episode , John Kitchens and Scott Krzywonos answer listener questions from retina specialists around the country about three issues: cash-pay diversification, the future of emerging therapies in light of payer realities, and how practices can realistically adopt expensive new technology as reimbursements decline....

Hosts: John Kitchens, MD Scott Krzywonos Guests: Thomas Stone, MD – Program Committee Chair, ASRS Business of Retina Meeting Maria Berrocal, MD – CEO, Drs. Berrocal & Associates; Associate Professor, University of Puerto Rico David Mandell, JD, MBA – Co-Founder & Partner, OJM Group Show Summary RetinUp brings together three distinct but interconnected conversations focused on the business,...

Hosts: John Kitchens, MD Scott Krzywonos Show Summary: In this emergency episode of RetinUp , John and Scott break down the newly announced SOL-1 study data evaluating Axpaxli (Ocular Therapeutix) for the treatment of wet AMD. The superiority trial compared a single Axpaxli injection to a single Eylea injection (after all eyes received a pair of monthly Eylea doses) in patients with wet AMD. The p...

Hosts: John Kitchens, MD Scott Krzywonos Guest: Thomas Albini, MD Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Course Co-Organizer, Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration Meeting Show Summary: In this episode, RetinUp offers pre-meeting coverage of the 2026 Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration meeting with one of its long-time course co-leaders, Thomas Albini, MD . John...

Hosts: John Kitchens, MD Scott Krzywonos Guest: Elizabeth Cifers Founder & Principal Consultant, Elizabeth Cifers Consulting Show Summary: In this episode, RetinUp introduces a new recurring segment, Vitreoretinal View , focused on surgical innovation and next-generation vitrectomy platforms. John breaks down where vitreoretinal surgery is headed, and comments on Alcon’s UNITY VCS system, flow...

Hosts: John Kitchens, MD Scott Krzywonos Guest: Rishi P. Singh, MD Chair, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School Chair, Department of Ophthalmology, Mass General Brigham Show Summary: In this episode, John and Scott break down two major developments affecting retina practices nationwide before welcoming one of the field’s most influential leaders. The discussion opens with the newly a...

Hosts: John Kitchens, MD Scott Krzywonos Guest: Shane Dixon, Vice President of Vision, Strategic Advancement & Business Development, Cencora Specialty GPO Show Summary: In this episode, John and Scott continue their coverage of the Cencora Vision Exchange meeting with an in-depth conversation about the economic, policy, and operational forces reshaping retina practices. The discussion opens wi...

Hosts: John Kitchens, MD; Scott Krzywonos Guest: Eric Besse, Vice President & General Manager, Besse Medical (a Cencora company) Show Summary: In this episode, Scott and John return from the Cencora Vision Exchange meeting in Dallas and sit down with Eric Besse, VP and General Manager of Besse Medical, to unpack the unseen infrastructure that keeps retina practices running. Eric...

RetinUp – Episode 3: Shutdown’s Effects on FDA ft. Alec Gaffney from POLITICO | Plus, PRIMA Implant + GLP-1 Data Dump Hosts: John Kitchens, MD Scott Krzywonos Guest: Alexander Gaffney, VP of Regulatory Policy & Intelligence,  Agency IQ / POLITICO Show Summary: In this episode, Scott calls in from the Outer Banks to discuss two major clinical headlines before turning to federal policy. Fir...

Hosts: Scott Krzywonos John Kitchens, MD Show Summary: In this episode, Scott and John pick up where they left off — talking about the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) meeting and how innovation is reshaping the field. They explore their favorite AAO host cities, the atmosphere of this year’s meeting, and the under-the-radar conversations shaping the future of retina. Scott shares insights...

In the debut episode of RetinUp , Drs. Scott Krzywonos and John Kitchens introduce their vision for the show—unfiltered conversations between retina specialists that capture the hallway and after-hours discussions rarely heard on stage. They kick off by recapping highlights from the AAO Annual Meeting , including the first-ever full eye transplant , updates on Alcon’s Unity vitrectomy system , the...

Hosts: John Kitchens, MD & Scott Krzywonos Duration: 2:15 Episode Summary Welcome to RetinUp —the podcast where retina science meets real-world insight. Hosted by Dr. John Kitchens and Scott Krzywonos, RetinUp brings together leading voices in ophthalmology to explore new data, breakthrough research, and the stories behind the science shaping the future of retina care. In this short trailer, J...