Welcome to the Notes
A short note on why I am writing here, what to expect, and how this section relates to clinic. A working diary, in public.
This part of the site is for the things that don’t belong on a procedure page or in a journal article: the small reflections, the papers I’ve read this week, the things I’ve changed my mind about, the patterns I notice in clinic.
Why bother
Three reasons. First, writing is the way I think; if I can’t explain something on the page, I probably haven’t understood it well enough to operate on it. Second, patients tell me they want to know not just what a procedure is, but how the surgeon thinks about it. The notes are an honest answer to that. Third, my colleagues might find the occasional paper review useful; I’ll flag the ones written for them.
What to expect
The notes will fall into a few rough categories:
- Paper commentary: a paper I’ve read, what I think of it, and what (if anything) it changes about how I practise.
- Clinical reflection: patterns I see in clinic. What’s working. What isn’t.
- For patients: short explainers I’d rather have a link for than retype in clinic letters.
- Updates: the occasional bit of news on research, teaching or the practice.
- Conference notes: what was useful and what wasn’t, written down so I don’t forget.
I’ve set the audience tag on each note so you can tell at a glance whether it’s written for patients, colleagues, or both.
What this isn’t
It isn’t medical advice. Notes here describe what I think and how I practise; nothing on this page should be used to make decisions about your own care. If you’d like to talk about your eyes, book a consultation; that conversation is the right place for it.
A standing offer
If something here helps, prompts a question, or annoys you, I’d like to know. The contact form goes to me. Honest pushback from patients and colleagues has improved my practice more than any course.