As part of our Voices in vision series, we spoke with Dr Alessandro Arrigo, Medical Retina Specialist at IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan. Dr Arrigo leads the Eye Repair Lab within the Division of Neuroscience and heads the Diagnostic Ocular Imaging Unit, with a research focus on multimodal retinal imaging and retinal diseases. Author of over 200 peer-reviewed publications, he also teaches and mentors at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University. We were delighted to recognise Dr Arrigo as a touchOPHTHALMOLOGY Future Leader 2025 for his outstanding contributions to the field.
In this Q&A, Dr Arrigo discusses the current clinical challenges facing retinal specialists, the developments that have shaped practice over the past year, and how artificial intelligence could transform diagnosis and patient management in the years ahead.
We always speak about “precision medicine” or “personalized medicine”, but our scientific efforts are not always fully or honestly focused for pushing the current limits and reaching that goal. Science and research should always be impartial and free from preconceptions, but unfortunately, this is not always the case.
I am pleased with the new generation anti-VEGF intravitreal drugs. When properly used, these new molecules may have a strong impact on patients’ quality of life while optimising the use of healthcare resources. We are gaining the ability to manage more patients in the proper way and patients are reclaiming their time and quality of life.
Honestly, I inevitably use AI, but I am not a fan. While it can streamline data analysis and save time, human expertise will always be essential to catch the details a fixed-minded AI might miss. I am also aware about the potential dangers of the “AI bubble”. All the novelties should be approached with cautious enthusiasm.
Be hungry for innovation, always eager to learn, brave enough to explore new paths, inventive in finding ways to break the boundaries, and skilled at optimizing what is already available.
Disclosures: Dr Arrigo has nothing to disclose in relation to this article. No fees or funding were associated with this article.
Citation: Alessandro Arrigo. Voices in vision: Dr Alessandro Arrigo on the pursuit to true precision medicine. touchOPHTHALMOLOGY.com. 17 October 2025.
Why not take a look at our previous Voices in vision articles:
Voices in vision: Prof. Noel Alpins on improving patient satisfaction in refractive laser surgery
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