Clinical Myopia Management (lecture)

Local fifth year optometry students joined us in the practice after hours recently for a free lecture, with sushi! This lecture covers the 'why' of myopia control, a brief literature review, putting it into practice and clinical resources available online.
By Kate Gifford, Optometrist from Brisbane, Australia.

[otiebrown]

Of course it is possible to get a refractive change of +1 Diopters, from 20/50, to 20/20, if you understand the proven science of the dynamic eye.
It takes about one year of self measurement to do it.

[otiebrown]

Any possibility of helping me get out of -0.75 DIopters of myopia (20/50).
Or is that impossible?

[otiebrown]

Kate - I am pleased you considered the idea of preventing nearsightedness - while you and I are still emmetropic.

[otissumnerbrown]

Natalie, this is an interesting lecture. I also "look into the future", and think about self measured recovery from -3/4 diopters, or a self measured change from -3/4 diopters (20/40) to 0.0 diopters (20/20). This is certainly no medicine, or medical related. But there is a scientific basis for expecting this result from a scientific effort and study by professional pilots.

[otiebrown]

Kate, I agree that there is a need and a future for the Emmetrope. This could be an intelligently worn plus lens - if the person has both the intelligence and motivation to begin wearing the plus, no later than -0.75 diopters.

[giobasta]

What about scleral cross-linking? Scleral Cross-Linking Using Riboflavin UVA Irradiation for the Prevention of Myopia Progression in a Guinea Pig Model: Blocked Axial Extension and Altered Scleral Microstructure.

[mauricebrumer]

ad continuous sole practice in Frankston for over 25 years. He is actively campaigning on behalf of children who, through no fault of their own, are condemned to a life of reading difficulties and early departure from the education system.

Maurice has been punished for raising concerns about current standards of optometrical practice and the need to better incorporate findings of research into current modes of practice. In a paper entitled `Optometry: light of a perverted science', he initiated a discussion on the issue of spectacles being a harmful drug when not prescribed properly. He canvassed a number of matters relating to prolonged and intensive near-seeing, which he believes is not good for our eyes and our health. He firmly stated that the public has a right to know how glasses may adversely affect good health. Maurice made the point that he did not think this would happen while the optometry profession put the public interest in second place to its own self-interests.

For his efforts, Maurice Brumer was expelled from the Victorian division of the Australian Optometrical Association, a first in history. He dared challenge the cabal that rules optometry in Victoria when he spoke out at a 1992 annual meeting of the Victoria AOA and the national AOA.

[otiebrown]

Kate - I disagree. The Plus, has been shown to be effective, it the person will develop the motivation to wear it !! This was shown by Dr. Young's plus study, where the p value was > 0.0001, for each year of this study.

[giobasta]

OK does NOT slow myopia progression so much! Katz J, Schein OD, Levy B et al. A randomized trial of rigid gas permeable contact lenses to reduce progression of children’s myopia. Am J Ophthalmol. 2003;136(1):82-90

[otiebrown]

Funny,
You always talk about "management", you NEVER talk about prevention, or recovery from 20/50, to 20/20.