From The Editors

Politics, surgical training, biblical remedies and visual
prostheses form part of the shifting ophthalmic landscape

Firstly, the old: politics. Why do governments always politicise healthcare? The German SDP health spokesperson is promising "quick and dirty" health reforms, probably giving patients expectations which are impossible to achieve.

This results in patient dissatisfaction and demoralised doctors -and ultimately poor recruitment into the medical profession. And we are partly contributing to the problem. Ophthalmologists are rightly proud that we can perform high speed/high volume/high quality cataract operations and extol the virtues and ease of the procedures.

But in turn we raise the expectations of the public and healthcare managers, as well as potentially trivialising our work.

While I agree with the views of Bo Philipson MD, PhD on training the next generation of cataract surgeons, there may not be those of sufficient ability to train. There is a further worry that all of us are growing older and we too will need competent medical help!

Maybe the German Government will start recruiting ophthalmologists from England!
It is refreshing to see old biblical remedies being put to the test. Using honey for corneal oedema would be a cheap option for any government. On the subject of cost effectiveness, the attempt by Frank Krummenauer MD, DSc is welcomed although we must bear in mind the increasing irrelevance of Snellen visual acuity in modern cataract surgery.

Many of our patients in England have relatively good Snellen acuity (6/9 or 20/30) but have visual symptoms including difficulties driving at night and playing golf.
And so for the new. There is a marked clinical innovation in the technique of using neurotransmitters as the final link between artificial and physiological visual perception.

Visual prostheses have long been a goal in ophthalmology and the novel approach to retinal stimulation outlined by Raymond Iezzi MD unquestionably heralds a new era in the technology.

Finally, we must acknowledge the contribution of Visx, the subject of our Industry profile. They have developed their laser and wavefront analysis technology and along with the other providers of such systems will offer increasingly sophisticated and what many would regard a much needed boost to refractive surgery.

Top