A Look at Normal Vision Development in Seniors

Even adults who have always had good eyesight may begin to notice changes in their vision as they age. Sometimes, however, it can be difficult to tell whether the changes occurring are indicative of an eye disease or are simply the natural result of aging.

To aid in our understanding of what “normal” vision looks like over the age of 60, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) has put together a helpful online guide describing some of the most common vision changes experienced by older adults. These include the following:

- A longer time needed for eyes to adjust and focus, especially during the transition from a brightly lit area to a dimly lit area and vice versa.

- More difficulty driving at night due to the challenge of adjusting between light and dark.

- More difficulty distinguishing between an image and its background when both feature the same subtle gradations of tone. This development is referred to as a loss of “contrast sensitivity.”

While these changes may be part of normal vision development, seniors should visit their ophthalmologist or eye care professional if they are experiencing any discomfort or the changes are causing problems in daily life. In addition, the AAO recommends that all adults over the age of 65 undergo a complete eye exam at least once every two years.

PAOF Scholarship Programs for Latin American Ophthalmologists

Established to support the activities of the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology, the Pan-American Ophthalmological Foundation (PAOF) aims to prevent blindness through ongoing educational and cultural exchanges among ophthalmologists throughout the Americas. In order to accomplish its mission, the nonprofit offers a variety of fellowships, scholarships, and observerships to eligible ophthalmologists and ophthalmology students from Latin America. Dr. William De La Peña is a former chairman of the PAOF.

Increasing the supply of highly trained ophthalmologists in Latin America in order to improve both the quality and accessibility of eye care in the region has been a longtime focus of PAOF. Its scholarship programs provide an important way to connect promising candidates with valuable education and training opportunities.

Scholarships available through PAOF include the Gillingham Pan-American Fellowship, a $10,000 fellowship offered to Latin American candidates who are no more than three years out of their ophthalmological residency program and who have been accepted into an accredited training institution or program in either Canada or the United States; and the Latin American/PAAO Pediatric Ophthalmology Fellowship, which supports one eligible Latin American ophthalmologist through a one-year pediatric ophthalmology and clinical research fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and its pediatric affiliate, the Children’s Medical Center. Interested candidates can find out more about PAOF’s scholarship and fellowship opportunities at www.paao.org.

Highlights from UC’s 2016 Report on Sustainable Practices

Covering 10 campuses and five medical centers, the University of California’s sustainability program is a robust, comprehensive initiative designed to implement, maintain, and promote a broad scope of sustainable actions and efforts. As a key part of the program, an annual report is presented to the UC Board of Regents every January, detailing the previous year’s progress towards meeting key goals.

Some of the most important highlights from the 2016 Annual Report on Sustainable Practices include:

- Carbon neutrality. Two UC campuses, UC Santa Barbara and UCLA, have already met and exceeded the goal, originally set for 2020, of lowering greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels. To help other campuses achieve the further goal of complete carbon neutrality by 2025, a Strategic Planning Framework was designed and developed this past year by the UC Office of the President.

- Energy efficiency. In 2016, 45 UC projects became registered participants in the Energy Efficiency Partnership program. These projects not only earned $4.4 million in incentives, but they also helped the University reduce its utility and energy costs by $550,000.

- Food sustainability. In the 2015-16 academic year, more than 20 percent of UC’s food purchases came from sustainable products and producers. Furthermore, at seven out of UC’s 10 campuses, at least one food service facility was certified as a green business.

- Waste. An impressive 69 percent of UC’s waste was diverted from California landfills during the 2015-16 academic year. In a typical year, UC sends 26 percent less waste to landfills than other comparable universities (an average of 198 pounds per person).

Long-Term Antiviral Treatment Increases Corneal Transplant Success

In the largest case study so far looking at the outcome of pediatric corneal transplants, results show that children who undergo the procedure for herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis need long-term antiviral treatment.

Corneal transplants can prove difficult, with half of children who undergo the surgery experiencing a recurrence of HSV 13 to 15 months afterward. Children also face a high rate of failure/rejection for corneal transplants, along with a challenging recovery. 

The case study, however, shows that when recurrences of HSV and its related issues are managed, corneal transplants can result in vision benefits for children. The case study looked at nine children ages three to 17 who had undergone a corneal transplant and then developed interstitial keratitis as a result of a scar on their central visual axis. Patients received oral acyclovir for half a year before surgery and then had a post-op prophylactic course for as long as 33 months. Most patients showed improved best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), which emphasizes the importance of long-term antiviral prophylaxis in reducing HSV recurrence and increasing the probability of the surgery’s success.

Over 2,400 Gather in Buenos Aires for Global Ophthalmology Conference

 

Throughout the early 2000s, the World Federation of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons served as a valuable resource for networking and collaboration within the ophthalmology community. A global educational consortium of national associations dedicated to cataract and refractive surgery, the federation consisted of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, the Latin American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, and Asia/Pacific Intraocular Implant Association.

Through a series of meetings held around the world, the World Federation of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons facilitated new professional partnerships and global initiatives designed to advance the field of ophthalmology from a scientific standpoint and expand the quality and reach of ophthalmological care around the world.

In July 2000, the World Federation of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons convened in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the largest meeting of ophthalmologists ever to be held in the country. Presented at the Sheraton Hotel in partnership with the Argentine Society of Ophthalmology, the event welcomed over 2,400 ophthalmology researchers and practitioners for four days of scientific presentations and product exhibitions.

Ahead of the event, Dr. William De La Peña, an ophthalmologist who founded and formerly served as chairman of the federation, and his colleagues published a series of articles addressing the state of ophthalmology in various countries around the world. With a geographical focus encompassing Australia and Japan, the articles drew on the expertise of regional ophthalmologists to provide a preview of an expansive and globally diverse meeting of some of the greatest minds in the field.

Ophthalmologists Unveil New Laser Treatment for Presbyopia

Commonly referred to as “blurry near vision,” presbyopia is an eye condition experienced by many adults as they near age 40. While reading glasses typically provide relief from presbyopia, they can be an unattractive option to many patients. For older adults who don’t care for the appearance of reading glasses or the need to repeatedly put them on and take them off, an innovative new laser therapy may offer an alternative treatment option.

At the 120th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology in October 2016, researchers from the Refractive and Cornea Foundation in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, unveiled a technique known as the PrEsbyopic Allogenic Refractive Lenticule, or PEARL. During the procedure, an ophthalmic surgeon uses a femtosecond laser to make a small incision in the corneal tissue through which the patient may then extract a small corneal tissue disc known as a lenticule. In this way, surgeons can reshape a patient’s cornea to repair near vision using the patients’ own tissue and without compromising their distance vision.

PEARL bears similarities to existing treatments used to correct farsightedness and offers an alternative to the option of corneal inlays. While these small implantable optical devices can improve reading vision, in many cases patients’ eyes reject them. In contrast, the use of a patient’s own corneal tissue to correct vision limits the chance of inflammation and also promotes oxygen and nutrient flow.