Optometry's Role in Modern IOL Designs

First day back in clinic — a reminder of the breadth of modern optometry. One session included: • Binocular vision assessment • Cataract referral • Dry eye treatments (LLLT & IPL) • Ortho-K review • Management of an CRVO with swollen ON • Comprehensive dry eye assessment • Demodex blepharitis • Posterior blepharitis A good illustration of how varied and clinically demanding primary eye care can be. Each presentation requires careful listening, thorough assessment, and targeted management — not a one-size-fits-all approach. Grateful to work in a field that combines problem-solving, technology, and patient-centred care every day.

In hospital optometry, early detection of ocular conditions like glaucoma, cataract, and macular degeneration plays a crucial role in preventing vision loss. Comprehensive eye examinations, accurate refraction, and timely referrals to ophthalmologists help improve patient outcomes. Being part of clinical eye care in a hospital setting allows optometrists to contribute meaningfully to preventive and therapeutic eye care. #optometry #EyeCare #Healthcare #DHALicensed #UAEJobs

LogMAR makes the The Telegraph “SIR – I recently had a routine eye test at a well-known optician, and was informed that, as a result of incipient cataracts, my eyesight was close to dropping below the driving standard. I was referred to a private eye clinic for treatment. However, following examination, the consultant advised that my sight was better than reported by my optician, and I was discharged. I later learnt that the local firm was using the old Snellen chart, developed in 1862, whereas the clinic had adopted the revised LogMAR chart, designed in 1976 to provide more accurate results. Older drivers should be aware that some opticians may be issuing unduly pessimistic results. D B Godalming, Surrey Any reliance on high contrast VA measures to determine cataract need over contrast and symptoms may over-refer or under-list. The difference between logMAR and Snellen (actually they mean the old BS chart) around teh 6/12 line is meaningless. What this letter does flag up is that the ophthalmologists have done little or nothing in that area to communicate clear referral / listing criteria. If they did the surgery uptake rate should be over 95%.

Why Dry Eye is No Longer a "Side Note" in Optometry 👁️ Focus Shift For years, Dry Eye Disease (DED) was often treated as a minor nuisance—a quick prescription for artificial tears at the end of a refraction. But as the world spends more time behind screens and environmental stressors increase, we can no longer afford to be "generalists" when it comes to the ocular surface. I’ve been diving into the latest strategies for managing DED, and here is the essential knowledge for any practitioner looking to level up their clinical outcomes: 1. Move From "Symptom-Fixing" to "Root-Cause" Management 🔍 DED is a chronic, multifactorial condition. We must stop treating it as a temporary discomfort and start managing it as a progressive disease. This means looking beyond the tear film and assessing the entire lacrimal functional unit. 2. Diagnostics: High-Touch over High-Tech 🧪 While advanced imaging is incredible, you don’t need a massive investment to start specializing. The Power of Expression: Clinical confidence starts with touching the lids and expressing the Meibomian glands. Staining Matters: Proper use of vital dyes (Fluorescein and Lissamine Green) is still the gold standard for assessing ocular surface integrity. 3. The "Time" Factor ⏰ A successful dry eye consult requires a different workflow. It takes time to listen to the patient’s history and even more time to set realistic expectations. Success in this niche isn't measured by the number of patients seen per hour, but by the depth of the education provided. 4. Expanding the Treatment Ladder 🛠️ To provide "specialty" level care, we must move beyond the "drop and hope" method. This includes: In-office lid debridement and heat therapies. Advanced solutions like punctal plugs and amniotic membranes. Collaborating with surgical colleagues to optimize the surface before cataract or refractive procedures. The Clinical Reality: Specializing in the ocular surface elevates our profession. It moves us from being "vision-only" providers to being essential medical primary care providers. When we fix the surface, we fix the vision. To my colleagues: How are you integrating ocular surface disease into your daily practice? Let's discuss in the comments. 👇 #Optometry #DryEyeDisease #EyeCare #MedicalOptometry #OcularSurface #EyeHealth #ClinicalExcellence #PatientCare

I am sharing a practical concept developed from long-term personal experience with progressive lenses, particularly addressing intermediate-distance clarity issues such as computer use. The concept, which I refer to as “Combined Glasses,” is based on well-known optical principles. It is not a discovery, but an alternative and practical approach that has not been widely applied in daily practice. Over several years, I have personally tested this approach as an alternative to office glasses. In my experience, this combined solution provides comfortable and efficient intermediate vision without a clinically significant compromise in distance or near vision. Compared to dedicated office glasses, it offers a more economical, flexible, and user-friendly option in suitable cases. I have no commercial or financial expectations related to this concept. My intention is purely professional: to invite discussion, critical evaluation, and shared clinical experience from colleagues in ophthalmology, optometry, and optics. More detailed explanations, practical examples, and short demonstration videos are available on my website: https://www.amansees.com I would sincerely appreciate any professional feedback—whether supportive or critical—as well as discussion on whether this approach may be useful in selected patients or personal practice. Kind regards, Dr. Ercan Mensiz   Ophthalmologist   Türkiye   emensiz@amansees.com #ophthalmology #optometry #progressivelenses #intermediatevision

Imaging without context is one of the quiet frustrations in eye clinic workflow. As technicians, we’re often asked to perform OCTs, visual fields, or imaging with little insight into the clinical question behind the order. When we don’t know the why, it can lead to: • Suboptimal scan selection • Missed correlation opportunities • Unnecessary repeats • Extra back-and-forth with providers Recently, I started experimenting with a one-page routing aid that simply captures: • Area of concern • Clinical intent (baseline vs progression) • Eye of interest • Planned testing Nothing fancy. No added burden. Just context. What I’ve noticed so far: ✔️ Better-targeted imaging ✔️ Fewer clarifying questions ✔️ More confidence in what we’re capturing Sometimes small structure changes can make a big difference in how efficiently teams work together. Curious — for those working in ophthalmology or optometry: 👉 Do your imaging orders clearly communicate intent, or are techs left to infer? #Ophthalmology #Optometry #EyeClinicWorkflow #OphthalmicTechnicians #Imaging #OCT #PatientCare #VAClinicLife

👁️ Visual field testing seems simple. But it’s one of the highest-leverage tests in ophthalmology and optometry. From the outside, it looks easy: A patient clicks when they see a light 💡 In practice, the accuracy of a visual field test depends far less on the machine… and far more on the person running it. Small things matter: - How the patient is coached - How fixation is reinforced - How fatigue is recognized - How reliability is assessed When these details are handled well, visual fields become incredibly powerful 📈 They help us detect glaucoma earlier, track progression, and uncover neurologic disease patients may not even notice yet. When they aren’t, we get noise instead of signal. Repeat tests. Lost time. Uncertainty. Here’s the pattern I see across many practices: Most ophthalmic technicians learn visual field testing “on the job.” Training is informal. Feedback is inconsistent. And best practices vary from person to person. That works… until it doesn’t. The practices that consistently get reliable visual fields usually have one thing in common: They don’t rely on memory or experience alone. They rely on systems. Clear expectations. Repeatable training. Shared standards. As eye care becomes more data-driven, the quality of our decisions increasingly depends on the quality of our inputs. And that starts with training 🧠 This is an area I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about—how practices can build simple, scalable systems to train ophthalmic technicians so tests like visual fields are done right, every time. A useful question to ask: 👉 Are we relying on people to figure things out… or on systems to teach them? #visualfield #ophthalmology #optometry #glaucoma

New year: new case study. Read how a NHS ophthalmology team in West Yorkshire became an early adopter of a digital referral and triage platform, supported by five optometry practices. https://ow.ly/tIhk50XMc9v

Stefan Siskos, Vision Eye Institute Box Hill’s Clinical Coordinator, has published an article through Insight Ophthalmic News designed to support clinicians in distinguishing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) from its common mimickers. It covers hallmark features, OCT and FAF imaging findings across early, intermediate and advanced AMD, along with guidance on when urgent referral to an ophthalmologist is required. Check it out: https://loom.ly/Y0JBHKw #ProfessionalDevelopment #Education #Ophthalmology #Optometry #HealthcareLeadership

At Wellington Eye Clinic, we have been helping people see better for more than four decades. Over that time, one belief has remained constant: care does not end with surgery. In many ways, it begins there. When people consider vision correction, attention naturally focuses on technology, procedures and surgical expertise. These matter. Precision matters. Experience matters. But they are not what ultimately defines a patient’s experience. The real difference emerges after the procedure is complete. This is the point where questions arise, eyes settle at their own pace, and reassurance becomes as important as accuracy. It is also the moment when a clinic’s values become visible, not through marketing, but through how it supports patients once the surgery itself is over. At Wellington Eye Clinic, aftercare is not treated as an extra. It is a core part of how we think about outcomes, trust and responsibility. It shapes how we follow up, how accessible our team is, and how closely we stay involved as recovery unfolds. Patients often tell us that what stood out most was not just the procedure, but knowing that someone was there afterwards, paying attention, answering questions and taking responsibility for the full journey. That approach did not happen by accident. It has been refined over decades, guided by one simple belief: great results are protected in the weeks and months that follow surgery. If you are considering vision correction, it is worth looking beyond the day of the procedure itself. Technology and expertise matter, but so does what happens next. Read the full article on our website to learn more about our approach to aftercare: https://lnkd.in/evF7nqVM #wellingtongeyeclinic #visioncorrection #PatientCare