Refractive surgery is catching headlines. Exuberant myopes proclaim, "At last, no more myopia!" But the eyeball is still too long, the retina is too stretched (hence too thin), the vitreous is too liquefied and thereby subject to detachment with increased risk for retinal detachment and continued risk for the malignant myopia process and partial or complete blindness. Refractive surgery does not address factors that promote myopia.
Conventional wisdom debates the pros and cons for refractive surgery in terms of convenience versus potential side effects. The public health need is to inform of a third alternative. For the sake of eye health, optimized visual performance, and prevention of blindness, before refractive surgery is contemplated, there should be a major effort to reverse the myopiagenesis process.
We now know enough to prevent the slow but continual increase in myopia that occurs each year in persons with myopia > 3 diopters over age 30, unless they change their lifestyle or biochemistry. Statistically, myopes over 3 diopters are biochemically different (low in red-blood-cell chromium) from hyperopes over 3 diopters (high in red-blood-cell chromium). Accommodative stimulus (assessed in diopter-hours/day), intake of ascorbic-acid (mg/day), food folate (µg/day), and insulin receptor potentiator chromium as indexed in erythrocytes (ng/ml) mediate ciliary-muscle response, and together with food choices including calcium-to-phosphorus intake ratio and kinesthetic posture and ophthalmoergonomics——all influence myopia development. The primary approach includes public health communication, ergonomics, nutrition, proper lens prescribing, and vision therapy principles.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation the participant will be enabled to: 1. List the eight common consequences of myopia greater than 3 diopters not helped by refractive surgery. 2. List the ten therapeutic handles for reversing the process of myopiagenesis. 3. Develop a communication strategy for informing patients and the public of long-term issues of great importance in vision conservation and enhancement. Teaching Objectives: 1. During this session, faculty will discuss recent research regarding the alternatives not usually considered in decision making by persons electing refractive surgery
Keywords: Nutrition, Vision Care
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.