The field of ophthalmology has undergone vast changes in the past decade. With the advent of optical coherence tomography (OCT), our ability to diagnose retinal conditions has greatly improved. New anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatments have allowed retinal surgeons to stabilize and even improve in some cases the devastating effects of neovascular age-related macular degeneration. The changes in corneal surgery have been equally impressive; with endothelial keratoplasty, patients with pseudophakic bullous keratopathy are being rehabilitated quicker with better vision than traditional transplant patients. The standard in refractive surgery has changed almost completely every decade.
In the early 1980’s radial keratotomy was the only option available for a young myope who desired to see without glasses. Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) soon replaced this surgery with its more reliable and safer outcomes. Laser In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK) then appeared to maintain the therapeutic advantage of PRK while speeding visual recovery and decreasing post-operative discomfort. However, the awareness of ectasia and forme-fruste keratoconus has pushed many physicians to advocate a return to the surface with newer modalities such as EPI-LASIK. In the midst of this debate, phakic intraocular lenses are beginning to replace lasers altogether for the higher myopes. Soon we will be hearing more about the FLEx procedure (femtosecond lenticle extraction) which requires no excimer laser at all.
While these changes are being welcomed by ophthalmologists worldwide, physicians may find it difficult to keep current. Most physicians can barely attend an annual meeting much less keep abreast of the multiple peer-reviewed journals available. Even if a physician can determine that Lasik is the best treatment for a patient, there are still many questions unanswered: Which laser will provide the best vision? Is wavefront treatment worth the deeper ablation? How should the nomogram appear? Is there an advantage to pre-treatment with vitamin C, riboflavin, steroids? In an environment with such constantly evolving technology, a better method of information exchange is necessary.
The internet provides technology with which such information can be related instantaneously and comprehensively. Thus far, no single website has been able to incorporate all the information today’s ophthalmologist desires in an easily accessible format.
The designers at OphthalmologyWeb have gone to painstaking lengths to develop such a place. With on-demand access to the very latest presented and published research, physicians can find comfort in finding a site that will keep them up to date. In addition to product reviews by the country’s leading experts, ophthalmologists will be able to engage in conversation with colleagues from across the globe. The summaries of all these discussions and research publications will be catalogued so that other physicians may be able to answer their own questions without having to perform extensive literature searches. Think of it as an online “Consumer Reports” of ophthalmology. In this venue not only will doctors be able to objectively compare topography devices, lasers, and cataract equipment, but they can also exchange pearls on how to best utilize them. Ultimately these services will allow us to provide the best possible care for our patients.
Is LASIK dead? Not for now, but the LASIK we know today will be completely different from that which we will practice even five years from now. While the technology continues to change, you will find comfort in having instant access to the best decision making tools.
I invite you to explore what will surely become a new standard in ophthalmic practice.
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