Ophthalmology through the ages
Vienna (OTS) – On June 22, 2024, the Austrian Ophthalmological Society (ÖOG) will celebrate its 70th anniversary. If you look back on these seven decades of ophthalmology in Austria, you are astonished to see how quickly and steadily it has developed.
70 years ago, many eye diseases could not be treated at all or could be treated with very unpleasant side effects and were associated with long hospital stays. “Not only the surgical methods, but also the diagnostic methods used in today’s ophthalmology have developed enormously and allow us unimagined possibilities in the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases and, beyond that, in the early detection of internal diseases such as diabetes and vascular diseases and Alzheimer’s. Artificial intelligence (AI), which has been used in ophthalmology for many years, is also a major research focus,” says MR Dr. Gabriela Seher, President of the ÖOG.
Our society is getting older and older, which means the number of people affected by age-related eye diseases is growing and new challenges are constantly arising. Everyone is aware of the development of demographics in Western countries. The proportion of patients over 65 will increase rapidly in the next few years and decades. In medicine, ophthalmology is particularly affected by this development because, compared to many other disciplines, there are a proportionately high number of age-related diseases and, after a certain age, certain diseases are no longer the exception but the rule. “It is therefore extremely important to raise awareness among the population about preventative measures to maintain eye health and to encourage regular visits to the ophthalmologist. On the other hand, the training of eye specialists should be promoted for the challenges of the future,” continued ÖOG President Seher.
Massive change in the treatment of cataracts, AMD, glaucoma, corneal transplants
Around 20 years ago you had to look for one Cataracts Stay in the hospital for a long time after surgery. Today, this operation is one of the most common and safest medical procedures and is performed on an outpatient basis. Implanting an artificial lens has been routine for around 50 years, but the quality of the lens has steadily and significantly improved and there is a choice between different types of lenses.
Decisive progress has also been made in the treatment of the so-called age-related macular degeneration (AMD) achieved by administering special medications into the vitreous body. While 30 years ago it was more or less unavoidable to go blind, this is now preventable thanks to these medications.
In the field of glaucoma surgery, which has been stagnant for many years, many new surgical procedures and implants have been developed in the last 15 years alone, which now under the term “Micro Invasive Glaucoma Surgery” (MIGS) expand the possibilities for treating glaucoma Green stars (glaucoma) significantly expanded and can prevent blindness with a minimally invasive procedure.
Furthermore, significant changes in the Corneal transplant surgery to report. Until 15 years ago, only the entire cornea was carried out as a full transplant, but today individual layers, including a single-cell layer (endothelial cell transplant), can be carried out on the eye. The first approaches to artificial corneas have also been initiated in research laboratories and, in some cases, in clinical studies.
Increasing myopia also poses a major health policy challenge (Myopia) and is the greatest threat to eye health in our century. By 2050, half of the world’s population is expected to be nearsighted, with around one billion people expected to have high levels of myopia, which can lead to retinal disease with an increased risk of blindness.
If you look into the future of ophthalmology, as current developments show, there will be further advances in the area of laser and lens technology. Diseases in the area of glaucoma and corneal transplantation will also continue to gain significant momentum and long-term studies will show which implants and medications will prevail in the long term.
Winston Churchill (1874–1965), who was very interested in history, is said to have once said “almost ophthalmologically”: “The further back you can look, the further ahead you can look.” ÖOG President Seher said: “With this in mind, we look back proudly on the last 70 years of our society and look forward to the future of ophthalmology in Austria.”
You can find information on all important eye health topics at www.augen.at and www.augen.at/myopie
Questions & Contact:
Questions & Contact:
Austrian Ophthalmological Society (ÖOG)
The Austrian ophthalmologists
Ingrid Wallner, MBA
Tel.: 0660/275 79 35
Email: ingrid.wallner@augen.at
www.augen.at