35
EW REFRACTIVE SURGERY
May 2016
Contact information
Ganesh: chairman@nethradhama.org
Naidoo: K.Naidoo@brienholdenvision.org
Wang: gzstwang@gmail.com
that, like the study authors, he
thinks environmental conditions are
the main factor in this trend.
Sri Ganesh, MD, said that in his
more than 2 decades in practice in
India, he has watched myopia num-
bers increase steadily as well.
"Our environment is changing,
and [people] are glued to display
units like laptops, tablets, computer
screens, and [myopia] is a kind of
adaptation because of the increased
accommodation and the need for
more near vision," Dr. Ganesh said.
Dr. Wang said the growing
problem of myopia in China is
common knowledge, yet "few real
effective measures are taken by the
government to reduce the burden of
students in school," Dr. Wang said.
"A more practical tactic, I think,
is to focus on preventative things
to minimize the chance of myopic
patients [becoming] highly myopic,
and especially the prevention of
myopia-related complications."
This trend in myopia does pres-
ent an opportunity for ophthalmol-
ogists as refractive surgeries continue
to become safer and more effective,
Dr. Wang said.
"In addition to corneal ap-
proaches, intraocular procedures
will be accepted by more and more
surgeons and patients," he said.
Dr. Ganesh pushed those in the
field to focus more on prevention of
myopia, where possible, in addition
to creating treatment plans.
"Not only as an ophthalmol-
ogist but as a doctor, I think that
we should look at the community
as a whole," he said. Dr. Ganesh
is already involved in counseling
parents and children in school
about making lifestyle changes
and understanding the genetic risk
factors for myopia. "If you look at
the community as a whole, I think
the preventative aspect is also very
important, and I think that's where
practitioners should play a role." EW
References
1. Holden BA, et al. Global prevalence of
myopia and high myopia and temporal trends
from 2000 through 2050. Ophthalmology.
2016 Feb 11. [Epub ahead of print].
2. He M, et al. Effect of time spent outdoors at
school on the development of myopia among
children in China: A randomized clinical trial.
JAMA. 2015;314:1142–8.
Editors' note: Drs. Naidoo, Wang, and
Ganesh have no financial interests
related to their comments.
