I remember back in 2018 when Australia celebrated the first Indigenous ophthalmologist to be admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO).

A proud Yuggera, Warangoo and Wiradjuri man, his appointments include founding member of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association, Foundation Director of the First Nations Eye Health Alliance, and Chair of the Vision2020 Indigenous Committee.

The microorganism that causes rare but severe eye infections has been detected in New South Wales coastal areas, prompting warnings about the risk to swimmers wearing contact lenses.

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) and medical colleges are demanding federal, state, and territory governments take action to tackle growing surgery waiting lists, with hundreds of thousands of Australians often waiting years in terrible pain.

Apellis has identified a possible culprit for the safety events affecting a small number of patients who received its geographic atrophy (GA) treatment, with a safety review pointing to the injection kit, rather than the drug itself.

The royal victorian eye and ear hospital (eye and ear) is inviting optometrists in victoria to participate in a collaborative glaucoma care program. Over the past 20 years, the eye and ear has seen a 29% increase in surgical patients with glaucoma, with data from glaucoma australia indicating one in 50 australians will develop the condition in their lifetime.

A software program, developed by Adelaidebased cataract surgeon Dr Paul Asanathiov over four years, is proving to significantly reduce administrative time and costs, while increasing accuracy and efficiencies for ophthalmologists, hospitals, and suppliers alike.

The european medicines agency has approved the clinical trial application for vg901, a potentially transformative gene therapy to treat cnga1-associatedretinitis pigmentosa (rp), an ocular disorder currently lacking approved therapies.

Eyetelligence – the Australian-based healthtech company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology and retinal imaging to screen for eye and systemic diseases – is under new leadership with the appointment of American-based Jeff Dunkel.

Eyetelligence – the Australian-based healthtech company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology and retinal imaging to screen for eye and systemic diseases – is under new leadership with the appointment of American-based Jeff Dunkel.

A recent inaugural DryEyeClub webinar, hosted by the Save Sight Dry Eye Registry at the Save Sight Institute (SSI), the University of Sydney, has provided an opportunity for patients with dry eye and the community to learn about the latest developments in tracking outcomes for, and treatment of, dry eye disease.

Glasses that deliver a sense of vision to people who are blind are among the finalists of this year’s Australian Technologies Competition (ATC). Now in its 13th year, the ATC demonstrates the talent, intelligence, and ingenuity that exists in Australia.

A team of bioengineers and biomedical scientists from the University of Sydney and the Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) at Westmead have used 3D printing to create a complex environment for assembling tissue that mimics the architecture of an organ.

Globally, 130 eye care organisations and 50,375 individuals have now pledged to adopt the World Council of Optometry’s (WCO) Myopia Management Standard of Care. Consequently, a new target of 100,000 pledges has been set.

Heidelberg Engineering’s new General Manager in Australia, Chris Farley, has something to say. Quite simply, he wants you to watch this space, because “you’ll probably see a fair bit more from us over the next 12 months”.

Eye care professionals (ECPs) are invited to participate in a one-day hybrid conference, organised by the Primary Care Diabetes Society of Australia (PCDSA), focussed on interdisciplinary care of people living with diabetes.

Optometry Victoria South Australia (OV/ SA) has launched a program to encourage and support new optometry graduates embarking on their professional journey.

Researchers from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have discovered an underlying cause for why people with albinism have poor eyesight, and it’s called pendular nystagmus – the spontaneous back-and-forth movement of the eye.

Optometrists attending a wet lab at Bondi Eye Doctors, part of SMS Healthcare, have been given a unique opportunity to perform laser assisted lenticule extraction (LALEX) surgery using Johnson and Johnson Vision’s new Elita femtosecond laser platform.

Hoya Vision Care has released a new premium optical coating, Hi-Vision Meiryo Diamond.

Researchers have identified retinal markers that indicate the presence of Parkinson’s disease in patients an average of seven years before the onset of symptoms.

A small, open-label clinical trial in the United States is raising hope for restoring at least some lost vision in older children, and even adults, with amblyopia.

Global Hand Charity (GHC) needs optometrists to volunteer for a seven-day eye health outreach in Sri Lanka, from 21–28 January 2024.

Lenticule extraction treatment using SmartSight (Schwind eye-tech solutions, Germany) is safe and efficacious on day one postsurgery, according to a study published in BMC Ophthalmology.1 The procedure was found to achieve excellent uncorrected distance visual acuity in myopic eyes (with or without astigmatism).

Eye care practitioners in Australia have access to a new treatment modality for myopia with the listing of Eyerising International’s Repeated Low-Level Red-Light (RLRL) therapy device by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (ARTG No: 41275).

Health care professionals need more education about Usher syndrome to enable them to provide patients and their families with better care, according to a study completed by The University of Melbourne.

Australia is 1/40th of the way towards reaching population parity of Indigenous ophthalmologists. In 2018, Kris Rallah-Baker, now Associate Professor, became the first Indigenous ophthalmologist to be admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO).

As true with many things, great public health work is achieved in no small part through collaboration and partnership with organisations that care deeply about the communities they support. One such partnership is the Australian College of Optometry (ACO) clinic embedded in the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) in Fitzroy, which is celebrating 25 years of operation.

Australia's private healthcare sector is witnessing significant growth, with a particular focus on specialised care facilities. For many healthcare professionals, establishing a practice is a career defining moment – a chance to create an environment conducive to their particular working style and build a legacy to their skills and talent. Building a healthcare practice is a significant undertaking that requires specialist knowledge and experience. This article delves into the intricacies of constructing a private ophthalmology hospital or day surgery, with a spotlight on regulatory compliance.

Optic neuritis (ON) associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been recorded throughout history. In this article Dr Rushmia Karim discusses the prevalence of ON associated with MS, the symptoms you may observe in clinic, necessary considerations, and the required action.

The Australasian Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (AUSCRS) took a “step into the unknown (with a) changing of the guard” for its ‘Whole New World’ conference. Alan Saks was there.

Cataract and refractive surgeons attending a breakfast at AUSCRS gained real-world and clinical trial insights into the technology behind premium intraocular lenses (IOLs) with a specific focus on two extended depth of focus (EDOF) products, the IC-8 IOL and LuxSmart (Bausch and Lomb).

At another breakfast seminar, Johnson and Johnson Vision took the opportunity to launch SILK, a new laser refractive procedure performed using Johnson and Johnson Vision’s Elita platform.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) Annual Scientific Congress is a permanent fixture in the calendar.

It doesn’t seem to matter if you examine adults or children in your practice, the one clinical finding that tends to make any eye care professional slightly nervous is optic disc swelling.

Geographic atrophy (GA), a late form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), until now has been untreatable, leading to progressive loss of central vision. In early 2023, the first treatment for GA , Pegcetacoplan (Syfovre, Apellis Pharmaceuticals), was approved in the United States and has been used in clinical practice for several months. In August, a second treatment, avacincaptad pegol (Izervay, Iveric Bio), also received approval in the US. Other jurisdictions are expected to gain approval in the not too distant future. How do we ensure that we are in the best position to manage GA when treatments become available to slow vision loss? Longitudinal multi-modal imaging of the retina and upskilling to identify biomarkers influencing growth will help in the management of GA in this new era.

Eye care practitioners are likely to spend an increasing proportion of their time managing patients with dry eye disease (DED) due to the risk of DED increasing with age and an ageing population in general.

It’s spring. The magpies are breeding and they’re swooping. Jessica Chi advises on how you and your patients can avoid a direct hit and, in the event an attack does occur, how injuries should be treated.

Pachychoroid disease spectrum (PDS) is a relatively new pathological category definition. Previously thought of as separate entities, PDS encompasses a range of disorders characterised by underlying hyper-permeability of dilated choroidal vessels. As well as mimicking a range of other macular diseases, the ocular and systemic management and visual prognoses can vary markedly within the spectrum. As a result, it is critical to accurately differentially diagnose the specific conditions within PDS to optimise both visual and healthrelated outcomes. This is greatly enhanced by the application of multimodal imaging and a multidisciplinary approach.

For the past four years Glaucoma Australia has run a successful Patient Support Program that has helped over 23,000 patients living with glaucoma. During that time Glaucoma Australia’s clinical educators, who are trained orthoptists, have identified distinct patterns in the ways newly diagnosed glaucoma patients respond to and process the news they have glaucoma.

Our eyes are constantly switching between near, middle distance, and tasks at far to process the visual information around us – from digital devices to the natural environment and everything in between. So how are the visual needs of modern users of progressive lens design wearers met?

With a heart to serve, a determination to break down stereotypes, and a passion for providing eye care, Samiha Islam is finding the sky has no limit.

You know what they say about all work and no play! Would some time in Queensland help?, asks Cathryn Baker.

What does it take to build a successful optometry practice?

As we age it is inevitable that our crystalline lens will gradually harden, making it difficult for our eyes to accommodate to create a clear image for up-close tasks. When our patients’ arms can’t seem to extend quite far enough to get text into clear focus, we need to consider what visual aids will be best suited to their lifestyle needs.

Let’s face it, once you reach a certain age, the years no longer matter. Whether you’d prefer to forget the year you were born, or you simply can’t remember, you just want to look as fab as you can – and so do your patients.

Hard to believe a family dinner conversation about plastic waste would lead to the development of a carbon negative eyewear range, but that’s the origin story of Australia’s Good Citizens Eyewear. mivision spoke with founder Nik Robinson.

The Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association (ODMA) has announced the 2023 Awards of Excellence across 13 categories, ranging from optical frames and sunglasses, children’s frames and sports eyewear, to lens design, lens coatings, optical equipment, over-the-counter products, accessories as well as point-of-sale and sustainability initiatives. The 87 submissions were judged by a panel of experienced industry experts, comprising Richard Banks – independent optometrist; Keleigh Walsh – Head Teacher, Clinical Health, TAFE Digital; Fiona Stapleton, Scientia Professor, University of New South Wales; Stefanos Stefanou ‘fashion guru’ (www.stefinc.com); and Penny Prasad – Sustainability Expert, Director of The Ecoefficiency Group. Amanda Trotman, Chief Executive Officer of ODMA, said the judging process facilitated “a nice exchange of ideas” with the volunteer judging panel agreeing unanimously on the winners. Submissions were judged on a variety of features, ranging from style, innovation and functionality to value for money. The 2023 winners, announced at O=MEGA23 in Melbourne, are featured below.

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