THE OPHTHALMIC JOURNAL

If you’re a sports enthusiast, I think you’ll find this issue fascinating. mivision writer Michelle Hauschild – an avid follower of Australian Rules football and exceptional amateur sports photographer – has been delving into how eye care professionals can help sports people – whether amateur or professional – enhance their performance.

I know nothing about sport and so I was surprised when we learned that elite players often “possess visual acuity well beyond what is considered ‘normal’ in clinical practice”. To a sports fan, of course that makes sense.

However, even more surprising is that some elite players have ‘supernormal’ vision. And then there are the others who manage to reach the pinnacle of their sport despite living with vision deficit.

So, what can be done – through training and surgery – to help people who love to play sport maximise their potential? mivision spoke to eye care professionals around the globe, along with a local cricket player who was over the moon following refractive surgery, to find out. And we found that much can be done – so much in fact that Michelle has written two articles. The first is published in this issue, the second you’ll have to wait for in July.

To complement this article, optical dispenser and trainer Alycia Coupe has written about sports and adventure eyewear – frames and lenses – that are easily accessible for your patients. Read about lens coatings and colours that make the difference, as well as frame designs that sit securely in place for both kids and adults.

Elsewhere in this issue, we have a fascinating update from Professor Gerard Sutton about innovative corneal transplantation solutions, which are much needed in many parts of the world. We have a science-led CPD article on geographic atrophy (along with practical pearls), written by Adjunct Professor Hemal Mehta, a fascinating CPD article by Dr Kate Reid on idiopathic intracranial hypertension and weight loss, and another on how menopause impacts dry eye.

To protect your practice interests, experts in law and insurance have provided invaluable advice on the delicate subjects of business divorce and key person insurance.

It’s an all-encompassing issue and I thank our mivision team, particularly Michelle Hauschild, Nikki Byrne, and Simon Ward, for pulling it together while I was on leave.

Enjoy.