Members of the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) learnt about the importance of understanding the broad range of eye surgery options as they listened to consultant ophthalmic surgeon Allon Barsam at a meeting in London this week.
Speaking at the Royal College of Nursing in London, Barsam admitted that the wide variety of procedures ensured there was no one-size-fits-all solution, but treatment should be tailored to the patient.
He said: ‘For many, surgery is a very real option, particularly in those that have struggled for whatever reason with contact lenses or don’t like glasses. But we need to understand more about the different types of surgery and what type should be used for any given situation.’
Barsam’s lecture, ‘Surgical advances for correction of presbyopia’, centred around a video-based presentation that demonstrated all the most commonly accepted surgical interventions for presbyopia.
Mr Barsam added: ‘It’s important to explain the full process to patients so they have a thorough understanding of the procedure. Currently, too many companies in the industry treat patients as if they are stupid and sell to them with meaningless mumbo jumbo, all that does is create a culture of distrust.’