Professor Brien Holden has been described as “the most influential optometrist of our generation”. Dr. Tony Adams, Professor Emeritus of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of California, Berkley, wrote that Professor Holden “saw possibilities no-one else saw and made them happen. Truly a remarkable colleague and world figure”. As the global eye health sector continues to mourn the loss of this giant among global leaders in research and innovation, mivision pays tribute to Professor Brien Holden with the publication in full of an interview we did with him in January this year. While parts of this interview were used for a feature in the February edition of mivision, this unedited interview provides an even greater understanding of the man; his ambitions, frustrations and admiration for those he worked
and lived with.
This issue we also turn our attention to patient anxiety, gathering perspectives from both patients and ophthalmologists into the issues that often arise in the lead up to eye injections and operations. While the fear of losing sight is often the greatest driver of anxiety, sometimes it comes down to something as simple
as making sure the family pet is cared for while a patient is away from home for treatment. Clinical Associate Professor Nitin Verma, Dr. Simon Chen and Dr. Christine Younan share their experiences and strategies for
managing patient anxiety.
Spring is here and with it allergy season. Dr. Nicole Carnt writes one of our CPD articles on the mechanisms of ocular allergy, giving eye health professionals clear direction on ways to manage the different manifestations of this disease. Whether you’re looking at allergic conjunctivitis, vernal keratoconjunctivitis, atopic keratoconjunctivitis or contact dermatitis, there is much that can be done to make your patients feel more comfortable this season, depending on the type and severity of disease, as well as your patient demographics and lifestyle.
Our second CPD article describes the technical features and clinical performance of a new multifocal contact lens for presbyopic patients.
Dr. Abi Tenen presents our ‘Ophthalmology Insights’ section this issue, with a review of research that compares corneal laser techniques; techniques to improve safety and patient outcomes; and factors contributing to dry eye and ocular discomfort following LASIK. There’s also a comprehensive overview of presentations delivered at the recent Asia Pacific Vitreo-retina Society congress in Sydney.
Elsewhere this issue, business consultant Carolyn Tate writes about how you can find your purpose in business and practice while BOQ’s Andre Karney writes about the best way for young eye health practitioners to go about securing finance for home ownership.
Towards the back of the journal you’ll find a valuable article on lens technology written by optometrist Jim Papas and nicely rounded off with a ‘catalogue’ of the more popular frames on the market that come with Rx-able lens packages. Plus, of course the latest fashion news from around the globe and our ‘Last Word’ on that word ‘Sorry’.
Finally, I’d like to officially welcome our newest contributor Alan Saks. A recent Q&A we ran with him received an overwhelmingly positive response from both his peers and the broader ophthalmic community. Hope you enjoy his new monthly column in mivision.
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