Optical coherence tomography
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a revolutionary diagnostic technique that performs high-resolution cross-sectional imaging of the internal structures of the eye ( Fig. 40.1 ). It enables imaging in real…
Testing and certification of ophthalmic skills
Introduction An important career milestone of allied ophthalmic personnel (AOP) is achieving certification which demonstrates a professional commitment to ophthalmic assisting and patient care. Important benefits of certification are the…
Allied ophthalmic health personnel: scope of practice
Introduction Ophthalmic medical personnel are classified as allied health personnel and are defined as individuals with training and responsibilities that support, supplement, and assist physicians, including ophthalmologists and other health…
Ophthalmology ethics
Introduction Issues that challenge our ethical and moral value systems have been part of medicine throughout recorded history. As early as the 5th century bc , Hippocrates recognized the role…
Blind persons in the modern world
Blindness defined The most widely accepted definition of blindness is central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with a correcting lens, or whose visual acuity is…
Assisting the surgeon
Most surgical procedures for the eye are performed on an outpatient basis. However, some procedures (e.g., retinal surgery, high-risk patients, cardiac surgery) are still performed in the hospital. This chapter…
Lasers in ophthalmology
Perhaps more than any other recent advance in medical science, the advent of laser technology has produced a major effect on clinical ophthalmology. The effect of solar radiation was well…
Specular microscopy
Specular microscope The specular microscope is used to examine the endothe-lium of the cornea, which is the layer of the cornea in contact with the aqueous humor transfer ( Fig….
Refractive surgery: today and the future
Technologies and techniques continue to evolve in the correction of myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. Patients are increasingly interested in spectacle or contact lens independence. It is important to understand…
Wavefront aberrations and custom ablation
In clinical practice, myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism have long been the familiar refractive errors (i.e., lower-order optical aberrations) for which patients have received corrective glasses and contact lenses. However, the…
