9^th Global Ophthalmology Summit

lacrimal apparatus a group of organs concerned with the production and drainage of tears; it is a protective device that helps keep the eye moist and free of dust and other irritating particles. The lacrimal gland, which secretes tears, lies over the upper, outer corner of the eye; its excretory ducts branch downward toward the eyeball.  Tears secreted by the lacrimal glands spread across the cornea and flow through the superior and inferior lacrimal points (lacrimal puncta) at the inner corner of the eyelids. Then, the tears are drawn into the lacrimal canals or ducts to the lacrimal sac before flowing into the nasal cavity. Through these openings the tears pass into the lacrimal canaliculus, then through the lacrimal sac into the nasolacrimal duct and finally into the nasal cavity.  Dry eye is a complex disease that can occur owing to a disorder of the lacrimal system

The retina is a thin layer of tissue on the inside back wall of your eye. It contains millions of light-sensitive cells and other nerve cells that receive and organize visual information. Your retina sends this information to your brain through your optic nerve, enabling you to see. Retinal degenerative disorders such as Age-related macular degeneration and Myopic macular degeneration affecting young and old from many cultures, races and ethnicities. The central area of the retina contains a high density of color-sensitive photoreceptor cells called cones which are responsible for color vision and hence any defect and alteration in the central area of the retina will lead to Color vision defects. On the other hand diseases like Diabetic retinopathy and Retinal tumors can also be responsible for the permanent vision loss if it is not treated on time. Historically, retinal disease has had a low priority in prevention of blindness programs in developing countries. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, it was thought that retinal disease was an uncommon cause of blindness in the developing world; secondly, that the results of treating retinal disease did not justify the effort and expense involved; and, thirdly, that the equipment required was too costly and unreliable for use in a developing country environment. Finally, there is a lack of skilled personnel with sub-specialty training in retinal disease. John Hopkins School of Medicine, UCSF School of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine and Mayo Medical School are the leading institutes associates with ophthalmology. 

The tissue pressure of the intraocular contents is called the intraocular pressure (IOP).

The importance of IOP for anaesthetists is that:

·         Patients with acutely or chronically raised IOP may present for corrective surgery;

·         Patients with chronically raised IOP present for non-ophthalmic surgery;

·         Patients present with open globes following penetrating eye injuries;

·         Several drugs and procedures used in anaesthesia affect the IOP.

Eye is composed of very sensitive and fragile tissues and every part of an eye serves its own function to maintain its normal vision. The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. The cornea, with the anterior chamber and lens, refracts light, with the cornea accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical power. But factors such as corneal ulceration, Epithelial keratitis & drug-induced epithelial keratitis, corneal regeneration, recurrent corneal erosion and miscellaneous corneal disorders can affect the cornea and ultimately lead to the external eye disease that could end up with permanent blindness. Hence investigation of corneal disease is carry out to mitigate the disease and methods like Contact lenses & vision correction is also use to cure the vision related problems and surgical procedure like corneal transplantation is used to transplant the cornea. According to international council of ophthalmology 2012 report there were 206,812 practicing ophthalmologists around the world and there are approximately 23,861 ophthalmologists in the United States, as per the records of American Medical Association.

Congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles is a disorder that affects the muscles that surround the eyes. These muscles control eye movement and the position of the eyes (for example, looking straight ahead). Congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles prevents the normal development and function of these muscles. As a result, affected individuals are unable to move their eyes normally. Most people with this condition have difficulty looking upward, and their side-to-side eye movement may also be limited. The eyes may be misaligned such that they look in different directions 

Neurological conditions result from damage to the brain, spinal column or nerves, caused by illness or injury. Many of the precise causes of neurological conditions are not yet known. Neurological conditions affect young and old, rich and poor, men and women and people from all cultures and ethnicities. There are many types of neurological disorders, including:

Alzheimer’s disease (AD)

Epilepsy

Multiple sclerosis

Parkinson’s disease

Migraines

The causes of such dysfunction can be quite diverse. Both the spinal cord and brain are insulated by numerous membranes that can be vulnerable to force and pressure. The peripheral nerves located deep under the skin can also be vulnerable to damage. Neurological disorders can affect an entire neurological pathway or a single neuron. Even a small disturbance to a neuron’s structural pathway can result in dysfunction.

When light enters the eye it is bent, or refracted, by the cornea and the focal point is the back of the eye. If the shape of the eye, the shape of the cornea, or the condition of the lens causes the light to refract improperly so that it does not focus on the back of the eye as it should, the condition is called a Refractive Disorder. Refractive Disorders are among the most common vision problems.