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Purpose: People with visual disability need assistive technology to improve their body functioning and performance. The purpose of the present study was to understand the awareness, use and barriers in accessing the assistive technology among young patients attending visual rehabilitation clinic of a tertiary eye care hospital in Delhi. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on consecutively recruited patients registered for the first time in visual rehabilitation clinic of the community ophthalmology department of the tertiary eye centre during June and July 2018. A study tool consisting of 42 assistive technologies was developed. Patients were screened for distance visual acuity both presenting and binocular pinhole vision using an 'E' chart with two optotype (6/18, 6/60). Results: 85 patients (69.4% male) were enrolled from the VR clinic. 83.5% of the patients had a best corrected binocular vision acuity 67% of the participants): near optical magnifiers, walking long canes. There was moderate awareness of 10 devices (34-66% of the participants) and poor awareness of the rest (

This review article deals with a potentially sight threatening complication – rupture of the posterior capsule – during cataract surgery. Cataract surgery is the most commonly performed surgical procedure in ophthalmology and despite tremendous technical and technological advancements, posterior capsular rent (PCR) still occurs. PCR occurs both in the hands of experienced senior surgeons and the neophyte surgeons, although with a higher frequency in the latter group. Additionally, certain types of cataracts are prone to this development. If managed properly in a timely manner the eventual outcome may be no different from that of an uncomplicated case. However, improper management may lead to serious complications with a higher incidence of permanent visual disability. The article covers the management of posterior capsular rent from two perspectives: 1. Identifying patients at higher risk and measures to manage such patients by surgical discipline, and 2. Intraoperative management of posterior capsular rent and various case scenarios to minimize long-term complications. This review is written for experienced and not-so-experienced eye surgeons alike to understand and manage PCR.

Purpose: Coping strategies employed by people with visual disability can influence their quality of life (QoL). We aimed to assess coping in patients with low vision or blindness. Methods: In this descriptive cross sectional study, 60 patients (25–65 years) with

In 1969, William Beetham published his work in the journal, Transactions of the American Ophthalmological Society about the efficacy of ruby laser in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).[1] Encouraged by these findings, the Diabetic Retinopathy Study, a National Institute of Health-sponsored landmark clinical trial confirmed the benefits of the panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) laser in PDR patients. Since then, the argon PRP laser became the main-stay treatment in these patients. In the same paper, the authors attributed the successful results to the “reduction in the functioning retina., or the vasoformative factor, or both.” Later this vasoformative factor proved to be vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and was targeted in many clinical trials in different retinal diseases. Almost four decades later, another landmark clinical trial, Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network just published that monthly anti-VEGF injections are no inferior to the gold standard PRP laser treatment and have the advantages of no visual field loss seen with the PRP laser.[2] Thus, we have now two effective evidence-based treatments available for regression of retinal neovascularization in PDR patients. Many other large randomized trials in diabetic retinopathy (DR) in between have taught us how to treat DR patients effectively in DME, PDR, and even in early stages of DR. Ophthalmologists have now several novel drugs including anti-VEGF drugs and steroid implants available in their armamentarium for treating patients with DME and PDR. Many more drugs are in the pipeline in different phases of clinical trials.

There is a high prevalence of ocular defects in children with developmental disabilities. This study evaluated visual disability in a group of 200 cerebral palsy (CP) patients and found that 68% of the children had significant visual morbidity. These findings emphasize the need for an early ocular examination in patients with CP.

To assess the barriers for the acceptance of surgery among patients with cataract and visual disability.A short-term descriptive study was conducted in patients with cataract presenting to a hospital. Socio-demographic data were entered in a proforma. An interviewer-assisted questionnaire, surveying knowledge about cataract and barriers to cataract surgery, was administered by one of the authors (SKG) in the local language (Hindi).There were 100 patients (53 men and 47 women); 14 were bilaterally blind (vision10/200 in the better eye). Attitudinal barriers included: could manage daily work (71%), cataract not mature (68%), could see clearly with the other eye (64%), too busy (57%), female gender (37%), fear of surgery (34%), fear of surgery causing blindness (33%) or death (13%), old age (33%), it is God's will (29%) and worry about cost of surgery (27%). The barriers relating to service delivery, cost and affordability included: insufficient family income (76%), not knowing another person who had undergone cataract surgery (26%), no one to accompany (20%), distance from hospital (20%) or from a main road (9%) and lack of transport (7%).Attitudinal barriers were reported more often, rather than issues of accessibility or cost. Eye care providers should address the identified barriers for increasing acceptance of surgery in the study area.

There is a high prevalence of ocular defects in children with developmental disabilities. This study evaluated visual disability in a group of 200 cerebral palsy (CP) patients and found that 68% of the children had significant visual morbidity. These findings emphasize the need for an early ocular examination in patients with CP.