KUWAIT: Ophthalmologist, and Associate Professor at Kuwait University's College of Medicine Dr Abdelmuttaleb Behbehani said new technology and techniques caused a 'progressive treatment revolution' in ophthalmology, stressing the importance of this achievement especially in light of the fact that 3.5 percent of people in Kuwait are poor sighted, including 50,000 Kuwaitis. He added that genetics is one of the most common causes of poor sightedness, followed by the environmental factor, and warned against excessive use of electronics that worsens vision, especially with children. He said children below two years of age should not use them. "Ophthalmology practiced today is almost totally different from how it was 20 years ago," he said, alluding to the advancements reached in this field within that period. Bebehani said changes are in many facets, as for example, cataracts surgeries are performed completely differently compared to how they were performed before. Another examples is diabetic retina, as 20 years ago, LASIK was the dominant operation, but now there are new techniques that caused a great advancement in this field.

By Abdellatif Sharaa