Part 6: Looking back at 50 years of innovation in ophthalmology

In celebration of Ophthalmology Times' 50th anniversary, we asked leading experts in the field what they see as the biggest innovation in ophthalmology in the past 5 decades.

Video Transcript:

Editor's note: The below transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

C Michael Sampson, MD, MBA:

It's a tough question. Ophthalmology is so tech and research focused, and there's been so many great innovations over the last decade or so, but personally, I think that the use of medications given intraocularly, which wasn't done until, you know, like, about, you know, 15 or 20, years ago, I think that's made the biggest difference, particularly in the treatment of macular degeneration and now in newer disorders. I think that also naturally reflexes to future therapies, specifically genetic therapies. I think that if we hadn't perfected and gotten comfortable with intraocular introduction of medications, I don't think these things would have been possible.

Emma Lessieru, MD, PhD:

There are too many things that I can point out. And I think the most popular problem, the most famous is the development of the OCT. The fact that we can see the retina in vivo, right, and quantify and determine all the different layers, distinguish perfectly all the different layers of of the retina. It has been one of the most significant advances that we have done over the last 50 years. But there are multiple things that I would like to point out, but I will just stay with the OCT.

Jogin Desai:

Oh, I think the intraocular lens, and the access to the intraocular lens, I guess the fact that the lenses are now available for a significantly lower price, which most of the people in the world can afford. I would count it as one of the biggest innovations, which is not just the innovation, but the fact that a lot of people have access to that innovation that's important for us.