Vision Eye Institute (VEI) has held the final instalment of its 2024 webinar series, with three experienced speakers delivering practical guidelines on when to refer pre and post-cataract surgery, glaucoma, paediatric and neuro cases, and what to include in a referral letter.
Neuro-ophthalmologist and paediatric specialist Dr Rushmia Karim kicked off the recent session with a detailed look at three fascinating cases.
A VEI release following the webinar said Dr Karim provided plenty of “clinical pearls” optometrists can use in day-to-day practice.
She stressed that including too much information was better than too little when sending referral letters.
Patient history, visual acuity assessments and previous scans helped streamline the process and avoid redundant testing.
For paediatric cases, accurate visual acuity measurement was crucial, especially when dealing with babies or children unable to perform objective visual acuity tests.
Cataract surgery expert Dr Jack Kane followed that with a discussion about how to manage common complications post-surgery, when to refer and what to include in a referral.
Dr Kane highlighted common causes of dissatisfaction following surgery, such as negative and posititve dysphotopsia. Both conditions tended to improve over time, and he recommended monitoring symptoms for up to 12 months before considering further intervention.
He also provided strategies to manage post-surgical dissatisfaction, including corrective options for near-vision issues.
To round out the session, internationally recognised cataract surgeon and glaucoma specialist A/Prof Tim Roberts took the audience through his top tips for cataract and glaucoma referrals.
He advised those on the webinar to use the categories 1-3 system in the NSW referral guidelines for outpatient services to assess the urgency of a patient’s referral.
He also emphasised the importance of including relevant scan results (such as visual field and OCT scans) in referral letters, especially for glaucoma cases.
The VEI release said the webinar included a lively Q&A session covering topics like the efficacy of Ishihara colour plates for detecting acquired colour vision defects, managing dry eye in relation to cataract surgery, and best practices for using intraocular lenses.
The speakers also addressed specific clinical questions regarding when to refer patients, including for glaucoma or post-cataract complications.
SHARED VISION members can access the full recording of the webinar, along with the detailed Q&A session here: https://visioneyeinstitute.com.au/hcp/essential-guide-lines-for-referrals/.
Others are invited to visit visioneyeinstitute.com.au/healthcare-professionals for more information.
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