Alongside rapidly accelerating many other technological innovations and fields, the Second World War had a profound impact on ophthalmic practices in the UK, helping to dramatically shape how modern ophthalmology has evolved since then. The marked increase in the number of ocular injuries – caused by shrapnel, burns, and explosions – meant that ocular trauma units were set up rapidly in response, laying the groundwork for ocular trauma and reconstructive surgery as we know it today.
The war was also indirectly responsible for one of the greatest inventions in modern ophthalmology: the intraocular lens (IOL). In his position as a Royal Air Force ophthalmologist, Sir Harold Ridley witnessed countless pilots losing their sight when perspex fragments of shattered cockpit canopies entered the eye. Encountering these very specific ocular injuries, Ridley observed that the perspex fragments, while damaging, did not actually provoke any inflammation or other adverse effects when they remained lodged in the pilots’ eyes. The discovery led to Ridley unwittingly discovering a safe material for ocular implantation… and the IOL was born.
Fast-forward to more recent times, and war continues to rear its ugly head. In February 2022, the world watched in horror as Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which continues apace over two years later.
The Russo-Ukrainian War – not unlike World War II did for the UK over 80 years ago – has dramatically reshaped how ophthalmology is practiced in Ukraine. Amid widespread instability, the continuity of ophthalmology has become a pressing concern for those responsible. In our recent Global Education Impact feature, we profiled one of the main bodies charged with this unenviable task: The Ukrainian Alliance of Ophthalmologists (UAO).
Spearheaded by Professor Oksana Vivotska, head of the ophthalmology department at Bogomolets National Medical University in Kyiv, the UAO – in response to infrastructure collapses and the daily threats of Russian bombing raids and drone attacks – has transformed conventional ophthalmic learning methods into an altogether different beast. The Alliance has developed a robust digital ecosystem – comprising its Ophthalmic iSchool (a virtual learning space where thousands of Ukrainian physicians share clinical cases and receive feedback from peers and other specialists), the OphthalmicHub annual congress (Ukraine’s foremost ophthalmic event, which unites specialists by utilizing both remote and hybrid formats, even going so far as to organize in-person events in blackout conditions), and Dr. Ophtik (an AI-driven education assistant that operates through the country’s widely used Telegram platform) – which continues to train and support eye care professionals throughout the country.
Having to operate in an active conflict zone, as well as navigate destroyed facilities, resource displacement, power outages, and continuously interrupted communication networks, it is inspiring to see that Ukrainian ophthalmologists have found the resilience to continue training and practicing the profession in such circumstances. UAO’s adaptation of its teaching techniques really does remind us that ophthalmology can continue to be taught and practiced in even the most hostile of environments, regardless of the challenges put in front of it, when it is led by such driven individuals like Professor Vivotska.
If you are an ophthalmologist operating under similar adverse conditions, or have some experience of working in an active conflict zone, I would love to hear from you: Alun.Evans@Conexiant.com.
The war was also indirectly responsible for one of the greatest inventions in modern ophthalmology: the intraocular lens (IOL). In his position as a Royal Air Force ophthalmologist, Sir Harold Ridley witnessed countless pilots losing their sight when perspex fragments of shattered cockpit canopies entered the eye. Encountering these very specific ocular injuries, Ridley observed that the perspex fragments, while damaging, did not actually provoke any inflammation or other adverse effects when they remained lodged in the pilots’ eyes. The discovery led to Ridley unwittingly discovering a safe material for ocular implantation… and the IOL was born.
Fast-forward to more recent times, and war continues to rear its ugly head. In February 2022, the world watched in horror as Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which continues apace over two years later.
The Russo-Ukrainian War – not unlike World War II did for the UK over 80 years ago – has dramatically reshaped how ophthalmology is practiced in Ukraine. Amid widespread instability, the continuity of ophthalmology has become a pressing concern for those responsible. In our recent Global Education Impact feature, we profiled one of the main bodies charged with this unenviable task: The Ukrainian Alliance of Ophthalmologists (UAO).
Spearheaded by Professor Oksana Vivotska, head of the ophthalmology department at Bogomolets National Medical University in Kyiv, the UAO – in response to infrastructure collapses and the daily threats of Russian bombing raids and drone attacks – has transformed conventional ophthalmic learning methods into an altogether different beast. The Alliance has developed a robust digital ecosystem – comprising its Ophthalmic iSchool (a virtual learning space where thousands of Ukrainian physicians share clinical cases and receive feedback from peers and other specialists), the OphthalmicHub annual congress (Ukraine’s foremost ophthalmic event, which unites specialists by utilizing both remote and hybrid formats, even going so far as to organize in-person events in blackout conditions), and Dr. Ophtik (an AI-driven education assistant that operates through the country’s widely used Telegram platform) – which continues to train and support eye care professionals throughout the country.
Having to operate in an active conflict zone, as well as navigate destroyed facilities, resource displacement, power outages, and continuously interrupted communication networks, it is inspiring to see that Ukrainian ophthalmologists have found the resilience to continue training and practicing the profession in such circumstances. UAO’s adaptation of its teaching techniques really does remind us that ophthalmology can continue to be taught and practiced in even the most hostile of environments, regardless of the challenges put in front of it, when it is led by such driven individuals like Professor Vivotska.
If you are an ophthalmologist operating under similar adverse conditions, or have some experience of working in an active conflict zone, I would love to hear from you: Alun.Evans@Conexiant.com.
