Page 78 - The Indian Optician Digital Edition May-June 2023

TIO: At what age do you suggest
initiating a myopia management intervention
with a child? What factors influence your
decision-making?
Dr. Ankit: Starting myopia management
as soon as a child develops myopia, regardless
of age, is recommended because myopia
increases more quickly around the time
of onset and progresses faster in younger
children, leading to higher levels of myopia in
adulthood. It's important to have a variety of
interventions available that match the child's
circumstances and lifestyle at different life
stages. Traditional myopia correction methods
such as single-vision spectacles or contact
lenses are not recommended for children
under 15 who are at risk of developing myopia.

TIO: How do you determine which
myopia management intervention is most
appropriate for each patient?
Dr. Ankit: Most myopes stabilise by age 18,
Dr. Ankit: Interviewing parents about their but some may continue to progress into their
children's lifestyle is crucial to evaluating the twenties. Effective management techniques are
most effective myopia management strategy. important, and the consequences of stopping
This helps determine if the child will comply should be considered, including the need for
with the recommended approach. Myopia continued vision correction. After stopping, the
control glasses are used when single-vision patient's vision and comfort should be assessed,
contact lenses are ineffective, and 0.01% and continuous monitoring of eye health should
atropine is prescribed by an ophthalmologist be emphasised.
to slow the progression of myopia. However,
this treatment is generally only available to TIO: Finally, what does early prevention mean
affluent families in India. to you as part of the standard care for myopia
management? How do you put it into action in
TIO: What circumstances can cause you your practice?
to reconsider your myopia management
intervention choice? Dr. Ankit: Coming from a family of eye
care professionals (ECPs), I had "traditionally"
Dr. Ankit: To control myopia growth, practiced myopia correction, so making the
a switch or combination of management transition to myopia management as a standard
options may be necessary. Combining of treatment was difficult. As the saying goes,
atropine with other methods has shown everything unique needs time to be accepted. In
positive results. Non-compliance may require my efforts to make this shift, I've encountered a
me to change to a more suitable option lot of "wait and watch" mindsets.
or stop intervention altogether. If a poor
response or side effects occur, it's advisable to In 2020, my practice became focused
change or terminate the intervention. on myopia management, and the greatest
challenge now is getting children to come in for
TIO: When do you normally consider eye exams. To encourage more visits, I urge adult
discontinuing your myopia management patients to bring their children for exams and
method, and how do you follow patients once use social media and articles in local media to
the intervention has ended? promote paediatric eye care.

74 | THE INDIAN OPTICIAN | MAY-JUNE 2023 INTERVIEW