Healthy Vision Month

The first known record for the treatment of eye diseases dates back to the Ebers Papyrus from Egypt in 1550 B.C. Another early medical text that had extensive info about eye treatment was the “Sushruta Samhita,” an Indian text that is considered one of the pillars of Ayurveda, dating back to the 6th century B.C. The ancient Greeks also made key advances in the understanding of the human eye. The Middle Ages saw the use of microscopes and lenses to examine the eye and its structure.

Georg Joseph Beer, a surgeon, was responsible for pioneering the Beer’s operation as a treatment for cataracts. In 1931, Vladimir Petrovich Filatov became the first person to perform a successful cornea transplant. Charles Schepens founded the Retina Foundation in 1950 (now known as Schepens Eye Research Institute). Ioannis Pallikaris, a Greek surgeon performed the first LASIK surgery in 1989.

All this proves how steady research was in the field of the treatment of the human eye. And more remains to be discovered. According to a survey conducted by the National Eye Institute, more than 23 million Americans aged 18 and above have never undergone an eye exam. And the reason is that most think that they don’t have an eye problem. This attitude can have consequences in the future. Surveys further suggest that by 2030, approximately 4.2 million people will have glaucoma, 11.5 million people will have diabetic retinopathy and 2.8 million will have age-related macular degeneration.