Cypriot ophthalmologist, surgeon and vitreo-retinal specialist, Dr. Theodoros Potamitis, has recently become an examiner at the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, UK, which makes him the first Cypriot doctor -examiner in one of the most difficult, worldwide, exams for gaining the specialty.
In an interview with CNA, Dr. Potamitis, director of the Pantheo Eye Center, spoke about this development and expressed the opinion that in the coming decades thanks to technology there will be fewer blind people.
He said that as a doctor he feels honored but noted that it is an honour for Cyprus as well since it proves that “they consider our level to be equal to theirs.”
Dr. Potamitis added that as an examiner, he will need to travel 2 to 3 times a year to Great Britain and that this is a position that requires constant updating on any developments in ophthalmology.
Pointing out that the level of the medical community in Cyprus is quite high, he said that any negative comments especially after the implementation of the General Healthcare System do not correspond to reality.
“The level of medicine in Cyprus is quite high,” he stressed, saying that private sector clinics which are outside the General Healthcare System are no better than the rest. He explained that the only difference is that “the clinics that joined the system are forced to work differently, due to time pressure and workload”.
Replying to questions, he pointed out that the last decade has seen tremendous developments in ophthalmology, for diseases for which we previously had no treatment option, such as diabetic retinopathy, which is the main reason for blindness in people under 65 years of age”.
In recent years, he continued, we have intraocular injections, which stop this disease, with very good results, while the use of computers and software, as part of a surgery, has become routine.
Furthermore, he referred to gene therapy and electronic – artificial vision. The latter, he said, is a treatment under development for conditions where the eye nerve has been damaged. An electronic chip in the eye, he explained, replaces neurological tissue so the patient can see shapes.
“Just as mobile phone cameras have evolved over a decade, we expect that, in the coming years, this treatment will provide good vision to a person who was previously blind,” Dr. Potamitis noted.
Asked if in the future there will be no blind people, he said that this would be too optimistic, as “there will always be something that we cannot cure. But there will be diseases that we now think are incurable, which in future we will be able to cure”, he said and gave a series of examples such as retinal detachment, which 40 years ago would lead to blindness whereas today 98% of patients are cured.
As regards the use of robotics in ophthalmology, he explained that it is still in an experimental stage in medical centres abroad and is expected to evolve in about a decade, in order to support surgeries.
In ophthalmology as in all other health areas, “prevention is better than cure”, Dr. Potamitis noted, adding that there are many eye diseases that can be treated very easily and effectively in their initial stages, but are untreatable in their final stages.
“Unfortunately, we experience this every day, that is, people waiting to go blind before they go to the doctor,” he warned and underlined that there are no more excuses for someone not to visit a doctor, as the General Healthcare System of Cyprus offers this prevention for free.
The majority of patients, he said, are diabetics who should be examined at a regular basis, as well as people with a family history of pressure in the eye or retinal detachment.
Dr. Potamitis urged people to visit the doctor once a year for a check up.
“Even if you are well, even if you can see well, at least once a year you must go to an ophthalmologist,” he said.
Asked whether the eyes are the mirror of the soul, he noted that indeed “our words may be different, but our eyes express the truth, all the love and sorrow we feel, are always expressed through our eyes.”
Source: Cyprus News Agency