Who are eye doctors and why are they needed in Ukraine? A doctor tells
Kyiv • UNN
In Ukraine, there is a problem with the training of specialists in individual eye prosthetics - ophthalmologists. Every year, the country needs 4-6 thousand eye prostheses, costing about 700 euros each.
Ukraine has a problem with training specialists in individual prosthetics - ophthalmologists. This was reported to UNN by ophthalmologist, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Serhiy Rykov, who spoke about the peculiarities of creating an eye prosthesis.
The doctor said that since the beginning of the full-scale war, the number of combined facial injuries with eye damage has increased. However, doctors are doing their best to save the eyes. Unfortunately, there are cases when it is impossible.
"Basically, we save the eye, 95% save the eye, and among those 95%, maybe more than half of the people have their vision. And some people have inflammatory diseases and have to have their eyes removed. But we don't just remove it, we perform plastic surgery. We leave the capsule of the eye, implant a special prosthesis there, make a balloon so that the prosthetic eye floats and looks the same as the second eye," Rykov said.
Rykov noted that there are artificial eye prostheses made of cryolite glass.
"Today there are artificial prostheses made of cryolite glass. This is, for example, Murano glass, which is used to make wonderful jewelry. This is the perfect glass, it is so white and cloudy. It is used to make a protein shell, and the iris is made using special colors of paint, but the cornea is covered with Swarovski crystal. Therefore, an artificial eye is a very creative, artistic work. In addition, it is an individual prosthesis," Rykov said.
The ophthalmologist noted that there is a problem in Ukraine with the training of individual prosthetics specialists - eyeglasses.
Today, there is a problem of training specialists in individual prosthetics. An optometrist is not a doctor; they have a secondary special education plus art education to make capillaries on the eye, which is about 50 thin red capillaries of different shades. It is the ophthalmologist who adds the color on the other eye. It is practically impossible to distinguish a healthy eye from a prosthesis if it is made of cryolite glass using modern technologies. The only caveat is the cost. The cost of one prosthesis is about 700 euros, but its shelf life is up to 7 years. That is, if we are talking about a plastic prosthesis, it has its advantages, because it is a little lighter, but cryolite glass and Swarovski crystal are considered to be of higher quality
Prof. Rykov noted that he is currently considering how to train eyecare professionals in Ukraine.
"We are now thinking about how to train such specialists in Ukraine. We have Valdis Walters from the Baltics, who came back during the first Maidan and helped for free, fitted his own prostheses, and has his own workshop. He is ready to set up a workshop to train Ukrainian eyecare professionals. We don't know yet how to license this specialty as a medical or technical one," Rykov said.
The professor noted that all over the world, it is a private business, and the government simply places orders.
"Primary prostheses are 4000 prostheses per year, and perhaps up to 6000 prostheses per year will be needed, because we have a Cabinet of Ministers resolution that says that a prosthesis for an adult is changed once every 3 years, and for a child once a year. So, how can a person get a prosthesis at public expense? It's very simple, a person with one eye is a group 3 disabled person. A disabled person must receive a prosthesis free of charge. So, when a disability is granted, there is a rehabilitation program, when a rehabilitation program is written and indicates that an artificial prosthesis is to be replaced once every 3 years, then this money is budgeted and then a contract is to be concluded with a private company that does this, and thus disabled people are provided with public funds, that is, this scheme should work," Rykov said.
