Saturday Feb 23rd was the conclusion of the Barbados 8th Annual Ophthalmology Sub-specialty Conference at the Accra Beach resort. This was a historic occasion when the patient advocate group, ““, joined vision care professionals from across the world to participate in a session on Keratoconus and to offer a patient perspective on the condition. The Ophthalmology conference has sixteen (16) speakers from USA, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados and attendees from Cuba, the USA, Dominica, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados.

The attendees were nurses, optometrists, medical students, residents, general physicians, ophthalmologists and medical school course faculty members. For the first time, among the attendees, included a group of persons who have been living with the supposedly rare condition keratoconus, some for more than 40 years. They will join this esteemed group, for one particular session on that eye condition.

Roseanne Myers, herself a patient advocate and founder of “Keratoconus Barbados” pointed out that, “One of the main objectives of “Keratoconus Barbados” is to raise awareness of the condition. To do so we must better educate ourselves and share our challenges and triumphs with vision care professionals.

At the launch of “Keratoconus Barbados” on Feb 3rd 2019, we had an in depth presentation and question and answer session on keratoconus led by Barbadian Corneal Surgeon and Consultant Ophthalmologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Dr. Nigel Barker. When Dr. Jebodhsingh, invited the group to attend the keratoconus session at the conference and to present a patient perspective, they jumped at the opportunity. We fully want to embrace the concept of patient-centred care and work together to achieve that.”

Dr. Kim Jebodhsingh is the coordinator of the sub-specialty Ophthalmology conference and is herself an Ophthalmologist and Oculoplastic and Reconstructive Surgeon.

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SIGNIFICANCE

The 8th Annual Latest Updates in Ophthalmology Subspecialty conference is being hosted in Barbados February 21st to 23rd.2019 and provides an opportunity to meet and interact with inspiring speakers and experts from around the world. This year’s focus is glaucoma, cataracts and vitreoretinal surgery as well as ophthalmology research. There is a presentation on the final day Feb 23rd on keratoconus.

About Keratoconus

Pronounced (ker-uh-toe-KOH-nus) or the acronym KC, this occurs when the clear, dome-shaped front surface of a patient’s eye known as the cornea thins and gradually bulges outward into a cone shape. A cone-shaped cornea causes blurred vision and may cause sensitivity to light and glare. Keratoconus usually affects both eyes and generally begins to first affect people between the ages of ten years old to late twenties.

For more information on “Keratoconus Barbados“, please visit: Facebook.com/KCBarbados, search for us on YouTube or email kcbarbados@gmail.com