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THE MAGAZINE FOR NEW ZEALAND’S OPHTHALMIC COMMUNITY<br />

PO BOX 106 954, AUCKLAND CITY 1143<br />

Email: info@nzoptics.co.nz Website: www.nzoptics.co.nz<br />

JULY <strong>2016</strong><br />

NOW AVAILABLE WITH<br />

WWW.EYEZEN.CO.NZ


10 free ticket,<br />

flight and<br />

hotel packages<br />

available now!<br />

YOUR PERSONAL INVITATION<br />

BRISBANE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE<br />

SATURDAY 10 TH & SUNDAY 11 TH SEPTEMBER <strong>2016</strong><br />

Join 500 optometrists (including more than 100 non-Specsavers<br />

optometrists) at this year’s SCC for two days in September –<br />

for one of Australia and New Zealand’s premier optometry CPD and<br />

networking events.<br />

Saturday – Clinical Education Sessions: Afternoon session across two concurrent<br />

streams (Therapeutic / Clinical Skills). University, Optometry and Hospital led.<br />

Worth 3 CD Pts and 3 General Pt in 2015.<br />

Sunday – Specsavers Clinical Conference: Full day session on a single stream<br />

(Therapeutic and Clinical topics). Ophthalmology led.<br />

Worth 6 CD Pts and 1 General Pts in 2015. Exhibition also in place.<br />

To find out more and to access the SCC Booking Portal (ticket registration and<br />

accommodation), go to spectrum-blog.com/book/SCC<br />

Non-Specsavers Optometrists: to enter into a prize draw<br />

for ten free ticket / flight / accommodation packages, contact<br />

Sinead Convery on +61 427 754 076 or sinead.convery@specsavers.com<br />

When: Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th September <strong>2016</strong><br />

Where:<br />

Theme:<br />

Detail &<br />

Costs:<br />

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre<br />

‘Collaborative Care – a new era in eye health’<br />

Saturday: Clinical Education Sessions<br />

12:00pm to 5:00pm<br />

$150 + GST<br />

Saturday: Welcome Event<br />

Gallery of Modern Art<br />

6:45pm to 10:45pm<br />

Event hosted by the Specsavers<br />

Professional Services team: no charge<br />

Sunday: SCC<br />

7:30am to 6:00pm<br />

$340 + GST<br />

NZ Franchise<br />

System of<br />

the Year<br />

2014<br />

Retail<br />

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Multichannel<br />

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Roy Morgan<br />

Research<br />

No. 1 for eye tests<br />

2014<br />

FCA International<br />

Franchisor<br />

of the Year<br />

2014<br />

FCA Social<br />

Responsibility<br />

Award<br />

2014<br />

FCA Established<br />

Franchisor<br />

of the Year<br />

2013<br />

FCA Excellence<br />

in Marketing<br />

Award Winner<br />

2013<br />

Australian<br />

Retailer<br />

of the Year<br />

2013<br />

Australian<br />

Retail Employer<br />

of the Year<br />

2013<br />

Asia-Pacific Best<br />

Retail Training<br />

Organisation<br />

2013<br />

2 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS <strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong>


New diploma for Foundation<br />

A culmination of three years of hard work means that staff can now receive a<br />

transferable qualification accredited by the NZQA.<br />

O-what a<br />

great month<br />

EDITORIAL<br />

A staff member assists a client during an orientation exercise<br />

BY JAI BREITNAUER<br />

Ask most people what the Blind Foundation<br />

do and they will probably say something<br />

about guide dogs or braille. The truth is they<br />

offer a network of highly trained, specialist support<br />

staff, nationwide, to help people with vision<br />

impairment manage their needs both physically<br />

and emotionally.<br />

This necessary work has always suffered<br />

from one major issue – the flow of staff with<br />

specialist training can wax and wane and even<br />

dry up altogether, making it hard for the Blind<br />

Foundation to predict their staffing needs to meet<br />

future demands.<br />

Learning to navigate outside the home<br />

“Prior to 1990, we recruited our trained staff<br />

from overseas,” says Teresa Bradfield, executive<br />

director of client services. “Having people who<br />

could help people who use our services manage<br />

their daily living needs and getting around safely<br />

was a primary focus for us and we were able to<br />

cherry pick the best performers from Europe and<br />

America.”<br />

Then for a period of time in the ‘90s Massey<br />

University prepared staff with the requisite<br />

qualifications, but financially this was simply<br />

not sustainable for the Blind Foundation. So<br />

the organisation reverted back to the overseas<br />

recruitment model in the early 2000s, but even<br />

overseas the industry was beginning to suffer the<br />

same problems as here in NZ.<br />

With such a small, critical mass of professionals<br />

needed to deliver services, workforce flow and<br />

quality became an issue and the Blind Foundation<br />

found that a lack of available staff – domestically<br />

and internationally – had the potential to impact<br />

the quality of the services they were able to<br />

deliver.<br />

Then in 2013, as part of the NZQA national<br />

qualifications framework shake up, the Blind<br />

Foundation had the chance to work with<br />

Career Force—the country’s Industry Training<br />

Organisation for the health and wellbeing<br />

sectors—to develop a new qualification pathway.<br />

“We’ve had wonderful support from Career<br />

Force,” says professional practice leader<br />

Jane Moore. “We had originally envisaged a<br />

qualification on the NZQA framework that would<br />

take us up to level 6 – a diploma. But with the<br />

help of Career Force our qualification will be<br />

level 7, which is a graduate diploma or Bachelor’s<br />

degree, and some of our critical papers are at the<br />

level 8 standard.”<br />

The graduate diploma has been divided into<br />

four strands to help focus on the area of need.<br />

The Daily Living strand is about providing staff<br />

with the tools to help people who are blind or<br />

have low vision carry out their normal day-to-day<br />

activities. Things that we take for granted, such<br />

as reading labels or pouring fluids, working with<br />

cooking equipment, can be a serious challenge<br />

for those with vision loss. The Technology<br />

and Communication strand is all about the<br />

equipment that can assist the client in having<br />

access to information, keep in touch socially and<br />

participate in reading just as sighted individuals<br />

do. “Technology can be a game changer,” says<br />

Moore, who has been working on the content<br />

of the diploma. “We help clients learn to use<br />

technology like touch screens and braille.”<br />

The Orientation and Mobility strand helps<br />

clients learn to navigate both inside the home<br />

and travel beyond the home, and to use devices<br />

that help them do this, such as GPS. Finally,<br />

the Low Vision Therapy strand is designed<br />

to complement assistance already provided<br />

from other eye and health care professionals,<br />

by helping clients use tools they have been<br />

prescribed in a customised way, specific to their<br />

environment. For example, the Blind Foundation<br />

might help set up a magnifier in a position where<br />

there will be reduced sun-glare.<br />

The ultimate goal is to give clients the tools they<br />

need to live independently in their own home.<br />

Those registered for the diploma can focus on one or<br />

two strands, or part of those strands, depending on<br />

where the predicted need lies.<br />

“We have designed the diploma to be a<br />

qualification you gain while at work,” says Moore.<br />

“You have to be working within the field in order<br />

to study for it and many of our staff members are<br />

over 40; this is the second wave of their career. We<br />

listened to them and felt that studying on the job<br />

was more appropriate for their needs than sending<br />

people back to university.”<br />

The diploma has also been designed so that the<br />

Blind Foundation can predict a future skills deficit,<br />

and fill it by targeting diploma study into the<br />

relevant areas. The diploma is also transferrable to<br />

other care-related industries and can form part of a<br />

building block for a wider qualification. This not only<br />

guarantees a flow of highly qualified staff for the<br />

Blind Foundation, but it offers those studying for the<br />

diploma job security, as well as the wider benefit of<br />

upskilling Kiwis in a way that will be useful even if<br />

they decide to change careers.<br />

“For us, it’s all about identifying core outcomes,<br />

and having a qualification flexible enough to meet<br />

those needs,” says Bradfield. “Demand will influence<br />

how we deliver training and we’re really looking<br />

forward to understanding how that will impact on<br />

our organisation.”<br />

The team at the Blind Foundation are in the last<br />

stages of sign-off with the NZQA and are aiming<br />

to launch the diploma for the academic year<br />

commencing in 2017. They have already received<br />

a high level of interest from their staff and hope<br />

this training opportunity will draw more interested<br />

parties to want to work for the organisation and<br />

raise their profile among other healthcare providers.<br />

“We know there are a significant number of<br />

potential clients out there who never reach<br />

our door,” says Bradfield. “We’d be delighted<br />

to receive more referrals from optometrists<br />

and ophthalmologists working with low vision<br />

patients. We want to collaborate with eye health<br />

professionals to achieve the best outcome for the<br />

client.<br />

“We’re here, feel free to get in touch.”<br />

If you have any questions about the services<br />

provided by the Blind Foundation or want to know<br />

more about the new diploma, call 0800243333 or<br />

visit blindfoundation.org.nz ▀<br />

The brand new boutique offering from<br />

ODMA, the O-Show, kicked off a great<br />

month of events. With its twinkling<br />

fairy-lights and inviting Melbourne docklands<br />

venue, the O-Show created a camaraderie of<br />

feeling that made it a pleasure for delegates,<br />

including yours truly, to attend. We have pics,<br />

stats and all the news from this new event,<br />

including details about some fantastic new<br />

frames coming our way. I even came home with<br />

a fabulous pair of Jono Hennessy’s – thanks<br />

Louise – and a new columnist, the passionate<br />

and exceptionably knowledgeable on allthings-frames<br />

Jo Eaton, who debuts in this<br />

month’s issue.<br />

And then there was RANZCO NZ, our first New<br />

Zealand branch meeting, which was oh so much<br />

more enjoyable than the somewhat daunting<br />

Australasian event in early November last year<br />

– though the daunting’ness of it had as much to<br />

do with my newness to the industry as the size<br />

of the event! What a pleasure to actually spend<br />

some time with the country’s ophthalmologists,<br />

meet some awe-inspiring ophthalmic nurses<br />

and learn about the new technologies out<br />

there. The artificial iris (detailed in the RANZCO<br />

NZ supplement) was simply fascinating.<br />

The Eye Institute also kicked off its seminar<br />

series (in this issue) and Eye Doctors held their<br />

second Grand Round, though we’ll be covering<br />

that next month as there simply wasn’t room to<br />

do it justice this month.<br />

All that coupled with some incredible<br />

achievements by our DOs and optometrists on<br />

the world stage (see news) and O-O-O it has<br />

been a really great month. Happy Helen Keller’s<br />

birthday for the 27 June too. Enjoy. ▀<br />

Stem cell cure for<br />

cataracts in sight<br />

In the world of medicine, regenerative<br />

treatments are somewhat of a holy grail. Still<br />

frustratingly futuristic in their development<br />

however, it’s heartening to know good progress<br />

is being made in certain areas.<br />

One study published in the journal Nature<br />

earlier this year reports how a dozen infants<br />

born with cataracts were successfully treated<br />

as part of a research programme into stem<br />

cell cures. The research, a joint effort between<br />

the University of San Diego and Sun Yat-sen<br />

University in Guangzhou, China, was inspired<br />

by a side effect of implanting artificial lenses to<br />

treat cataracts—the patient’s own cells often<br />

grow over the new lenses, making them cloudy.<br />

Using that basic principle, the team set out to<br />

discover if the body was capable of regenerating<br />

an entire lens.<br />

They began with a series of animal studies to<br />

assess whether lens epithelial stem/progenitor<br />

cells (LECs) that exist naturally in a fully-formed<br />

mammalian eye can produce a new lens. The<br />

results were encouraging and they moved on to<br />

developing a surgical technique they tested on a<br />

variety of animals, including rabbits and macaque<br />

monkeys and then on 12 human babies.<br />

The surgery involved slicing a 1.5mm opening<br />

in the side of the lens capsule and removing the<br />

diseased lens without replacing it, prompting the<br />

eye’s LECs to start growing a new one; a process<br />

that takes around three months. The results have<br />

been very positive, with the first child operated<br />

on two years ago still showing very good vision<br />

and the complication rate seemingly very low<br />

at just 17%, compared to 92% with traditional<br />

replacement surgery, the researchers reported.<br />

Whether this technique can be extended is<br />

Enjoying the company at RANZCO NZ <strong>2016</strong><br />

Lesley Springall, publisher, NZ Optics<br />

A white congenital cataract. (US National Eye Institute)<br />

debatable though as most cataract patients<br />

are quite elderly and so their bodies will have<br />

a naturally lower rate of regeneration, and the<br />

eye may not regenerate at all. Babies born with<br />

cataracts also often have genetic mutations which<br />

could cause the condition to re-occur, but ongoing<br />

monitoring of the current test group is showing a<br />

positive prognosis right now, said researchers.<br />

“This is without doubt one of the most exciting<br />

developments in cataract surgery in many years<br />

– as evidenced by the prominent publication<br />

of the research study in Nature, the most<br />

prestigious journal in the biomedical field,” said<br />

Professor Charles McGhee, senior ophthalmic<br />

surgeon at Auckland City hospital and head of<br />

the Department of Ophthalmology at Auckland<br />

University.<br />

“Whether this pioneering work can be<br />

translated into techniques applicable to adult<br />

cataract remains to be seen, but this may well<br />

provide a new avenue for the management of<br />

congenital cataract.” ▀<br />

For more see Focus on Eye Research p13.<br />

<strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong><br />

NEW ZEALAND OPTICS<br />

3


News<br />

in brief<br />

WHERE ARE MY GLASSES?<br />

A question that may fall out of fashion, thanks to the folks at<br />

iHuman who has launched a new range of ‘adaptable eyewear’<br />

called FindMe, which allows you to find your glasses, thanks to a<br />

simple smartphone application. Even more impressive, the system<br />

works both ways, allowing your glasses to find your phone if you<br />

lose it. Using the FindMe app and the integrated radar system, your<br />

phone shows you the direction of your misplaced glasses, while a<br />

button activates a buzzer present in the frame.<br />

PHOTOBIOMODULATION IMPROVES BCVA<br />

LumiThera announced a significant improvement in visual acuity,<br />

contrast sensitivity and retinal drusen volume in patients with dry<br />

age-related macular degeneration when treated with non-invasive<br />

photobiomodulation, according to study results presented at<br />

ARVO. Over a three-week course, an LED light comprising of red<br />

(670 nm), yellow (590 nm) and infrared (790 nm) was applied to 24<br />

subjects’ eyes. Researchers found a statistically significant mean<br />

improvement in both ETDRS BCVA of +5.9 letters and contrast<br />

sensitivity +0.11 log units at three cycles per degree, which lasted<br />

for three months.<br />

SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN CME POST CATARACT SURGERY<br />

Investigators from Imprimis Pharmaceuticals announced positive<br />

clinical study results with its triamcinolone acetonide, moxifloxacin<br />

HCl and vancomycin dropless therapy formation in patients after<br />

cataract surgery at the ASCRS. The study prospectively compared<br />

rates of post-operative cystoid macular oedema (CME) using<br />

traditional steroid and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drops<br />

with triamcinolone acetonide, moxifloxacin HCl and vancomycin<br />

dropless therapy (Tri-Moxi-Vanc) combined with an NSAID drop,<br />

in a total of 1,200 consecutive surgeries. In the 600 patients in the<br />

historical group using NSAID and steroid drops, the CME rate was<br />

1.5%, while in the other group, the CME rate was 0.5%.<br />

BLINDNESS EXPECTED TO DOUBLE BY 2050<br />

The number of Americans with visual impairment or blindness<br />

is expected to double to more than 8 million by 2050, according<br />

to projections and studies funded by the National Eye Institute,<br />

with another 16.4 million expected to have difficulty seeing due<br />

to correctable refractive errors such as myopia or hyperopia.<br />

Researchers estimated 1 million Americans were legally blind<br />

in 2015.<br />

FLYING EYE-DOCTORS LAUNCHED<br />

Orbis has launched–quite literally–the world’s only mobile<br />

ophthalmic teaching hospital located on an MD-10 aircraft. A<br />

culmination of six-years of work, the Orbis plane features stateof-the-art<br />

technologies to allow surgeon volunteers to teach<br />

physicians in developing countries about treatments and safety<br />

standards for cataract, glaucoma, refractive errors, diabetes-related<br />

conditions, strabismus and more. The hospital is the only nonland-based<br />

hospital that has been accredited by the American<br />

Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities<br />

International. The new teaching facility was unveiled on 2 June and<br />

is currently touring the US before departing to Asia to conduct its<br />

inaugural programme in Shenyang, China this September.<br />

META-LENSES SET TO REVOLUTIONISE OPTICS<br />

Researchers from Harvard University have developed a new type<br />

of flat lens that could replace more cumbersome curved glass<br />

optics currently used in a wide range of imaging appliances. The<br />

planar lens is capable of processing images of objects smaller than<br />

even the best microscopes, using a titanium dioxide-based array<br />

of nanostructures. The new optic, called a metalense, also has<br />

better focusing power than traditional glass lenses and measures a<br />

fraction of a millimetre in thickness. Researchers say the technology<br />

could have applications in virtual reality headsets, space telescopes<br />

and even contact lenses.<br />

ESSILOR AWARD<br />

Essilor was named No.5 in Newsweek’s <strong>2016</strong> Green Rankings, which<br />

assess the overall environmental performance of the 500 largest<br />

publicly traded companies in the US and the 500 largest publicly<br />

traded companies globally. In a statement announcing the placing,<br />

Essilor said it had reduced water consumption by 40% and energy<br />

consumption by 22% in its mass production plants over the last<br />

seven years.<br />

GLAUCOMA REPORT KEY FINDINGS ANNOUNCED<br />

Spending on glaucoma drugs is expected to surpass US$6 billion<br />

globally by the end of <strong>2016</strong> according to the just released Glaucoma<br />

Drugs Market: <strong>2016</strong> – 2030 report. Generic variants of glaucoma<br />

drugs, such as Latanoprost, continue to gain traction as patents of<br />

innovator formulations expire. New glaucoma R&D programmes<br />

are primarily focused on ROCK (Rho Kinase) inhibitors, adenosine<br />

agonists and NO (Nitric Oxide) donors, among other therapies.<br />

Some drug developers are also investing in sustained release<br />

product candidates, for existing prostaglandin analogues and other<br />

drugs, to address the issue of non-adherence. ▀<br />

Changes afoot at GenOp<br />

Brad Saffin, GenOp ANZ country managing director<br />

General Optical, one of New<br />

Zealand’s leading suppliers of<br />

eyewear and services to the<br />

country’s independent optometry sector<br />

is closing its Christchurch-based New<br />

Zealand office to improve its focus on<br />

New Zealand.<br />

“This change will give us greater capacity<br />

to meet the needs of our New Zealand<br />

customers by leveraging our significant<br />

resources based in our Sydney office,”<br />

New low vision clinic<br />

A<br />

new, private low vision clinic has<br />

launched at Southern Eye Specialists<br />

in Christchurch, to meet client<br />

demand. The clinic, which launched in April,<br />

is being run by Merivale optometrist John<br />

Veale, who has worked with low vision<br />

patients since 1986.<br />

“The current waiting time for the free<br />

clinic I run is about six weeks,” said Veale.<br />

“There was a demand for a private clinic<br />

with a shorter wait time and Dr Jim<br />

Borthwick asked me to be involved.”<br />

Dr Borthwick admits to being very<br />

interested in the area of low vision and has<br />

been using a MAIA microperimetry machine<br />

for around 18 months with very promising<br />

results. Only the second machine of its<br />

type in New Zealand, the MAIA machine<br />

is used for visual function diagnosis and<br />

improvement and in clinical trials has<br />

shown itself to be particularly useful when<br />

a patient has good visual acuity that gives<br />

little clue to an underlying problem.<br />

“I bought the machine to use in the<br />

2RT trial we are currently running with<br />

age-related Macular Degeneration (MD)<br />

patients, as it provides very accurate<br />

and repeatable test results,” explains Dr<br />

Borthwick. “But I have been very pleased<br />

with the scope of usefulness of the<br />

machine.”<br />

One key area of use for the MAIA machine<br />

is retraining MD patients to use the edge of<br />

their vision to read.<br />

“The machine tests how well a patient<br />

Luxottica closes Sydney distribution<br />

The distribution centre (DC) for Luxottica<br />

in Sydney will close from November<br />

this year.<br />

In a statement announcing the closure in<br />

early June, the president of optical retail,<br />

Australia and New Zealand, Anthea Muir<br />

said: “At Luxottica we are constantly looking<br />

at ways to improve our effectiveness and in<br />

turn, serve our customers more quickly and<br />

efficiently. On a local level, this means better<br />

leveraging our master distribution hub in<br />

Dongguan, China, allowing us to centralise<br />

and strengthen our service to the important<br />

Asia-Pacific region.<br />

“Bringing the regional work into a single<br />

facility will give us a tighter footprint and<br />

ensure a strong position in stock levels<br />

at all times, a critical tool in serving the<br />

customer.”<br />

Currently, the wholesale side of the<br />

business is served directly from the Asia-<br />

explains Brad Saffin, Australia and New<br />

Zealand country managing director of<br />

General Optical.<br />

New Zealand customers will still have<br />

support and product supplied through a<br />

New Zealand-based sales team and product<br />

will continue to be shipped from Sydney. But<br />

the New Zealand customer service line will<br />

now be answered by the customer service<br />

team based in Sydney, which should improve<br />

service by directly connecting New Zealand<br />

optometry practices to GenOp’s main office<br />

in Sydney, says Saffin.<br />

The changes came into effect on 1 June,<br />

but the company’s still working through<br />

some of the details with its yet-to-be<br />

finalised New Zealand-based sales team.<br />

GenOp has also informed its existing New<br />

Zealand customers of the changes in person<br />

and via email, says Saffin, and has received<br />

positive feedback for the changes.<br />

The company is not just a frames supplier,<br />

stressed Saffin, but prefers to consider itself a<br />

partner to independent optometry practices,<br />

providing a comprehensive integrated supply<br />

chain, including practice management<br />

software, a broad range of product offerings,<br />

marketing support and educational training.<br />

“General Optical offers a comprehensive<br />

holds fixation,” says Dr<br />

Borthwick. “The machine can<br />

assess the area with the least<br />

degeneration, that is most<br />

visually sensitive, and you can<br />

train patients to look in that<br />

direction – to use the edge of<br />

their vision, rather than their<br />

central vision, to read.”<br />

After 10 sessions with the<br />

MAIA, patients are referred to<br />

John Veale’s low vision clinic for<br />

further visual rehabilitation.<br />

“I’ve developed a piece of<br />

acetate with a clock on it. The<br />

hands point in the direction<br />

the patient needs to look, and<br />

they can place it on their TV,<br />

book or device at home and it<br />

shows them where to look,” says<br />

Veale who has been using these<br />

methods for a number of years<br />

in his free clinic, which is run in<br />

conjunction with the Lighthouse<br />

Vision Trust.<br />

Combining his methods with<br />

the MAIA machine, Veale says<br />

he’s hoping to achieve faster<br />

and more measurable results<br />

with patients who can then be<br />

accurately monitored.<br />

The clinic at Southern Eye Specialists is<br />

a fortnightly programme, taking place on<br />

Friday afternoons in their current building.<br />

As well as providing patients with expertise<br />

Pacific hub in China, while the retail side is<br />

housed at the Sydney Revesby Distribution<br />

Centre. The centre has been in operation<br />

since 2004. All employees at the centre will<br />

be provided with outplacement services,<br />

said the company and, where possible,<br />

offered opportunities within Luxottica<br />

business solution for our customers. We offer<br />

a supply and fit programme which reduces<br />

costs from the supply chain and helps<br />

customers compete with bigger retailers.”<br />

Through its parent company, VSP Global—a<br />

US-based group of five complementary<br />

businesses combining eye care insurance,<br />

high-fashion eyewear, customised lenses,<br />

ophthalmic technology and retail solutions—<br />

GenOp is at the forefront of innovation in the<br />

wearable market, says Saffin. “We are also<br />

continuing to look at ways we can work with<br />

optometry to increase the consumer’s focus<br />

on the value of comprehensive eye care.<br />

“General Optical has a lot to offer<br />

independent optometry and is committed<br />

to both the Australian and New Zealand<br />

market. As the optometric landscape<br />

continues to evolve, it’s important that we<br />

work together as an industry to find creative<br />

solutions. We’re looking forward to continuing<br />

to work with our customers in New Zealand<br />

as we further expand our support for them<br />

and are enthusiastic about the future of eye<br />

care in both New Zealand and Australia.”<br />

GenOp’s brands include Airlock, Calvin<br />

Klein, Chloe, Skaga, Salvatore Ferragamo,<br />

Dragon, Jones New York, Bebe, Joseph<br />

Abboud, Etnia, Pilgrim and Nike. ▀<br />

and advice for how they can make the most<br />

of their vision, Veale also provides living<br />

skills assessments and guidance on low<br />

vision aids. The clinic also supplies a number<br />

of these aids to patients. ▀<br />

Retail Australia.<br />

“Over the coming months, a global team<br />

will be working on the transition to supply<br />

Luxottica inventories from our distribution<br />

centre in China and will work with local<br />

suppliers to maintain our highest standards<br />

of service,” said Muir. ▀<br />

www.nzoptics.co.nz | PO Box 106954, Auckland 1143 | New Zealand<br />

For general enquiries, please email info@nzoptics.co.nz<br />

For editorial and classifieds, please contact Jai Breitnauer, editor, on 022 424 9322 or editor@nzoptics.co.nz.<br />

For advertising, marketing, the OIG and everything else, please contact Lesley Springall, publisher, on 027 445 3543 or lesley@<br />

nzoptics.co.nz.<br />

To submit artwork, or to query a graphic, please email lesley@nzoptics.co.nz.<br />

NZ Optics magazine is the industry publication for New Zealand’s ophthalmic community. It is published monthly, 11 times<br />

a year, by New Zealand Optics 2015 Ltd. Copyright is held by NZ Optics 2015 Ltd. As well as the magazine and the website,<br />

NZ Optics publishes the annual New Zealand Optical Information Guide (OIG), a comprehensive listing guide that profiles the<br />

products and services of the industry. NZ Optics is an independent publication and has no affiliation with any organisations. The<br />

views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of NZ Optics (2015) Ltd.<br />

4 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS <strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong>


©<strong>2016</strong> NIKE, INC.<br />

Become a stockist today<br />

Toll Free 0800 141 444<br />

generaloptical.co.nz<br />

enquiries@genop.co.nz<br />

<strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong><br />

NEW ZEALAND OPTICS<br />

5


First Kiwi DO Fellow<br />

for European Academy<br />

Gold medals for Kiwi<br />

optometrist<br />

Nicholas Black, a Kiwi dispensing optician<br />

now living in the UK, is the first New<br />

Zealander and only the fourth dispensing<br />

optician to be made a Fellow of the European<br />

Academy of Optometry and Optics (EAOO) as a<br />

recognition of his services in low vision and contact<br />

lenses.<br />

He said it was a proud moment to be<br />

acknowledged among his peers for the wide range<br />

of services that can be provided as a dispensing<br />

optician. “It acts to highlight our role and broaden<br />

the potential for what we can do at a time when<br />

the optometrist is taking on greater roles in the UK.<br />

We need to be right alongside them offering our<br />

support and taking on additional roles to expand<br />

our presence, but also free them up so as a group we<br />

deliver even better care and services.”<br />

EAOO fellowship applicants have to apply<br />

within four categories: Clinical Practice using case<br />

records (up to five if solely case records); Research;<br />

Education; and Professional Advancement and/or<br />

Management of visual healthcare. Black submitted<br />

a case record of a bioptic spectacle for a low<br />

vision patient plus evidence of involvement in all<br />

the other categories, including clinical research<br />

within practice research on new contact lenses,<br />

solutions and studies; education through delivery<br />

of continuing education and training to peers and<br />

colleagues at a practice, local and national level; and<br />

professional advancement through local enhanced<br />

service pathways for optometrists and dispensing<br />

opticians and nationally through committees and<br />

representation of the profession.<br />

Nick Black (third from right) and other new EAOO fellows at the <strong>2016</strong> Berlin conference<br />

“A significant number of fellows have been<br />

predominantly academic in background, so it was<br />

great to see more practitioners who spend most of<br />

the day delivering at the coalface,” he said.<br />

Black has an impressive optical pedigree from New<br />

Zealand. He’s the grandson of Reg Black, founding<br />

optometrist of Black Gates Meek & Dong in Lower<br />

Hutt, son of retired dispensing optician Morris Black,<br />

also from Lower Hutt, nephew of Eyeline Optical’s<br />

Brian Black and cousin of Wellington optometrist<br />

Andrew Black.<br />

He attended Victoria University, worked with<br />

Prolab in Wellington before moving to the UK<br />

for his big OE, where he moved from laboratory<br />

technician to DO, specialising in contact lens fitting<br />

and low vision. He’s now a director-shareholder<br />

and CEO of award-winning independent practice<br />

BBR Optometry in Hereford, on the Welsh borders<br />

in England, where he lives with his wife and three<br />

children.<br />

As to the future, he said, his practice has just had<br />

a major refit so he’s busy reviewing how to improve<br />

the business’ service and experience for patients<br />

with his fellow directors and 20 staff, he continues<br />

to provide specialist lens services at his local<br />

hospital, including scleral and keratoconic lenses,<br />

and he’s looking to take on a bigger role with the<br />

Association of British Dispensing Opticians.<br />

• Editor’s note: Congratulations Nick. Perhaps<br />

we’ll be lucky enough to welcome you back<br />

home one day to discuss how more DOs can<br />

become involved in contact lenses and low<br />

vision in New Zealand? ▀<br />

Odette Smith celebrates an award winning lift in Hobart, Australia<br />

When Odette Smith signed up for a<br />

personal trainer at the gym three years<br />

ago, she had no idea it would lead to an<br />

international championship title and a couple of<br />

gold medals to boot.<br />

“I used to have a personal trainer every eight<br />

weeks,” says Smith, an optometrist at OPSM<br />

Queen Street in Auckland. “He got into Olympic<br />

weightlifting and suggested I try it too.”<br />

Smith found her small stature was an advantage—<br />

the smaller you are, the less distance you have to<br />

lift the bar—and was excited to find many other<br />

women involved in the sport.<br />

“I went to my first club competition at<br />

Functional Strength Olympic Gym in Albany<br />

about two years ago and met Richie Patterson, a<br />

two-time Olympian and commonwealth games<br />

medallist,” says Smith. “He coached a team of<br />

mostly women and I decided to join.”<br />

Smith competed first in regional competitions,<br />

then national. The format is always the same—you<br />

get three chances at the snatch, lifting the barbell<br />

in one continuous motion from the floor to above<br />

your head; and then three chances at the clean and<br />

jerk, where the weightlifter raises the barbell to<br />

their clavicle and then pushes it above their head<br />

in a second movement. Results are calculated by<br />

taking the two best scores from the lifts, taking into<br />

consideration the lifter’s weight and age if over 35.<br />

“My first international competition was in April<br />

this year, the World Masters’ Cup in Tokyo,” says<br />

Smith. “I was fine until I turned up at the Olympic<br />

arena and saw them building the stage. Then I<br />

freaked out!”<br />

Smith recovered and not only held it together,<br />

but went on to win the gold in the 58kg, 35-39 age<br />

division.<br />

At the start of June, she attended her second<br />

international competition, the <strong>2016</strong> Olitek Oceania<br />

and Australian Masters Championships and Pacific<br />

Rim Tournament in Hobart, and picked up gold in<br />

both competitions for the 53kg 35-39 age division.<br />

“Since I started lifting two and a half years ago<br />

I have set 24 New Zealand masters records. On 5<br />

June I set a new New Zealand snatch record. I am<br />

currently ranked number three in female masters<br />

lifters in New Zealand, across all ages 35 plus and<br />

weight categories.”<br />

Smith also says that at 38, she’s in the best shape<br />

she’s ever been and it’s never too late to take up a<br />

new sport.<br />

“There’s a woman at my gym who is a real<br />

inspiration. She started weightlifting at 50 and now,<br />

at 55, is in her best shape ever and is competing. The<br />

weightlifting community is really supportive and<br />

friendly, I love it.”<br />

Smith is now training for the North Island<br />

championships in October and the World Masters<br />

Games, which will be held in Auckland in 2017.<br />

We wish her luck! ▀<br />

Transitions turns teacher<br />

The 4 days of Optics<br />

23 - 26 September <strong>2016</strong><br />

LIVE THE EXPERIENCE<br />

silmoparis.com<br />

In the run up to spring and summer,<br />

Transitions Optical’s new Australasian<br />

marketing programme will focus<br />

on educating consumers and eye care<br />

professionals on the risks of harmful blue<br />

light from the sun and from devices.<br />

From <strong>Jul</strong>y, eye care professionals<br />

in New Zealand and Australia will<br />

have access to educational materials<br />

which explain sources of harmful<br />

blue light indoors and outdoors, the<br />

implications of prolonged exposure and<br />

how Transitions lenses can provide a<br />

measure of protection.<br />

“Often associated exclusively with<br />

electronic devices and screens, what<br />

most people don’t realise is that<br />

the sun is the single largest source<br />

of harmful blue light, scattering it<br />

through the atmosphere and emitting<br />

significantly higher levels than<br />

electronic devices and screens,” said<br />

John Ligas, vice-president research and<br />

development, Transitions Optical.<br />

“In fact, depending on the time of day,<br />

a majority of visible light outdoors is blue<br />

light which explains why the sky is blue.”<br />

All Transitions lenses filter harmful<br />

blue light in all conditions, said the<br />

company. Transitions Signature VII<br />

lenses filter at least 20% of harmful<br />

blue light indoors, up to two times<br />

more than standard clear lenses,<br />

and more than 85% outdoors when<br />

Transitions Signature lenses filter harmful blue light indoors<br />

activated. While Transitions XTRActive<br />

filter at least 34% of harmful blue light<br />

indoors and 88-95% outdoors.<br />

The consumer education programme<br />

will focus on the harmful effects of blue<br />

light, building on Transitions’ Ready, Set,<br />

Live, campaign which began in March<br />

this year and has been seen by more<br />

than six million consumers to date.<br />

“We began <strong>2016</strong> talking to consumers<br />

about the fact that better vision can<br />

enhance their enjoyment of every day<br />

life and their performance of activities<br />

they love doing. Now we want to help<br />

glasses wearers better understand<br />

photochromic lenses, how they work<br />

and the important health benefits they<br />

provide beyond vision correction,” said<br />

Stuart Cannon, Transitions Optical’s<br />

general manager, Asia Pacific. ▀<br />

6 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS <strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong>


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To register, please visit:<br />

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<strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong><br />

NEW ZEALAND OPTICS<br />

7


SPECIAL FEATURE: RANZCO NZ BRANCH SCIENTIFIC MEETING<br />

Notes from the<br />

lecture hall<br />

From the chair<br />

BY DR STEPHEN NG, RANZCO NZ EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN<br />

The Dunedin Annual Scientific Meeting of<br />

the New Zealand Branch of RANZCO was a<br />

great success on many fronts. It was well<br />

attended by both ophthalmologists and registrars<br />

from throughout the country. In addition, there<br />

was a full programme and very good attendance<br />

at the parallel Ophthalmic Nurses’ Conference.<br />

I was impressed that the convenors had invited<br />

three very impressive keynote speakers: Professor<br />

Andrew Lotery from Portsmouth, Professor Glen<br />

Gole from Brisbane and Dr Mark Chehade from<br />

Adelaide. For me, the highlight of the conference<br />

was the breadth and depth of their presentations<br />

on “cutting edge” topics in ophthalmology. For<br />

example, Professor Lotery’s talk on the genetic<br />

factors in age-related macular degeneration<br />

linked two subjects that will be the prime areas<br />

of research in ophthalmology. Professor Gole’s<br />

presentations on treatment of amblyopia and<br />

progressive myopia in children referenced an<br />

evidence base which has not previously been<br />

available in paediatric ophthalmology. While Dr<br />

Chehade’s presentation on strategies to overcome<br />

workforce issues is very pertinent in New Zealand<br />

and generated brisk discussion from the audience.<br />

The New Zealand Branch of RANZCO’s Annual<br />

Scientific Meeting is also an important forum for<br />

updating fellows and trainees on College issues.<br />

RANZCO increasingly is undertaking an advocacy<br />

role on issues that affect our patients. Two current<br />

issues for the New Zealand Branch of RANZCO<br />

are the “Choosing Wisely” campaign, that aims to<br />

establish guidelines for our profession and allied<br />

professions to highlight wasteful, ineffective<br />

procedures and investigations; and secondly,<br />

the New Zealand Branch of RANZCO is planning<br />

a campaign to highlight the impact on patients<br />

who are not being seen in a timely fashion for<br />

follow-up care in public hospital ophthalmology<br />

departments.<br />

On behalf of all attendees, I wish to thank the<br />

convenors of the conference; Drs Mary-Jane Sime,<br />

Logan Mitchell and Casey Ung, for all their hard<br />

work and tremendous hospitality.<br />

Finally, I look forward to seeing as many of you<br />

as possible at the 2017 New Zealand Branch<br />

RANZCO Annual Scientific Meeting in Paihia on<br />

12 - 13 May 2017.<br />

Regards<br />

Stephen<br />

BY SAMANTHA SIMKIN*<br />

The New Zealand Annual Branch Meeting<br />

of the Royal Australian and New Zealand<br />

College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO)<br />

convened in the Dunedin Town Hall on a crisp,<br />

clear Otago day. The leaves were beginning to<br />

change in The Octagon and the bracing air awoke<br />

the senses. The strength and beauty of the Victorian<br />

buildings evoked the scholarly mind as delegates<br />

from near and far, North and South New Zealand<br />

and overseas gathered together.<br />

A wonderful two-day scientific programme was<br />

organised for the ophthalmologists for which the<br />

convenors, Drs Logan Mitchell, Mary Jane Sime and<br />

Casey Ung, expressed their gratitude to Professor<br />

Charles McGhee for his input and guidance.<br />

Concurrent programmes for ophthalmic nurses<br />

and ophthalmic technicians were also held in the<br />

Dunedin Town Hall.<br />

We were welcomed into the warm and inviting<br />

Glenroy Auditorium for the <strong>2016</strong> meeting, themed<br />

The developing eye, developing techniques and<br />

developing therapies, by New Zealand Branch chair<br />

Dr Stephen Ng.<br />

To cover this interesting and broad topic base<br />

three keynote speakers were invited: Professor<br />

Andrew Lotery, professor of ophthalmology in<br />

medicine at the University of Southampton,<br />

a clinician scientist who works from bench to<br />

bedside on common causes of blindness including<br />

age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma;<br />

Professor Glen Gole, director of ophthalmology at<br />

the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital and Children’s<br />

Health Queensland, who has special interests<br />

in retinopathy of prematurity, vision screening<br />

and paediatric low vision; and Dr Mark Chehade,<br />

Samantha Simkin, Naz Raoaf with Drs Shuan Dai and Stuart Carroll<br />

principal ophthalmologist at the North Adelaide<br />

Eye Centre and director of the Cornea and External<br />

Disease Unit of the Royal Adelaide Hospital.<br />

Developing eyes: ROP and amblyopia<br />

Paediatric ophthalmology had a wonderful platform<br />

at this general ophthalmology meeting, with the<br />

importance of paediatric eye care being highlighted<br />

in a number of sessions.<br />

Professor Glen Gole was the first of many speakers<br />

to discuss retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) with the<br />

inquisitive title, ROP – is it all Retcam and Avastin<br />

from now on? He discussed the new developments<br />

and compared them to current practice, expressing<br />

the need to develop whilst maintaining standards<br />

with the epidemic of ROP particularly in middle<br />

income countries.<br />

Dr Malcolm Battin, clinical director of neonatology<br />

at Auckland District Health Board followed Glen<br />

Gole’s comprehensive ROP review. Dr Battin<br />

brought a different and eye opening perspective<br />

of the neonate as a whole, reminding us they aim<br />

for quality of outcome as well as survival in these<br />

vulnerable infants.<br />

CONTINUED ON P10<br />

RANZCO NZ chairman Dr Stephen Ng presents Dr Peiyun Wang with the<br />

award for Best Scientific Presentation by a junior ophthalmologist<br />

Dr Shaun Dai, Samantha Simkin, Professor Glen Gole and Dr Malcolm<br />

Battin<br />

Toomac’s Mark Taylor and Ian MacFarlane<br />

Ros Pearce, Nina Molteno and Professor Anthony Molteno<br />

- Perfect 3 dimensional control of<br />

every intravitreal injection<br />

Walieka Barlon, Jenny Ryan and Carol Slight<br />

- Single handed sharps safety<br />

- The only intravitreal injection system<br />

compliant with international legislation<br />

on the use of sharp safe devices<br />

- Streamlined workflow<br />

Jan Chai and Lumenis’ Brock Flowers<br />

is now available in procedure packs<br />

Contact Toomac Ophthalmics for a demonstration mark@toomac.co.nz<br />

info@salarsurgical.co.uk<br />

Dr Logan Robinson with Chris Money and Mark Thorndyke from Zeiss<br />

8 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS <strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong>


It’s all in<br />

You make every move with the<br />

utmost care and consideration.<br />

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New Zealand: Abbott Medical Optics (AMO Australia Pty Ltd) PO Box 401, Shortland Street, Auckland, 1140. ©<strong>2016</strong> Abbott Medical Optics Inc. | www.AbbottMedicalOptics.com <strong>Jul</strong>y | PP<strong>2016</strong>CT0711 NEW ZEALAND | WH20283 OPTICS<br />

9


SPECIAL FEATURE: RANZCO NZ BRANCH SCIENTIFIC MEETING<br />

Convenor Dr Logan Mitchell (right) thanks keynote Dr Mark Chehade<br />

CONTINUED FROM P8<br />

Dr Shuan Dai, a consultant ophthalmologist with<br />

Eye Doctors and Greenlane Hospital in Auckland,<br />

presented the new New Zealand guidelines for<br />

the screening and treatment of ROP, while Dr<br />

Justin Mora, a consultant ophthalmologist with<br />

Eye Doctors and Greenlane Hospital in Auckland,<br />

shared the results of the International Paediatric<br />

Ophthalmology and Strabismus Council survey of<br />

worldwide trends in ROP. Dr Mora’s presentation<br />

showed the alarming trend of ROP growing in<br />

middle income countries and the concern that this<br />

same trend could occur in lower income countries as<br />

their neonatal care improves.<br />

As ROP is almost always a preventable cause of<br />

blindness, it was encouraging to see the work going<br />

on both nationally and internationally.<br />

Amblyopia was also well covered, firstly by<br />

Professor Gole and then Dr Ben Thompson, adjunct<br />

professor at the Department of Ophthalmology at<br />

McGill University, who Skyped in from Canada for<br />

his session.<br />

Dr Thompson presented on novel binocular<br />

treatments for amblyopia including a modified<br />

tetris game and non-invasive brain stimulation.<br />

Encouragingly randomised control trials with the<br />

tetris game have begun as a possible treatment<br />

for amblyopia. The neuro-scientific basis of his<br />

presentation challenged us to think of why and<br />

how we treat as we do. An extremely interesting<br />

body of work presented beautifully from the other<br />

side of the world.<br />

Professor Gole wrapped up his keynote<br />

presentations on the developing eye with<br />

conversation on the appropriate correction of<br />

childhood refractive errors. He emphasised<br />

the need to cycloplege all children for accurate<br />

refraction, the importance of dynamic retinoscopy<br />

for near prescribing and the worrying increase<br />

in myopia worldwide. Professor Gole shared his<br />

solution to this workforce issue, the Paediatric<br />

Optometry Alignment Pilot Project. Optometrists<br />

interested in paediatrics could be up-skilled<br />

and become allied providers. The alignment<br />

project brings unity between optometry and<br />

ophthalmology, aids patients to transition<br />

smoothly from diagnosis to glasses and<br />

maximises the workforce skills available. The<br />

presentation was honest, to the point, and driven<br />

with a passion for seeing patients looked after.<br />

Developing techniques<br />

Developing techniques is often what draws us all<br />

together at conference, the desire to do more for<br />

our patients, to achieve better, to fix more and<br />

thus, many great talks fell into this category.<br />

Ophthalmic imaging is core to ophthalmic<br />

Janette McLeod showing Allergan’s new app<br />

practice. Dr David Squirrell, from Greenlane<br />

Hospital in Auckland and Milford Eye Clinic,<br />

presented a fascinating review of the importance<br />

of choroid imaging, questioning the role<br />

of the choroid in chronic macular disease<br />

pathophysiology. It was an enlightened talk that<br />

made many people stop and think about their<br />

practice and understanding of “everyday diseases”<br />

such as age-related macular degeneration.<br />

Dr Chehade, our keynote speaker from Adelaide,<br />

and Dr Brian Kent-Smith, from Eye Specialists<br />

Whangarei and Northland DHB, discussed<br />

developing techniques for workforce management.<br />

Dr Chehade shared his insights and queries of<br />

what the future of ophthalmology will look like.<br />

This included electronic health records, medical<br />

scribes, increasing patient load and decreasing<br />

funds, which all combined to give an emotive<br />

and topical presentation that kept many people<br />

talking afterwards, both privately and in open<br />

discussion in the large auditorium. Dr Kent-<br />

Smith talked about his personal experience of<br />

upskilling nursing staff. His technique was to<br />

offer varying, interesting roles to nurses allowing<br />

them to rotate through theatre, clinic and pre/<br />

post-op in any given week. Team morale and<br />

job satisfaction results in better outcomes for<br />

patients, consistency for surgeons—due to less<br />

staff turnover—and a nicer work environment.<br />

Two great talks on a topic that affects us all.<br />

Many more interesting techniques were<br />

discussed throughout the conference. Dr Jo<br />

Sims, of Auckland Eye and Greenlane Hospital<br />

in Auckland, gave an interesting talk titled<br />

Something old, something new, something<br />

borrowed, something blue. The take-home<br />

information was the astounding new data of<br />

gut microbe effects on our overall health and<br />

thus eye conditions. The developing technique<br />

of nanosecond laser for age-related macular<br />

degeneration treatment was presented Dr David<br />

Worsley of Hamilton Eye Clinic, who shared his<br />

experience and specific technique.<br />

Developing treatments: from lab to clinic<br />

Talk of new treatments always causes the ears to<br />

prick and the heart to patter; the idea of making<br />

the blind see is an inspiration for many of us, and<br />

RANZCO Dunedin was littered with lectures that<br />

made this inspiration seem a lot closer.<br />

Professor Lotery described how ophthalmology<br />

is at the forefront in genetics because<br />

ophthalmologists are great phenotypers and<br />

“good phenotyping allows for good genotyping”.<br />

However, just finding the genes is not enough.<br />

The development of gene therapy for genetic<br />

conditions is needed. Professor Lotery then went on<br />

to inspire the audience with the story of Lancelot, a<br />

Briard sheep dog with Leber’s congenital amaurosis<br />

(LCA), who following a single treatment of gene<br />

therapy in one eye was able to see and continues<br />

to see. This same treatment for LCA is continuing to<br />

Phase III clinical trials in humans. Professor Lotery<br />

also left us with the question, “but what about the<br />

‘common’ folk?”; those diseases that affect a large<br />

number of people coming through our clinics, such<br />

as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), could<br />

gene therapy be the answer?<br />

AMD had a further spotlight with Dr Andrew<br />

Thompson from Tauranga Eye Specialists<br />

presenting his research into the availability of<br />

Avastin throughout New Zealand. Disparity in<br />

availability was noted even when population<br />

demographics were taken into account. The<br />

presentation was met with lively discussion<br />

and debate, summed up by Dr Thompson thus:<br />

“to reach a desirable future where all who need<br />

treatment have access, three things are required:<br />

a national planning strategy, adequate funding<br />

and patient advocacy for change.”<br />

Professor Lotery returned on Saturday morning<br />

to again excite the delegates with interesting<br />

new treatments. This time he was talking<br />

about non-neovascular macular diseases and<br />

pharmacological treatments. Fascinating results<br />

were presented for eplerenone for central serous<br />

retinopathy and lampalizumab for geographic<br />

atrophy. Ongoing clinical trials are underway, so<br />

watch this space.<br />

Personal highlights<br />

There are always sessions at conference that stay<br />

in your memory. For me, there were two this year.<br />

Firstly, the eloquent and entertaining Gordon<br />

Sanderson, associate professor, ophthalmology at<br />

the University of Otago, who presented his journey<br />

through 40-plus years of ophthalmic teaching.<br />

This was a light-hearted, memory-filled journey<br />

of Gordon’s experience from first arriving in New<br />

Zealand to the present day. Photos accompanied<br />

his wonderful anecdotes with many familiar<br />

faces popping up along the way, many capturing<br />

members of the audiences’ much younger selves!<br />

Through the hilarity some pearls of wisdom were<br />

included: undergraduates need to be entertained to<br />

keep their focus; students and registrars appreciate<br />

your interest in them as people; and registrars need<br />

to know how to refract.<br />

My second highlight was the rapid fire/free<br />

paper session. Presenters included registrars, an<br />

optometrist, ophthalmologists and a public health<br />

physician. Topics ranged from bench to bedside<br />

and everywhere in between. Health economics,<br />

surgical and clinical techniques, atropine and SLT<br />

treatment, imaging and thought-provoking case<br />

reports. The standard of presentations was high<br />

with well-considered and inquisitive questions from<br />

the floor to both aid and guide research endeavours<br />

in the future. The collegial support of the junior<br />

presenters was felt by all.<br />

Developing friendships<br />

Although there was a plethora of interesting<br />

content and discussion at RANZCO there was also<br />

a great social atmosphere where friendships, old<br />

and new, were developed and rekindled. The Friday<br />

evening welcome function was held in the main<br />

hall of The Dunedin Centre amongst the exhibitors.<br />

Drinks, nibbles, the largest pipe organ in New<br />

Zealand and a beautiful acapella group added to<br />

the warm and friendly atmosphere. While on the<br />

Saturday evening conference attendees were given<br />

a real treat at the conference dinner. The Toitu<br />

Otago Settlers Museum was lit up as we arrived<br />

for drinks and then, when it was time for dinner,<br />

we were able to meander through the stunning<br />

displays of vehicles, outfits and images depicting<br />

the life and times of the Otago region. We were<br />

then entertained by a Lion Dance from the Otago<br />

Southland Chinese Association, featuring Dr<br />

Casey Ung’s own children, and were treated to a<br />

wonderful, thought-provoking presentation from<br />

“that blind woman” <strong>Jul</strong>ie Woods, a Dunedin local<br />

who is challenging the perception of blind people<br />

worldwide. Mix that with delicious food, great<br />

company and dancing and it was a wonderful<br />

evening.<br />

In summary Dunedin RANZCO <strong>2016</strong> was a<br />

collegial, interesting, and thought-provoking<br />

event. A conference that fed our brains, bellies<br />

and friendships. I can’t wait for the next one. ▀<br />

* Samantha Simkin is a therapeutically qualified optometrist<br />

from the University of Auckland. She is currently pursuing<br />

her PhD in the Department of Ophthalmology with a focus<br />

on visual impairment in children. Samantha is supervised by<br />

Professor Charles McGhee and Drs Shuan Dai and Stuti Misra<br />

Dr Alastair Papali’i-Curtin, Samantha Simkin and Dr Ammar Binsadiq<br />

Drs Muhammed Kahlid, Casey Ung and John Ah-Chan<br />

Drs Kevin Taylor and Peter Haddard<br />

Dr Paul Cohen, Tricia MacDonald and Chris Williamson<br />

Niamh Kelly, Sally-Anne Herring and Libby Kelly<br />

Drs Shenton Chew and David Worsley<br />

Drs Chee-Foong Chong and Mike O’Rourke with Chantal O’Rourke and<br />

Drs Mark Donaldson and Sid Ogra<br />

THEME: NGA TANIWHA TIGERS AND TRAPS: Avoiding<br />

problems and acquiring sub-speciality pearls in ophthalmology<br />

New Zealand Branch<br />

Annual Scientific Meeting<br />

Friday 12 and Saturday 13 May 2017<br />

Copthorne Hotel Bay of Islands, Paihia<br />

Incorporating the New Zealand Ophthalmic Nurses’ Group Meeting,<br />

New Zealand Orthoptists’ Society Meeting and<br />

Practice Managers‘ Meeting<br />

www.ranzco2017.co.nz<br />

T H E L E A D E R S I N E Y E C A R E<br />

Blackmore’s Nicole Jellard, Drs Dianne Sharp and Ian Eilliott and Phillippa Pitcher from MDNZ<br />

10 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS <strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong>


A nurse’s<br />

perspective<br />

What’s new: from the exhibitors’ hall<br />

BY RACHEL COOK*<br />

An acapella group entertains in the Dunedin Town Hall<br />

Dr Sheng Chiong Hong and Rachel Cook<br />

Dunedin was a chilly destination for this<br />

year’s RANZCO conference, but I felt<br />

warmed by the wonderful atmosphere<br />

and the opportunity to meet with fellow<br />

colleagues. The topics and presenters were varied,<br />

my only regret was that by skipping between the<br />

specialist and nurse sessions you were bound to<br />

miss out on something!<br />

Great information was presented on patient<br />

pathways, ranging from intraocular tumours to<br />

eye prosthetics. This included some very personal<br />

insights from presenters into the journey<br />

patients travel. Also interesting were the talks<br />

emphasising the benefits of teamwork and open<br />

communication in the workplace—something we<br />

all know, but perhaps need to make more<br />

time for.<br />

In particular, I enjoyed hearing from our clinical<br />

nurse specialists on interesting cases they have<br />

encountered in their practices. Kathryn Lee, from<br />

the Auckland District Health Board (ADHB), shed<br />

light on the more uncommon side of floppy<br />

eyelid syndrome, while Waikato District Health<br />

Board’s Lynn Scott discussed the rare serpiginous<br />

chorioretinitis. It was not just the syndromes that<br />

held my interest, but the way nursing practice<br />

can have such a positive impact on a patient’s<br />

perception of their healthcare.<br />

It was great also to hear from Jennifer Mor, a<br />

tutor with the Fred Hollows Foundation in Papua<br />

New Guinea, and Artika Avikashni from Fiji about<br />

the challenges they face in their daily nursing<br />

practice.<br />

Clinical nurse specialist Carol Slight from ADHB<br />

provided valuable information on standing order<br />

requirements—I wonder how many of us would<br />

love to access ADHB’s online “moodle” site to sit<br />

the competency modules?<br />

The real highlight for me this year, however,<br />

was “that blind woman,” motivational speaker<br />

<strong>Jul</strong>ie Woods, who was the guest speaker at<br />

the conference dinner on the Saturday night.<br />

She provided insight into her life since her<br />

30s when, as a mother of two small children<br />

she was registered as blind. Her speech was<br />

inspiring as she related how she maintained<br />

her independence and learnt to step out of her<br />

comfort zones by saying “yes” to any opportunity<br />

and experience, despite the worry of wondering<br />

whether there would be a railing at the top of the<br />

Eiffel tower! An honest and real ambassador for<br />

what we are all here for. It was humbling to hear<br />

her story.<br />

In line with saying “yes”, I also put myself<br />

forward this year to present with Dr Sheng Hong<br />

on how the ODocs EyeCare smartphone system<br />

has been used to enhance nursing practice in the<br />

small town of Gisborne. Perhaps some of you will<br />

also put yourself and your experiences out there<br />

at the next conference. It’s a rewarding challenge,<br />

as we learn so much from the diversity of each<br />

other’s experiences, of our challenges and our<br />

triumphs.<br />

Roll on RANZCO 2017! ▀<br />

* Rachel Cook is an ophthalmology speciality nurse at the Eye<br />

Clinic at Gisborne Hospital<br />

The grand baroque style of The Dunedin<br />

Town Hall with its imposing, floor to ceiling<br />

1919 symphonic organ, provided a stunning<br />

backdrop to the exhibition portion of the <strong>2016</strong><br />

New Zealand Branch of RANZCO’s Annual Scientific<br />

Meeting. The event was well supported with 19<br />

exhibitors, including three major sponsors: Abbott<br />

Medical Optics, Alcon and Toomac Ophthalmic.<br />

The atmosphere was both warm and busy, with<br />

some cleverly-staged timing by the exhibition<br />

organisers—staggering the break times of the<br />

main scientific programme and the concurrent<br />

ophthalmic nurses and technicians programmes—<br />

ensuring exhibitors weren’t too overrun during the<br />

breaks.<br />

The following are some of the highlights from the<br />

exhibitors’ hall.<br />

Abbott Medial Optics<br />

Abbott was showcasing two key products, the<br />

Signature Pro Phaco machine, which was launched<br />

in April, and the Symphony extended range vision<br />

lens. Abbott offer a full range of IOLs, including<br />

an extended range option, which is different from<br />

a multifocal as it offers a continuous focus with<br />

no blurring. The compnay has developed this lens<br />

in-house and it is unique technology, said Henri<br />

Buhagiar, Abbott’s Australasian phaco specialist.<br />

Toomac Ophthalmic<br />

Toomac introduced the new SP.eye Intravitreal<br />

Injection System from Salar Surgical. The first such<br />

device of its kind, the SP.eye reportedly reduces the<br />

steps in the intravitreal workflow, by combining<br />

precise needle positioning with sharps safety.<br />

“It’s easy and safe, compared to any other<br />

system, said Toomac director Ian MacFarlane. “It<br />

was born out of necessity and developed by an<br />

ophthalmologist in the UK.”<br />

The device was lauded in the UK journal The<br />

Ophthalmologist in December 2014 as one of<br />

the top ten best innovations of the year and will<br />

become increasingly important as procedures<br />

become more nurse-led, said MacFarlane, adding<br />

there was a lot of interest in the new product at the<br />

meeting. “We only introduced it a month ago and<br />

we’re delighted with the response so far. It allows<br />

for precise measurement, proper angle and depth of<br />

injection: simplicity can’t get better.”<br />

New Zealand’s also first to get the device over<br />

Australia, though Toomac is considering taking it<br />

over there later this year.<br />

New Zealand’s also first to get the device over<br />

Drs Antony Suter and Michael Merriman<br />

Drs Mike Mair and Rod Keillor<br />

Australia, though Toomac is considering taking it<br />

over there later this year.<br />

Also attracting interest on Toomac’s stand was<br />

the Haag Streit Octopus 600 Perimeter with Pulsar<br />

Technology. Pulsar offers a very fast, one-minute<br />

screening test that is designed to be highly sensitive<br />

and specific to detect glaucoma and allows full<br />

follow-up with white on white on the same device.<br />

Molteno Ophthalmic<br />

Despite being around for more than 30 years,<br />

this was the first time Kiwi company Molteno<br />

Ophthalmic has ever taken its own stand at a<br />

conference, marking a new and exciting direction<br />

for the glaucoma implant firm, says equally new<br />

chief executive Dr Nina Molteno.<br />

Dr Molteno, a former GP and daughter of wellknown<br />

Kiwi ophthalmologist Professor Anthony<br />

Molteno, whose ground-breaking research resulted<br />

in the purpose-built implants now being marketed<br />

by the company, said for the last 30 years the<br />

product had pretty much been marketed by wordof-mouth<br />

alone. “We have a really solid reputation<br />

and a great product, but we realised we needed<br />

to tell people about ourselves so they can take<br />

advantage of it.”<br />

Produced in a purpose-built facility in Dunedin,<br />

Molteno implants are used across the world, but<br />

424<br />

still far too few people know about them, said Dr<br />

Molteno. “We have the longest clinical trials of<br />

any implants and that and our understanding of<br />

what makes glaucoma surgery work has informed<br />

the design of our new implants, so we have a lot<br />

to talk about.”<br />

Lumenis<br />

Attracting interest on Lumenis’ stand was its<br />

M22 with Optimal Pulse Technology, the next<br />

generation of Intense Pulse Light (IPL) technology,<br />

for treating dry eye disease and rosacea, and its<br />

Selecta Trio, a three-in-one laser product offering<br />

NOW AVAILABLE IN NEW ZEALAND<br />

THE ARTIFICIAL IRIS<br />

Regardless of partial or complete aniridia – the world’s first artificial iris prothesis<br />

provides a solution to restore vision not only optically but also aesthetically,<br />

and is now available in New Zealand from Spectrum Surgical<br />

032<br />

Thomas Cook, Josie Fletcher and Marcus Ebert<br />

Spectrum Surgical specialises in the sale of leading edge surgical and medical devices to<br />

health care professionals and hospitals. We offer innovative and ground-breaking solutions<br />

from companies of the highest quality, providing our clients with advancements in<br />

ophthalmic surgery, diagnostics and more.<br />

NB: Spectrum Surgical is the new distributor of FCI products, leading manufacuturer of: bicanalicular and<br />

monocanalicular intubation, punctum plugs, ptosis slings, orbital implants, purified silicone oils, perfluorocarbon<br />

liquids, disposable vitrectomy lenses, scleral buckles and intravitreal assistants.<br />

For more visit http://www.spectrumsurgical.com.au/ or contact: Peter Grech, managing director,<br />

at pgrech@spectrumsurgical.com.au or +61 3 9562 2472<br />

CONTINUED ON P11<br />

<strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong><br />

NEW ZEALAND OPTICS<br />

11


SPECIAL FEATURE: RANZCO NZ BRANCH SCIENTIFIC MEETING<br />

CONTINUED FROM P11<br />

retinal, cataract and advanced glaucoma therapies<br />

in a single platform.<br />

The company was formed in 2003 from the merger<br />

of Coherent Medical Group, ESC Medical Systems<br />

and HGM Medical Laser Systems—companies<br />

best known for pioneering the first argon laser<br />

photocoagulator; Nd:YAG photodisruptor lasers;<br />

and SLT technology for managing POAG—but only<br />

set up a direct sales, service and support role in<br />

Australasia last year.<br />

Headquartered in Israel, Lumenis is focused on<br />

providing “minimally-invasive clinical solutions<br />

for the surgical, ophthalmology and aesthetic<br />

markets,” specifically developing innovative<br />

energy-based technologies, including laser, IPL<br />

and Radio-Frequency (RF).<br />

OptiMed<br />

Attracting particular interest on the OptiMed<br />

stand was the PanoCam LT, a new product on<br />

the market for paediatric digital imaging. The<br />

device provides 130° field of view for imaging<br />

ROP, retinoblastoma and other retinal disorders.<br />

Importantly, said OptiMed’s Craig Norman, the<br />

image capturing unit is not tethered to the<br />

console allowing for image capture anywhere, in<br />

the hospital or offices, allowing easy access to the<br />

patient and remote diagnoses.<br />

Another product capturing delegates’ interest<br />

on OptiMed’s stand was the Optos California,<br />

Optos’ latest ultra-widefield (UWF) imaging device<br />

designed specifically for vitreo-retinal specialists<br />

and ophthalmologists. According to the product<br />

information, the California includes a new UWF<br />

optomap imaging modality, indocyanine green<br />

angiography as well as composite colour, red-free,<br />

autofluorescence and fluorescein angiography.<br />

Spectrum Surgical<br />

A fascinating product attracting a lot of interest<br />

on the Spectrum Surgical stand was the<br />

company’s artificial iris, a German-made, siliconebased<br />

prosthetic that is tactile and can be made<br />

so they are indistinguishable from the patient’s<br />

other iris or part-iris.<br />

Though there are other products on the market<br />

designed to stop light and replace a patient’s<br />

damaged iris, this is the only one on the market<br />

that is designed to be as cosmetically-pleasing as<br />

it is effective, said Spectrum Surgical’s Peter Grech,<br />

adding there are already a handful of patients in<br />

New Zealand happily sporting their new irises.<br />

Other products attracting interest on the stand<br />

were Spectrum Surgical’s Torica range from<br />

HumanOptics, one of the first manufacturers to<br />

have produced toric IOLs and one of the few that<br />

produces special designs for extraordinary power<br />

ranges requiring high cylinders, up to 30.0 D,<br />

whether it be for the capsular bag or ciliary sulcus;<br />

plus an array of oculoplastic and vitreoretinal<br />

products from the Paris-based ophthalmic surgical<br />

device company FCI such as Painless puctum plugs,<br />

Mini-Monoka, Nunchaku, the StopLoss Jones tube<br />

system, orbital implants, vitrectomy lenses and the<br />

Invitria, an intravitreal injection assistant device.<br />

Alcon<br />

With the biggest surgical portfolio in the Southern<br />

Hemisphere, the company claims, Alcon continues<br />

to offer a complete product range from capital<br />

equipment to surgical consumables. Their big<br />

launches this year are in the IOL space, with their<br />

new Panoptix trifocal lens and Ultrasert, the preloaded<br />

IOL delivery system.<br />

Allergan<br />

Allergan introduced a new app for glaucoma<br />

patients at the meeting. Developed in tandem<br />

with researchers at City University in London for<br />

newly-diagnosed glaucoma patients, the free<br />

app covers topics such as why eye pressure is<br />

important and the correct use of eye drops. It<br />

even allows users to experience the impact of<br />

glaucoma on everyday situations such as driving,<br />

cooking, walking down the stairs or shopping.<br />

“It means doctors have information they can<br />

give patients and the patients families, that they<br />

can download and look at in their own time…<br />

as patients simply can’t take it all in in one<br />

session at a doctor’s,” said Allergan’s senior brand<br />

manager ANZ Janette McLeod<br />

Device Technologies<br />

Device Technologies’ stand had a plethora of<br />

high-tech, internationally sourced products. Its<br />

Oculentis implants, including extended depth<br />

of focus IOLs, continue to impress patients who<br />

receive these, said product specialist Diego<br />

Sonderegger, while the company’s new posterior<br />

and anterior Swept Source OCT, the Topcon Triton,<br />

impressed delegates with its high resolution<br />

scans and OCT angiography capabilities. The<br />

company was also showing it’s “very easy to use”<br />

Quantel micropulsed yellow pattern laser.<br />

Corneal Lens Corporation (CLC)<br />

CLC was exhibiting its Thera Tears dry eye product<br />

range and it’s MacuShield nutritional products for<br />

AMD and general eye health.<br />

The Thera Tears range is a comprehensive range<br />

for dry eyes and blepharitis, providing an omega<br />

3 supplement to help eyes, lids and tear film<br />

function at their best, and a preservative-free<br />

lubricating eye drop for dry eye sufferers and<br />

patients after surgery.<br />

Designs for Vision<br />

The flagship offering from Designs for Vision<br />

is the upgraded iCare tonometer, the ic100,<br />

which recently won a Red Dot design award<br />

and an iF design award. This lightweight, hand<br />

held tonometer offers accurate and reliable<br />

eye pressure measurements in a few seconds,<br />

with no need for anaesthetic and without the<br />

discomfort of the air puff method. The upgraded<br />

iCare features new alignment assistance and<br />

ergonomic design. It works by using a probe so<br />

light and gentle, the patient can hardly even feel<br />

it. It was only released a few months ago, and<br />

Designs for Vision is the official supplier for New<br />

Zealand and Australia.<br />

Ophthalmic Instrument Company<br />

OIC had a busy RANZCO demonstrating the new<br />

range of ophthalmic ultrasounds from Sonomed,<br />

including the Vu-Max Combined UBM & A/B<br />

Scan and the Vu-Pad tablet based A/B Scan. The<br />

new Clear-Scan attachment for the UBM probe<br />

encases the end of the probe in a self-contained<br />

water bath allowing the UBM to be used without<br />

the patient lying supine and without the<br />

traditional mess of a water bath. The Vu-Max was<br />

commissioned at Dunedin Hospital in the days<br />

following RANZCO.<br />

Also generating a lot of interest was the Nidek<br />

Robert Nyenkamp, Dr Justin Mora and Richard Maton<br />

The band at RANZCO <strong>2016</strong><br />

RS-330 Duo Combined Retinal Camera and OCT<br />

and the latest generation of hand held auto<br />

refractor/keratometer the Nidek HandyRefK.<br />

Among the new surgical products from OIC, the<br />

MST Duet Handle with single use packer/Chang<br />

IOL cutting kits continue to grow in popularity.<br />

They easily cut the hardest of foldable acrylic<br />

lenses and also come in reuseable form.<br />

Zeiss<br />

A lively stand, surgical products specialist Mark<br />

Thorndyke was keen to talk visitors through Zeiss’<br />

flagship microscope, the Lumera 700. Released<br />

to the market four years ago, it has enjoyed a<br />

recent update – the integration of the Callisto Eye<br />

markerless toric alignment and patient platform<br />

– a giant screen to aid the surgeon. The advanced<br />

technology of the toric alignment tool means you<br />

no longer have to hand mark the eye, ensuring<br />

accuracy and improved workflow, said Thorndyke.<br />

The addition of the IOL Master 700 Biometer<br />

and the Zeiss range of IOLs, makes up the ZEISS<br />

Drs Graham Wilson, Nina Ashroff and Graham Reeves<br />

Peter Stewart from AFT<br />

Cataract Suite, a fully networkable group of<br />

products to allow seamless transition from<br />

biomentry to implantation, he added.<br />

Bausch + Lomb<br />

Radiant Health, the local distributor for Bausch +<br />

Lomb, had its full range of IOL’s on show, including<br />

its FineVision Toric lens, a tri-focal that has only been<br />

available in New Zealand for 18 months.<br />

AFT Pharmaceuticals<br />

AFT’s Peter Stewart was highlighting the Kiwiborn<br />

pharmaceutical company’s preservativefree<br />

HYLO-Fresh and HYLO-Forte eye drops, both<br />

compatible with contact lenses, and VitA-POS eye<br />

ointment. VitA-POS is designed for dry eye sufferers<br />

to keep their eyes lubricated during the night by<br />

preventing evaporation from the ocular surface.<br />

The Scientific Meeting is a great chance to meet<br />

the ophthalmologists and ophthalmic nurses to<br />

talk about how the products can help patients both<br />

during and after surgery, he said. ▀<br />

Last RANZCO for McIver<br />

Spectrum Surgical’s Peter Grech with Cameron McIver and Dr Jim Borthwick<br />

RANZCO NZ <strong>2016</strong> was the<br />

last RANZCO meeting for<br />

Cameron McIver, who used<br />

the opportunity to tell those who<br />

didn’t know, that he was retiring<br />

from his position as New Zealand<br />

branch policy advisor.<br />

Appointed to the role in 2011,<br />

McIver was considered a much<br />

needed presence for the College<br />

in Wellington at that time. He has<br />

a long history working for and<br />

advising the health services in New<br />

Zealand, including as CEO of the<br />

New Zealand Medical Association<br />

from 1995 to 2011.<br />

At RANZCO, McIver said he was<br />

looking forward to taking a few<br />

voluntary positions to ease his way<br />

into retirement.<br />

There are no plans to replace him<br />

in New Zealand. ▀<br />

Ophthalmology in Japan<br />

28 Feb - 11 March 2017<br />

Tour leader Professor Christopher Liu<br />

www.jonbainestours.co.uk/ophthal<br />

Optometry in Peru<br />

2 - 14 April 2017<br />

Tour leader David Shannon<br />

www.jonbainestours.co.uk/optometry<br />

Jon Baines study tours are fully escorted and combine a<br />

rich cultural itinerary with a series of professional visits.<br />

For a brochure, please contact us on:<br />

info@jonbainestours.com.au<br />

or call: 03 9343 6367<br />

www.jonbainestours.com<br />

12 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS <strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong>


The wider world of<br />

medicine and optometry<br />

If quick-fire presentations, good food and great<br />

wine are your thing, then the Eye Institute’s<br />

education seminar on 24 May certainly<br />

delivered. With more than 145 attendees and eight<br />

speakers, the evening was a lively start to the Eye<br />

Institute’s annual seminar series. The focus of the<br />

first meeting was on applying evidence-based<br />

medicine to everyday optometry practice.<br />

Optometry and GPs<br />

Dr Shanu Subbiah, who recently welcomed<br />

his second child into the world, took the stage<br />

first with a look at the relationship between<br />

optometry and general practice. Does your<br />

patient’s GP need to be involved in their eye<br />

care? When is it prudent to get them involved?<br />

And what role should they take? These were all<br />

questions Dr Subbiah addressed, reassuring the<br />

audience that patient care is teamwork, and the<br />

GP often plays a central role as the conductor,<br />

curating the flow of information. “Many<br />

ophthalmic diseases can have underlying systemic<br />

pathology,” he said. “Often these conditions can<br />

be treated more effectively by the GP.”<br />

His presentation provided a summary of systemic<br />

conditions to watch out for, such as macular<br />

degeneration, when early referral to the GP is<br />

essential to optimise patient care within the<br />

multidisciplinary team.<br />

Five scary things and the optic nerve<br />

Professor Helen Danesh-Meyer stepped up next<br />

to talk us through “five scary things” in relation to<br />

the optic nerve. Using a series of images, Professor<br />

Danesh-Meyer challenged the audience to identify<br />

the nerve problem. She focused on signs of optic<br />

nerve head morphology to assist in determining<br />

the underlying cause of the optic nerve disease<br />

and the appropriate management strategy. Key<br />

takeaways included the need to run visual field<br />

tests, to take care to focus on the rim and to<br />

remember that all patients will have different size<br />

eyes naturally.<br />

Zika virus update<br />

Dr Peter Ring gave us an interesting update on the<br />

Zika virus, which was first identified in 1947 in the<br />

Zika forest in Uganda. Since 2007, Zika has become<br />

a common word in our language as outbreaks<br />

of the once rare virus continue to occur globally.<br />

Symptoms include rash, fever, achy joints and nonpurulent<br />

conjunctivitis. They can often be mistaken<br />

for other, more benign illnesses and the symptoms<br />

resolve within seven days but can lead to Guillain–<br />

Barré syndrome (in rare cases) and microcephaly<br />

in infants when a mother becomes infected<br />

during pregnancy. There is a third complication for<br />

optometrists and ophthalmologists to be aware<br />

of and that is chorioretinal atrophy and optic<br />

nerve abnormalities. Studies are currently being<br />

undertaken, using blood extracted from infants<br />

with microcephaly and chorioretinal atrophy, to<br />

establish the link.<br />

Cross-linking shared care<br />

Dr Adam Watson’s topic was cross-linking (CXL),<br />

which usually involves removal of a broad area<br />

of corneal epithelium followed by application of<br />

riboflavin and ultraviolet light energy. “Shared care<br />

of patients following CXL is common,” he said. “It<br />

is important that the optometrist is aware of the<br />

normal course of healing, what topical medications<br />

are typically used and why, and potential<br />

complications including microbial keratitis and<br />

atypical inflammatory responses requiring specific<br />

treatment.”<br />

Dr Watson also talked us through post-treatment<br />

care and atypical outcomes to be aware of.<br />

Lens regeneration research<br />

After the break, Dr Trevor Gray welcomed us back<br />

and reviewed recent amazing research published<br />

in Nature around lens stem cell regeneration of<br />

the phakic lens in paediatric cataract patients. The<br />

research team in China removed the lens of several<br />

infants born with cataracts and demonstrated<br />

how over a matter of weeks the eye began to bring<br />

forward lens epithelial stem cells. By five months,<br />

post op, the infants had generated a new, clear,<br />

biconvex lens (see story on p3 and column<br />

this page.)<br />

Retina condition quiz<br />

In a fun, high-speed session Dr Peter Hadden<br />

presented the audience with a series of slides and<br />

asked them to identify the condition. He then<br />

talked about the treatment, care and management<br />

Drs Peter Hadden and Trevor Gray<br />

Speakers Dr Simon Dean and Dr Shanu Subbiah<br />

Dr Peter Hadden and Michael Holmes<br />

Kevin Wong and Shelly Brannigan<br />

of each vitreoretinal disease that was identified.<br />

Laser eye surgery post-op management<br />

As iLASIK laser eye surgery becomes increasingly<br />

more common, Dr Nick Mantell used his talk to<br />

address what is normal post-surgery and what<br />

changes/symptoms need to be addressed. “Comanagement<br />

optometrists for our out-of-town<br />

patients play a vital role in monitoring iLASIK<br />

patients. We are not only interested in the refractive<br />

outcome but also the appearance of the LASIK flap.<br />

The appearance of the flap post-operatively can be<br />

quite variable and it can be difficult to differentiate<br />

what is normal and what is abnormal.”<br />

Dr Mantell explained how the flap should look,<br />

when to refer back and when abnormal findings<br />

are clinically insignificant.<br />

Pterygia and pingueculae<br />

The evening was rounded up nicely by Dr Simon<br />

Dean, who looked at the conditions pterygia and<br />

pingueculae, their therapeutic management and<br />

when surgical intervention is necessary. “The<br />

assessment of how to intervene in management<br />

of these ocular surface irregularities takes into<br />

account a number of factors,” he said. “A simple<br />

framework of whether they are vision threatening,<br />

significantly uncomfortable, cosmetically<br />

unacceptable (or frequently a combination of the<br />

above) will help to decide the best management.”<br />

Dr Dean noted continued assessment at regular<br />

intervals can also help alter the management over<br />

time. “These masses can change and grow requiring<br />

an escalation of intervention and there is always<br />

an index of suspicion regarding ocular surface<br />

squamous neoplasia making follow-up prudent.”<br />

The next Eye Institute evening education seminar<br />

will be held on 16 August. ▀<br />

Focus on<br />

Eye Research<br />

Retinopathy, stem cell<br />

regeneration and myopia in<br />

Europeans<br />

MORIN, J. ET AL. NEURODEVELOPMENTAL<br />

OUTCOMES FOLLOWING BEVACIZUMAB<br />

INJECTIONS FOR RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY.<br />

Pediatrics <strong>2016</strong>;137(4)<br />

Review: The appeal of intravitreal bevacizumab for<br />

the treatment of ROP is obvious – to use a small<br />

injection of intraocular anti-VEGF agent to treat a<br />

baby-blinding disease explicitly caused by VEGF.<br />

The BEAT-ROP study, among others, has shown the<br />

effectiveness of intravitreal bevacizumab in treating<br />

ROP with ‘plus’-disease. However, concerns about<br />

the long-term sequalae of anti-VEGF treatment in a<br />

developing child abound, but relevant high-quality<br />

evidence has been lacking.<br />

This study utilised data collected for the Canadian<br />

Neonatal Network (CNN) and the Canadian<br />

Neonatal Follow-Up Network (CNFUN) over a 21<br />

month period and found 27 babies born 3 dioptres, >1<br />

dioptre progression per year) aged under 18 years<br />

to receive atropine 0.5% drops and followed them<br />

for 12 months. The mean age was 10.3 years (range<br />

2.7-16.8 years), the mean baseline myopia -6.6<br />

dioptres and 70% were European, 8% African with<br />

the remainder Asian. Only 60 (78%) adhered to the<br />

treatment for the whole 12 months.<br />

The 12 month results showed the mean myopic<br />

progression had decreased from 1 dioptre per<br />

year pre-treatment, to 0.1 dioptre per year during<br />

treatment. Of note over 70% reported photophobia<br />

and 37% experienced reading problems.<br />

Comment: Although the description of the<br />

authors’ in treating a predominantly non-Asian<br />

population with atropine drops to prevent myopic<br />

progression is appreciated, unfortunately this<br />

study began enrollment just before the ATOM2<br />

study was published, and thus a higher 0.5% dose<br />

was used with inherent side-effect limitations. It<br />

is also unfortunate axial length progression before<br />

and during treatment was not assessed, as this<br />

underpins the supposed mechanism of action of<br />

atropine in myopia. Another limitation is the lack<br />

of a control group, especially when the authors<br />

state that the ‘treatment effect’ was greatest in<br />

teenage subjects – as of course older teens will have<br />

a slower rate of axial elongation anyway. However,<br />

there is now evidence to support the use of atropine<br />

to prevent myopic progression in a non-Asian<br />

population, and we can look forward to further<br />

studies investigating the currently favoured 0.01%<br />

dose to compare to the ATOM2 study results.<br />

ABOUT THE AUTHOR<br />

* Dr Logan Mitchell is a<br />

consultant ophthalmologist<br />

specialising in strabismus,<br />

cornea/external eye disease<br />

and general ophthalmology<br />

at Dunedin Hospital and<br />

Marinoto Clinic, Dunedin. He<br />

is also clinical senior lecturer<br />

at the University of Otago<br />

Dunedin School of Medicine.<br />

<strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong><br />

NEW ZEALAND OPTICS<br />

13


SPECIAL FEATURE: O SHOW <strong>2016</strong><br />

More than a show!<br />

ODMA and the O-Show are more than just<br />

shows, stressed Finola Carey, executive<br />

director of ODMA. They are owned and<br />

operated by the main industry players and all<br />

profits are returned to the industry in the form of<br />

scholarships and other supporting initiatives. This<br />

includes grants and programmes to support new<br />

optical dispensers and people wishing to open<br />

their own practices, says Carey. “[For example] we<br />

invested $100,000 in the clinic at the university<br />

of New South Wales to give it a proper retail<br />

outlet and we provide trained optical dispensing<br />

mentors at the University.”<br />

Facing significant competition for the first time<br />

with the launch of Silmo Sydney—the newest<br />

event from the owners of the famed Silmo Paris<br />

optical fair, which will be held for the first time,<br />

just four months prior to ODMA at the same<br />

venue in Sydney—Carey was keen to remind the<br />

industry what sets the ODMA and O-Show’s apart<br />

and to explain that the O-Show was not some<br />

knee-jerk reaction to the increased competition.<br />

Plans for a more relaxed, boutique event in<br />

Melbourne have been milling around since about<br />

1996, she says, though it took another decade to<br />

put plans together and yet another before ODMA<br />

thought the time was right to launch it. “Industry<br />

was saying to us that people are so tied up with<br />

CPD that they need an event where they can just<br />

come and look at product. CPD is working! This<br />

is an opportunity to shop and have fun and learn<br />

on the floor, but in an informal environment that<br />

doesn’t feel like they are working.”<br />

Given the tight timeframe and the new style of<br />

the O-Show, Carey says the industry was realistic<br />

in its expectations so was delighted to attract<br />

34 exhibitors—significantly more than the 20<br />

they initially thought they’d get. “We were really<br />

stoked. We’ve had amazing support from all<br />

the equipment companies, from the Melbourne<br />

companies and members of ODMA. They have<br />

been fantastic.”<br />

Carey also praised ODMA’s new exhibition<br />

organisers the IEC Group who turned the show<br />

around in the tight timeframe and who replaced<br />

Expertise Events, ODMA’s former exhibition<br />

company, now organisers of Silmo Sydney.<br />

ODMA chair Robert Sparkes says he spoke to<br />

a number of exhibitors and overall everyone<br />

appeared delighted with the inaugural O-Show.<br />

“ODMA has been responding to the needs of<br />

independent optics for over 50 years and will<br />

continue to do so. The O-Show was a perfect<br />

example of how we answer those demands. It has<br />

been a great success and a good launching platform<br />

for ODMA ‘17. And I would think that we will look<br />

forward to rolling out the O-Show in the future in<br />

other locations other than Melbourne.” ▀<br />

A busy OptiMed stand<br />

Essilor’s Brad White with Alex Tak and the Nautilus VR device<br />

Facts, figures<br />

and ODMA 2017<br />

Owned and run by the Australian Optical<br />

Distributors and Manufacturers<br />

Association (ODMA), the O-Show was<br />

conceived as a “pop-up, boutique event” to fill<br />

the space between the large, biennial ODMA<br />

trade fair.<br />

It was put together in just a few months, after<br />

being launched on 8 March so it didn’t impact<br />

on the Southern Regional Congress’ (SRC’s)<br />

annual conference. Despite this, the show still<br />

attracted more than 800 pre-registrations and<br />

more than 700 industry visitors over the two<br />

days. Most were from the home state, Victoria<br />

(76.4%) followed by New South Wales (11.2%),<br />

and there were more than 40 from New<br />

Zealand (0.6%).<br />

The show was held from 21-22 May in the<br />

fairy-light bedecked Shed 14 on the Central<br />

Pier in Melbourne’s docklands. It attracted 34<br />

exhibitors, including most of the big equipment<br />

companies and several frames designers and<br />

distributors.<br />

A highlight was the cocktail party on the<br />

Saturday night, complete with waiters, canapés<br />

and a swing band, which allowed attendees<br />

and exhibitors to relax and chat, and provided<br />

the perfect opportunity for the organisers to<br />

announce the dates for next year’s main ODMA<br />

event. This will be held at the newly built<br />

International Convention Centre in Sydney’s<br />

Darling Harbour from 7 to 9 <strong>Jul</strong>y, 2017.<br />

Where the first day of the O-Show event<br />

attracted far more people than expected, given<br />

it was a Saturday afternoon and many were<br />

expected to still be working, the Sunday started<br />

off well and then petered out quickly, raising the<br />

question from some exhibitors about whether<br />

Sunday should have been a half day instead of a<br />

full day. Despite this, the overwhelming feedback<br />

from the majority of exhibitors was that it was<br />

a fun and relaxed event, which offered some<br />

real opportunities to do business and build<br />

relationships with customers. ▀<br />

Robert Sparkes, OptiMed CEO and ODMA chair<br />

NZ Optics’ Lesley Springall gets into the Mersey Beat with Optique Line<br />

CliC’s Helen Najar and B+D’s Candelaria Pourtale<br />

O-Show providing some boutique charm<br />

O-Show: small but<br />

perfectly formed<br />

BY LESLEY SPRINGALL<br />

There weren’t the crowds, but there was<br />

atmosphere, a camaraderie of spirit, lots<br />

of tips on how to improve your business’<br />

bottom line and people genuinely looking to learn<br />

about and buy new equipment and frames. In a<br />

few words, the inaugural O-Show in Melbourne<br />

was small but perfectly formed.<br />

Unlike other shows, the inaugural O-Show<br />

was one of the first shows to actually give<br />

attendees time to learn about and compare new<br />

technologies, says exhibitor Ryan Heggie, Device<br />

Technologies’ product manager.<br />

“What has been great about the O-Show is<br />

that we have continuous engagement with the<br />

delegates and that benefits both the delegates<br />

and the exhibitors. Educational content is very<br />

important at other conferences, but when the<br />

lectures are on we find we get a 20-minute block<br />

when the delegates come out for morning tea and<br />

we’re all run ragged on the booth, then the bell<br />

goes and it’s straight back into the lecture hall.<br />

“Here, we have a fun, vibrant atmosphere and<br />

no time restrictions on how long people can spend<br />

looking at equipment and talking to us, so they can<br />

thoroughly explore the technology and compare<br />

equipment and costs with other exhibitors.”<br />

The boutique feeling of the show was also<br />

a drawcard to new practice owners, which is<br />

particularly great for exhibitors, added Hoya’s<br />

national customer services manager Sara Leonard.<br />

Fellow exhibitor, Medmont’s Jason Anderson,<br />

agreed the relaxed atmosphere was a key selling<br />

point of the new show. “I hope it continues,<br />

whether it stays here or moves around state-bystate,<br />

I think it’s got a future in the industry.”<br />

Here’s a snapshot of what was attracting the<br />

most interest on stands from some of the O-Show’s<br />

more New Zealand-centric exhibitors:<br />

Clic and B+D<br />

New at the show and new for Australasia was the<br />

new Danish B+D (pronounced B plus D) unisex,<br />

ready reader ranges: attractive, fashionable,<br />

strong and colourful reading glasses, that come in<br />

a variety of styles including folding, full rim and<br />

rimless, polarised and mirrored. The new ranges<br />

14 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS <strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong>


were featured on the CliC Eyewear stand as it will be<br />

distributed by CliC in Australia and New Zealand.<br />

They are designed to give optometrists the<br />

opportunity to tackle the ready reader market head<br />

on with a full range, quality product, says CliC’s<br />

Helen Najar. “This is the second day of our launch…<br />

and the range has been very well received so far. It’s<br />

attracted a lot of attention.<br />

“What appeals most to me about it, is it’s a high<br />

quality, over-the-counter, readymade reader which<br />

is what I do, and there’s a big demand for this in the<br />

optical market.”<br />

CliC are magnetic connection eyewear that hang<br />

around your neck. They were designed (as the story<br />

goes on CliC’s website) by Ron Lando of California<br />

for NASA for astronauts requiring glasses that were<br />

‘anti-gravity’ so they wouldn’t float off the face in<br />

space. Nearly 15 years on, the product has reached<br />

worldwide success in the domestic eyewear market;<br />

is distributed in more than 27 countries and is CE<br />

certified.<br />

Najar says she hopes to be showing the new CliC<br />

range and the beautiful, brand new B+D ranges to<br />

independent optometry practices in New Zealand<br />

later this year.<br />

Essilor<br />

Essilor’s new Eyezen lens was attracting plenty<br />

of questions on the Essilor stand. The lens was<br />

developed specifically to protect against increasing<br />

screen use and won a gold award at Silmo Paris last<br />

year. But it wasn’t the main drawcard on the stand.<br />

That honour fell to Essilor’s new 3D virtual reality<br />

headset, Nautilus, which has been designed to<br />

allow consumers to see what a difference certain<br />

lenses, such as progressive lenses, and lens<br />

coatings can make. According to the company, the<br />

simulation works via a smartphone app that is<br />

placed in the virtual reality headset and controlled<br />

by a tablet. It gives the wearer an interactive 360°<br />

experience of different options selected by their<br />

eye care professional from lens design, coatings<br />

such as polarised or photochromic, to the effects<br />

of dust and fog.<br />

The Nautilus was introduced at Silmo in Paris<br />

last year. Since then more than 5,000 units have<br />

been sold to practices in Europe, but it’s only<br />

recently released for sale in Australasia, says<br />

Essilor account manager Brad White. “We’ve<br />

found that the average selling price of a pair of<br />

glasses increases because of the experience the<br />

customer has.”<br />

Tomato Glasses and Catimini<br />

Another first at the O-Show was the brand new,<br />

trendy children’s range of glasses from popular<br />

French kids’ fashion label Catimini. The new,<br />

brightly coloured, strong, often-accessorised<br />

range—the girls’ glasses have beautiful little<br />

detachable features such as feathers and beads<br />

on them is being distributed by Tomato Glasses’<br />

husband and wife distributor team, behavioural COVERAGE<br />

optometrist Nicky Kiparissis Single: and Andrew up to 17mm Markakis. diameter<br />

Stitched: up to 22mm diameter<br />

“The Catimini range is fun and fashionable and<br />

I love it because it’s small,” says Kiparissis. FIELD “We’re OF VIEW<br />

getting huge interest here. Adults Single: are H22mm disappointed x V17mm<br />

they can’t get it in their sizes.” Stitched: H22mm x V22mm<br />

Catimini complements MEASUREMENT Tomato Glasses because POINTS<br />

it offers a wider fashion range for parents and kids 32,400<br />

who are looking for that, she says, whereas Tomato<br />

ANALYZED POINTS<br />

glasses are particularly popular for young children, 1,000,000+<br />

especially those who are Down syndrome or who<br />

do a lot of sports, SHIPPING as they are DIMENSIONS/WEIGHT<br />

comfortable, fully<br />

Head: 14” x 14” x 12”<br />

adjustable for different face shapes (both the nose<br />

(36cm x 36cm x 30cm)<br />

pads and arms can be altered easily by the 15lb. parent), (6.8kg)<br />

flexible and come in a range of colours.<br />

Manipulator: 14” x 13.5” x 7.5”<br />

(36cm x 34cm x 19 cm)<br />

12lb. (5.44kg)<br />

Chinrest: 21” x 10.5” x 3”<br />

(53cm x 27cm x 8cm)<br />

5lb. (2.26kg)<br />

Base: 20” x 14” x 3”<br />

(51cm x 36cm x 8cm)<br />

7lb. (3.2kg)<br />

FOOTPRINT<br />

Width: 9.5” x 13.5” x 6”<br />

(24cm x 34cm x 15cm)<br />

varied width from patient to doctor<br />

Depth: 17” (43cm)<br />

Height: 19”-21” (48cm - 53cm)<br />

[with head fully lowered and fully raised]<br />

WEIGHT<br />

Est. 11lb. (5kg) (head only)<br />

POWER REQUIREMENTS<br />

5V DC 3A<br />

SUPPLIED PC<br />

HP Envy 15” i7<br />

8GB RAM<br />

Tomato Glasses’ Andrew Markakis and Nicky Kiparissis introducing<br />

Catimini<br />

OptiMed<br />

Attracting particular attention on OptiMed’s stand<br />

was the Eidon confocal scanner, which received<br />

FDA clearance in December 2014. According to the<br />

manufacturing company, the Eidon is the first true<br />

colour confocal scanner, providing unsurpassed<br />

image quality, 60° field in a single exposure, 110-<br />

120° field in auto wide field mode and 150° field<br />

in manual mode, as well as a live, confocal view of<br />

the retina, opening new opportunities in retinal<br />

diagnostics.<br />

OptiMed CEO Robert Sparkes says there’s been<br />

a big push in the market for widefield imaging for<br />

independents, resulting in the interest in the Eidon<br />

at the show.<br />

Also attracting attention was Optopol’s new SOCT<br />

Copernicus REVO, a fully automatic, feature-packed,<br />

easy-to-use, market-entry level OCT, says Sparkes,<br />

which will also offer OCT biometry later in the year.<br />

Optique Line<br />

Popular Australasian frames company Optique<br />

Line was attracting a lot of attention at the show<br />

for its new Mersey Beat Eyewear range, plus the<br />

opportunity to don a pair of beautiful 1960s English<br />

music revolution-inspired acetate frames, a not-soflattering<br />

black or white wig, and rock it out with<br />

the on-stand drum kit or guitar (see Optique Line’s<br />

Facebook page for the results).<br />

Launching officially on 1 <strong>Jul</strong>y, the beautiful Mersey<br />

Beat Eyewear range includes 22 models, all paying<br />

homage to the retro stylings of the early 1960’s<br />

but with a contemporary twist. The UK-inspired<br />

collection is described as “personality plus, designed<br />

for the fashion forward and the young at heart,<br />

available in a variety of materials including multilayered<br />

acetates and carbon fibre, and featuring<br />

edgy colour combinations.”<br />

It’s the finish of it, the quality of it, that’s attracting<br />

attention, says Optique Line founder John Nicola.<br />

“It’s also at a great price point for retailers, so the<br />

interest has really been phenomenal.”<br />

CLC<br />

sMap3D SPECS + FEATURES<br />

Corneal Lens Corporation was at the O-Show to<br />

launch the sMap 3D Precision Surface mapping<br />

system and fluorescence-based structured light<br />

topographer HIGHLIGHTS to the Australian market and remind<br />

the New • Fluorescence Zealand market based this structured “revolution” light in scleral<br />

lens fitting topographer was now with available. more than 22mm range<br />

and 360<br />

Like other exhibitors o scleral coverage<br />

NZ Optics spoke to, the<br />

• Under the eyelid scleral measurements<br />

opportunity to actually be able to spend some time<br />

• Over 1 million measurement points with<br />

with people a 10 micron at the show precision to demonstrate how the<br />

equipment • Integrated works software and is different, for fitting at and a pace that<br />

is comfortable customizing for the Europa practitioner, Scleral lenses has been with a direct real<br />

benefit, ordering says CLC’s capabilities Graeme Curtis.<br />

“Here • Unbeatable it’s all about Price quality time with the<br />

practitioner. They are interested in technology<br />

and FEATURED they need time MAPS to decide which technology<br />

• Sagittal Elevation<br />

they are going to go with and because ours is very<br />

• Texture-mapped image elevation<br />

specialised<br />

• Lens<br />

it’s<br />

Elevation<br />

attracting a lot of interest.”<br />

Curtis • Mean has also curvature been collecting feedback on the<br />

• Simulated fluorescein pattern<br />

• Corneal and Scleral Elevation (Best-fit<br />

sphere)<br />

• Polar display<br />

• Full 3D display<br />

TOOLS<br />

• Principle toricity display at varying diameters<br />

• Distance measurement<br />

• Mean sagittal height at varying diameters<br />

• Lens and sagittal height cross-section display<br />

• Customizable Data tips<br />

• Customizable color scales<br />

• Brightness and contrast adjustments<br />

• Customizable for multiple users<br />

• Online storage<br />

CONTACT LENS FITTING<br />

• Scleral Lenses<br />

- Normal Corneas<br />

- Irregular Corneas<br />

• Customized Soft Lenses<br />

• Customized Back Surfaces<br />

HVID/VVID MEASUREMENT<br />

CLC’s Graeme Curtis discusses the benefits of the sMap 3D<br />

Zeiss’ Kim Nguyen and Renato Antolovich<br />

new sMap 3D since the CCLS conference in March<br />

to feed back to the American manufacturers to<br />

ensure it meets the needs of the New Zealand and<br />

the Australian markets. He says these additions<br />

and alterations will be available in a few months.<br />

“For those specialist practices, this is certainly the<br />

machine to beat.”<br />

Jono Hennessy<br />

One of the most colourful and permanently busy<br />

stands at the O-Show was Jono Hennessy’s. The<br />

Australian eyewear designer Jono Hennessy-Sceats<br />

said the O-Show was great because it’s so personal.<br />

“It’s a family industry,” added Louise Sceats,<br />

managing director of Jono Hennessy.<br />

The stand clearly demonstrated what was hot<br />

on the frame scene at the moment. “It’s all about<br />

colour and pattern. Colour for women and men too…<br />

harking back to the ‘80s where you could really show<br />

your personality through your glasses. Blue is still<br />

huge,” says Louise Sceats.<br />

Jono Hennessy sells all over the world (in New<br />

Zealand via Phoenix Eyewear) and produces only<br />

limited editions of each of its frames. Of particularly<br />

interest was Jono Hennessy’s Liberty of London’s<br />

fabric range and its Carter Bond range, one of the<br />

first in the world to produce wood-finish acetate<br />

frames using natural looking materials.<br />

Device Technologies taking a little more time to explain new<br />

technologies<br />

Jono Hennessy’s Louise and Jono Sceats<br />

Device<br />

Technologies<br />

On Device<br />

Technologies’<br />

stand OCT was<br />

the big drawcard<br />

as it’s now so<br />

affordable and easy<br />

to use, says Ryan<br />

Heggie, Device<br />

Technologies’<br />

product manager.<br />

“OCT has come<br />

such a long way in<br />

Optique Line launched its Mersey<br />

Beat Eyewear range at the O-Show<br />

the last five years. It’s evolved to the point where<br />

it’s a really quick and easy process to perform a<br />

comprehensive retinal screening for all patients, not<br />

just a select few.”<br />

Device Technologies’ Topcon OCT range is<br />

particularly popular because they are so easy to use,<br />

he says, allowing front of house staff to take the<br />

scan, leaving the optometrist more time to do the<br />

analysis, diagnosis and evaluation of the results.<br />

Another drawcard for Device Technologies’ was its<br />

TearScience LipiView and LipiFlow technology for<br />

the diagnosis and treatment of evaporative dry eye.<br />

According to the product information, the<br />

CONTINUED ON P16<br />

A Revolution in Scleral Lens Fitting<br />

www.corneal-lens.co.nz<br />

Visionary Optics is the exclusive US Distributor of the sMap3D.<br />

CAUTION: Federal (USA) law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a licensed practitioner.<br />

www.corneal-lens.co.nz<br />

+64 (0)3 366 6247 | 2 Ballarat Way Wigram 8042 Christchurch New Zealand<br />

<strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong><br />

NEW ZEALAND OPTICS<br />

15


SPECIAL FEATURE: O SHOW <strong>2016</strong><br />

Hoya’s Sara Leonard and the Vision Simulator<br />

CONTINUED FROM P15<br />

The Clarity 20/20 team Robert Cormack, David Cormack, John<br />

Whelan, Paul Hillier and chairman Geoffrey Cottrell<br />

Artemiss’ Jaimee Kearns<br />

system moves dry eye treatment from the<br />

pharmacy to the clinical practice. The LipiView<br />

ocular surface interferometer enables the clinician<br />

to define, measure and track lipid deficient<br />

evaporative dry eye, while the LipiFlow reactivates<br />

the eye’s lipid secreting glands to reduce or<br />

eliminate dry eye symptoms.<br />

Zeiss<br />

Demonstrations of Zeiss AngioPlex, the company’s<br />

latest offering in the increasingly popular field of<br />

OCT angiography, was proving popular on the Zeiss<br />

stand.<br />

“It’s about being able to demonstrate<br />

the capabilities of the technology because<br />

optometrists haven’t really had access to this in<br />

the past,” says Zeiss clinical support specialist<br />

Kim Nguyen, adding that the speed and ease of<br />

use was particularly appealing to the market,<br />

especially as more optometrists are taking over<br />

more of the management role for glaucoma<br />

patients.<br />

Hoya<br />

Hoya’s new light reactive lens Sensity was one<br />

of the main points of conversation on the Hoya<br />

stand. Sensity is the company’s latest innovation<br />

in photochromatic technology to provide<br />

comfortable vision and consistent performance in<br />

all light conditions and weather circumstances.<br />

But the real drawcard, which took the company<br />

a little by surprise, admits Sara Leonard, Hoya’s<br />

national customer services manager, was Hoya’s<br />

new virtual reality Vision Simulator system. “It’s<br />

in a beta stage of development at the moment,<br />

but it’s a great dispensing tool that simulates the<br />

multifocal experience for patients.”<br />

The simulator offers patients the opportunity to<br />

“see before they buy” to examine the differences<br />

between different types of lenses and even<br />

coatings. It should be launched late this year or<br />

early next year.<br />

Designs for Vision<br />

The interest in dry eye and the increasing amount<br />

of equipment coming on the market to diagnose,<br />

map and treat dry eye was also evident on Designs<br />

for Vision (DFV) stand, with the company’s Oculus<br />

Keratograph 5 attracting a great deal of interest.<br />

The Oculus combines corneal topography with dry<br />

eye analysis, including tear film break-up time and<br />

meniscus height, the quality of the lipid layer and<br />

Meibomian gland dysfunction.<br />

Tamara Smart, DFV’s sales and marketing<br />

specialist, says it’s one of the only instruments on<br />

the market that’s easy to use, looks at all aspects<br />

of dry eye and allows state-of-the-art corneal<br />

topography at an affordable price.<br />

The O-Show also marked DFV’s launch of Finnish<br />

company Icare’s ic100 non-contact tonometer,<br />

which requires no drops, air or<br />

calibration or specialist skills to<br />

use. “It is so quick and easy, very<br />

accurate and so popular. It’s the gold<br />

standard,” says Smart.<br />

Clarity 2020<br />

Still relatively new to the Australian<br />

market, Kiwi company Clarity<br />

2020 was at the O-Show to launch<br />

itself into the Victorian market<br />

by explaining how its spectacles’<br />

cover for practices “acts like glue<br />

to stick patients to your practice,”<br />

providing a customer-service add on<br />

that can provide that vital element<br />

of difference independent practices<br />

require.<br />

It encourages people to return to the<br />

practice should they break their glasses<br />

and gives them a certain amount of<br />

confidence to invest more in the glasses<br />

they want, rather than just settle for<br />

those they think they can afford, says director<br />

Robert Cormack.<br />

Heidelberg Engineering<br />

On the Heidelberg Engineering stand interest was<br />

focused on the company’s Spectralis platform,<br />

which provides multiple models at various price<br />

points. “The whole package has been designed to be<br />

upgradeable through life, so eye care professionals<br />

can start with what they need and add the different<br />

functions as they grow and change,” says regional<br />

sales manager Adam Hamilton.<br />

The workhorse model in the family is the<br />

Spectralis OCT, which according to the product<br />

information is an economical, easy-to-use<br />

version with one-touch pre-set scan patterns and<br />

AutoRescan. Additional models build upon this<br />

base platform allowing clinicians to add widefield<br />

imaging and angiography.*<br />

Medmont<br />

On the Medmont stand, the centre of attention<br />

was the newly released Medmont Studio 6.1<br />

with its new tear film analysis package for the<br />

company’s Medmot E300 Corneal Topographer.<br />

“It’s the only non-invasive way of mapping the tear<br />

film,” says business development manager Jason<br />

Anderson. “It’s an added benefit, especially for<br />

those interested in speciality contact lens fitting…<br />

as there’s not really much else on the market for<br />

analysing the tear film.”<br />

Further developments are expected to be<br />

announced early next year, says Anderson adding it<br />

was a still a little early to say more.*<br />

*Heidelberg Engineering and Medmont products<br />

are distributed by the Ophthalmic Instrument<br />

Company (OIC) in New Zealand ▀<br />

Designs for Vision’s Tamara Smart shows off the new ic100<br />

Heidelberg Engineering’s Adam Hamilton<br />

Business snapshot a hit<br />

Though<br />

there were<br />

deliberately<br />

no CPD-earning<br />

lectures at the<br />

O-Show, there was<br />

still quite a bit<br />

of interest from<br />

delegates in the<br />

exhibitor product<br />

demonstrations and<br />

Business Snapshot<br />

seminars held on an<br />

open stage in the<br />

centre of the show.<br />

Keynote speakers<br />

Mark Davis, Robert<br />

Springer and Paul<br />

Hillier presented on<br />

a number of business<br />

marketing-related topics.<br />

• Mark Davis, from the Melbourne Education<br />

& Training Centre, regaled the audience with<br />

colourful accounts of his own experience of poor<br />

customer service, explaining how this can mean<br />

the difference between retaining a customer for<br />

life and seeing them walk promptly out the door,<br />

never to return. “It’s about being able to offer a<br />

level of customer service that means they don’t<br />

want to go anywhere else.”<br />

Every industry faces change and even revolution<br />

from time to time, but employing the<br />

fundamentals of good customer service, nailing<br />

that first impression and ensuring everyone in<br />

your business understands how important that<br />

is, and how to talk and engage customers from<br />

thereon in, will ensure your business not only<br />

survives, but thrives, he said.<br />

• Paul Hillier, director of Clarity 2020, continued<br />

the theme of good customer service, explaining<br />

how important it is for optometrists to retain<br />

patients in this increasingly competitive world.<br />

“It’s much easier to retain existing patients as<br />

opposed to go off and search for new ones.” But<br />

it is difficult to build relationships with people<br />

when you’re only seeing them once every 12 to 24<br />

months, so you need reasons to engage with them,<br />

he said.<br />

• This was also the theme for the third keynote<br />

speaker, Robert Springer, who after working for a<br />

number of years for Zeiss and Essilor has now set<br />

up his own company OptomEDGE to help practices<br />

engage better with patients using the plethora of<br />

free online tools available. All communication with<br />

patients must be seen as personal, with content<br />

tailored to their needs or they are just not going to<br />

remain engaged, he said.<br />

Another key, standing-room-only, attraction was<br />

the 15-minute window dressing presentations<br />

Distributed in Australia & New Zealand by:<br />

Andrew Markakis<br />

14 Parker St, WILLIAMSTOWN 3016<br />

Phone: +61 3 8430 0441 Mobile: +61 426427277<br />

Mark Davis tackles the importance of<br />

good customer service<br />

Kerry Van Beuge enthralled audiences with some quick, clever and<br />

eye-catching window dressing ideas<br />

by Kerry Van Beuge from Through the Looking<br />

Glass, with each demonstrating just how easy<br />

and effective it was to make an attractive window<br />

display by focusing on a particular theme. ▀<br />

ODMA<br />

Award<br />

New Zealand-born fashion bloggerturned<br />

Australian-based dispensing<br />

optician (and new columnist for NZ<br />

Optics, see p19) Jo Eaton (left) was awarded the<br />

ODMA <strong>2016</strong> Dispensing Award grant of $2,000<br />

by ODMA executive director Finola Carey (right)<br />

to help her complete her studies. ▀<br />

16 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS <strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong>


with<br />

Prof Charles McGhee<br />

& A/Prof Dipika Patel<br />

Series Editors<br />

Intraocular foreign bodies.<br />

What to do?<br />

Fig 1. This patient developed endophthalmitis from an intraocular body that penetrated the<br />

cornea, see sutured entry site. The IOFB in the photograph is secured in foreign body forceps<br />

and about to be removed from the eye.<br />

Fig 2. An IOFB lodged in the ciliary body has been detached from the surrounding tissue and is<br />

about to be explanted from the eye.<br />

BY ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR PHILIP POLKINGHORNE*<br />

A<br />

lot of the discourse on intraocular foreign bodies (IOFBs)<br />

is concentrated on the morbidity associated with their<br />

presence, timing of surgery and risk of endophthalmitis. All<br />

important issues, but often neglected is the management of the<br />

most common IOFB, the intraocular lens and or medical devices<br />

that have become displaced and or adversely impacting on adjacent<br />

structures. Such iatrogenic IOFBs by definition are much more<br />

frequently encountered than those IOFBs from penetrating trauma.<br />

In New Zealand we have relatively good statistics on ocular<br />

trauma, because of ACC. On their website for the financial year<br />

ending 2015, 30,000 ocular injuries were recorded. The website<br />

does differentiate between types of injury, including foreign body<br />

injuries (n=13,714) but the absolute numbers of intraocular foreign<br />

bodies are not recorded. That data however can be extrapolated<br />

from a recent survey performed in Waikato suggesting about 16<br />

traumatic intraocular foreign bodies would be expected per year in<br />

New Zealand. The authors of this paper also provide useful data on<br />

the risks of infection associated with traumatic IOFBs (about 15%)<br />

and the risk of evisceration (about 5%). 1<br />

Overseas experience suggests infection is linked with delay in<br />

presentation and when the foreign body is organic, particularly<br />

when the object is wood and or contaminated with soil. Many<br />

practitioners would advocate the prophylactic use of antibiotics and<br />

tetanus toxoid in this scenario. In my own practice I tend not to use<br />

prophylactic antibiotics for high velocity, metallic foreign bodies but<br />

have a low threshold for organic IOFBs especially if a gas bubble is<br />

seen in the eye.<br />

The history is certainly important, not only to consider the<br />

presence of an IOFB in an eye that has been traumatised, but to<br />

provide an indication as to the type of foreign body. The ocular<br />

examination may be difficult, especially in the presence of globe<br />

rupture but in a closed globe setting a small corneal laceration, iris<br />

defect and or sectorial lens opacity should suggest the presence of<br />

an IOFB.<br />

In figure 1 you can see that expert ultrasonography obviates the<br />

need for other types of imaging, but most patients are aggrieved<br />

if an IOFB is missed following trauma. Where there is doubt, a<br />

plain X-ray will exclude larger metallic foreign bodies, but for<br />

other IOFBs there is a risk of a false negative result. Many overseas<br />

centres use CT scanning with 3 mm cuts to lessen this risk. MRI is<br />

contra-indicated in the presence of metallic foreign bodies since the<br />

electro-magnetic field can displace the IOFB, potentially damaging<br />

adjacent intraocular structures but is useful in some instances of<br />

non-metallic foreign bodies.<br />

Of course not all IOFBs need to be removed and inert substances<br />

such as plastics and glass fragments can be often left safely in the<br />

eye. Many patients require reassurance if that advice is given. I find<br />

a second opinion from another colleague is useful in that scenario.<br />

If removal of the IOFB is indicated, I prefer, as a rule to defer<br />

surgery for a week or two, to enable a posterior vitreous separation<br />

to occur. Nearly all patients share the demographic of being male<br />

and aged under 30 years, so if the foreign body is small and the<br />

wound self-sealing I think it is better to wait for the vitreous<br />

separation. The exception to this policy is where there is a suspicion<br />

of contamination. Prompt vitrectomy and intra-vitreal antibiotics<br />

is mandatory in that circumstance. The presence of an IOFB in an<br />

eye with an open globe injury is an absolute indication for acute,<br />

primary closure but again I would tend to defer removal of the<br />

foreign body for a week or so.<br />

I don’t think the location influences the timing of the surgery.<br />

In my hands IOFBs in the ciliary body or ora are more difficult to<br />

remove than those behind the equator. Sometimes the lens may<br />

have to be sacrificed in anteriorly located IOFBs. One recent case<br />

required three surgeries to locate the IOFB within the ciliary body.<br />

(See figure 2). Persistence was required in that case because of the<br />

risk of siderosis.<br />

All posterior segment IOFBs require a vitrectomy. If there are<br />

media opacities such as cornea scars and/or cataract, combined<br />

surgery may be needed. I find it very helpful to engage an anterior<br />

segment specialist if a temporary kerato-prosthesis is likely to be<br />

needed during the proposed surgery. Their skill in facilitating a<br />

closed environment is vastly superior to any open-sky technique<br />

of old. Conversely, combining cataract vitrectomy surgery usually<br />

requires only one operator.<br />

IOFBs embedded in the retina or choroid requires careful<br />

dissection, good haemostasis and tamponade with gas or oil<br />

is often essential. (See figure 3). Of course not all IOFBs need<br />

to be removed and inert substances such as plastics and glass<br />

fragments can be often left safely in the eye. Many patients require<br />

reassurance if that advice is given. I find a second opinion from a<br />

colleague is useful in that scenario.<br />

As a rule, stable intraocular lenses are not normally a hindrance<br />

to removing an IOFB and similarly a clear crystalline lens can be<br />

left in situ. I place more importance on removing as much vitreous<br />

as possible to safely remove the IOFB but try not to overstep the<br />

mark with a zealous approach to the vitreous. Many IOFBs are<br />

encapsulated at the time of surgery and some dissection is usually<br />

required. This can be achieved with a MVR blade or 25-gauge needle<br />

on a 1 or 3 ml syringe. The capsule is dissected sufficient to free<br />

the IOFB, or at least mobilise. As for the forceps I use the smallest<br />

that will safely lift the foreign body and guide it through the<br />

sclerotomy. The later generally needs to be enlarged, as a rule twice<br />

the size you initially calculate. I generally find magnetic probes (rare<br />

earth magnets) are not sufficient to retain contact through the<br />

sclerotomy.<br />

Very large IOFBs, (greater than 10 mm), may have to be removed<br />

through the anterior segment, although this depends on the width<br />

of the foreign body.<br />

Dislocated intraocular lenses, and other therapeutic devices such<br />

as capsular tension rings should be removed when dislocated, but<br />

optical considerations outweigh any perceived risk to the retina.<br />

The intraocular lens may be able to be correctly relocated into the<br />

pupillary aperture and stabilised, usually by means of a prolene<br />

suture but this does require a haptic profile that lends to that<br />

approach. There is a wide range of capsular tension rings that have<br />

been inserted in the last decade; some eyes have more than one<br />

device. Removal requires a dialing action not only to free from an<br />

intraocular attachment in or about the pupillary plane but also<br />

from the anterior segment. That approach will limit the size of the<br />

ab externo incision.<br />

The upsurge in the use of selective corneal tissue, particularly<br />

endothelial grafting has created a new, albeit very rare complication<br />

where the tissue can become dislodged and settle on another<br />

intraocular structure. If this tissue enters the posterior segment<br />

then removal and relocation should be performed as soon as<br />

possible, before the cornea becomes oedematous and the view<br />

difficult. (See figure 4). Furthermore if the tissue is rapidly relocated<br />

then it should continue to act as originally intended.<br />

In summary iatrogenic IOFBs are more numerous than those<br />

resulting from traumatic causes but the later have the propensity to<br />

cause more medico-legal problems. ▀<br />

References<br />

1. Pandita A, Merriman M. Ocular Trauma Epidemiology: 10-year retrospective<br />

study. NZ Med J. 2012: 125;61-69.<br />

About the author<br />

* Philip Polkinghorne is a vitreo-retinal surgeon in<br />

Auckland, expert diver and fisherman.<br />

Fig 3. Fundal photograph demonstrating an IOFB penetrating the retina near the macula.<br />

Fig 4. Corneal Donor Tissue (comprising of a thin layer of corneal stroma, Descemets<br />

membrane and corneal endothelium) on surface of the retina. This was subsequently<br />

elevated and re-attached to the cornea.<br />

<strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong><br />

NEW ZEALAND OPTICS<br />

17


Inaugural Glaucoma New Zealand<br />

symposium announced<br />

Problem Solving<br />

We often see new patients on<br />

referral from optometric or<br />

ophthalmological colleagues,<br />

and quite often too from family<br />

members, friends or work colleagues<br />

of the patient. They’re often told “Go<br />

see Alan; he’ll sort out your problems!”<br />

Such referrals, although flattering, can<br />

be quite daunting and it certainly is a<br />

challenge to deliver what people seek<br />

and to meet or exceed expectations.<br />

More often than not we do solve the<br />

problems, often with excellent results.<br />

There’s a process one needs to follow<br />

and work through. The first thing I like<br />

to have at my disposal, on first contact<br />

with the patient, is their previous ocular<br />

history. What’s been tried in the past?<br />

If the previous practitioner has tried<br />

contact lens A, B, C & D then I will avoid<br />

repeating those. With a detailed review<br />

of the data from my measurements –<br />

comparing topography and manifest Rx,<br />

corneal curvature - and refractive versus<br />

corneal astigmatism - immediately<br />

tells me what lenses would be ideal.<br />

For example if we have no corneal<br />

astigmatism but manifest spectacle<br />

astigmatism then a soft-toric or<br />

spectacles are indicated. An RGP would<br />

not be, unless you’re an extremist who<br />

thinks that front toric prism ballast<br />

lenses are cool. There are of course many<br />

other scenarios that I’ve covered in<br />

previous columns over the decades and<br />

thus will not repeat here.<br />

These days too many practitioners<br />

seem to ignore K readings and things<br />

like HVID and pupil diameter and just go<br />

for the generic 8.6/14.2 soft lens or their<br />

‘preferred’ multifocal soft lens.<br />

In a patient with very small pupils<br />

a centre near multifocal may provide<br />

decent near vision but there’s no way it<br />

will provide adequate or safe distance<br />

vision. Such patients are much more<br />

likely to succeed with the judicious<br />

choice of something like Biofinity D&N<br />

MF lenses, appropriately fitted to the<br />

dominant and non-dominant eyes.<br />

All too often I see a patient with an<br />

8.40mm corneal curvature who has<br />

been fitted with an 8.4BC soft lens, that<br />

is way too tight, too steep and exhibits<br />

variable vision or is difficult to remove.<br />

At the other end of the spectrum some<br />

optometrists ‘prefer’ flat base curves but<br />

a 9.0BC 1 Day lens is not going to work<br />

too well on a steeper eye like a 7.2mm<br />

corneal curvature. We also have to<br />

consider eccentricity; a very flat eye with<br />

low eccentricity (as flat corneas tend<br />

to be) may not require the ‘standard’<br />

flattening factor of say going 0.8 flatter<br />

than K. Thus an 8.7mm radius cornea<br />

may do well with a 9.0BC fitted only 0.3<br />

flatter than K.<br />

Similarly a steep cornea with high<br />

eccentricity (as they tend to be) may do<br />

well with a lens that is say 1.2mm flatter<br />

than flattest K e.g. a 7.4mm steep cornea<br />

may do well with an 8.6BC soft lens.<br />

Nek Level<br />

These are the things one learns by<br />

experience and applying logic and first<br />

principles but if you don’t measure<br />

things or use the measurements you<br />

have, then you will never work out<br />

these relationships and just keep blindly<br />

fitting your favourite generic 8.6/14.2 or<br />

the lens your practice gets on the best<br />

preferred-provider deal.<br />

By applying some of the<br />

aforementioned principles, I more often<br />

than not put my first lens on the eye of<br />

these frustrated patients — who have<br />

had multiple practitioners apply multiple<br />

lenses without success – and hey presto<br />

we get a great result. Avoiding the<br />

previous practitioners’ trials and errors,<br />

makes us look good.<br />

It also helps to use the latest<br />

generation lenses that have the ultimate<br />

performance, comfort and visual quality<br />

and this further boosts your likelihood of<br />

success: As opposed to using some longin-the-tooth<br />

generic 55% water, 8.6/14.2<br />

monthly disposable.<br />

While doing some recent trials with<br />

the latest Acuvue Oasys One Day lens I<br />

had many such scenarios in patients who<br />

were unhappy with numerous lenses,<br />

over some months or years. We had<br />

many ‘wow’ responses with better vision,<br />

comfort and immediate orders of a bulk<br />

supply of lenses. I so love it when a plan<br />

comes together. So do my patients. Such<br />

results beget even more referrals from<br />

happy, enthusiastic patients.<br />

Like I’ve always said it’s far better to<br />

have enthusiastic referrers, which cost<br />

you nothing, compared to expensive<br />

marketing and advertising campaigns<br />

that may deliver very few bums on seats.<br />

That’s not to say one shouldn’t do<br />

marketing and advertising or send out<br />

newsletters or harness social media: Of<br />

course one must as keeping your name<br />

out there, in multiple media, will keep<br />

reminding current, former and future<br />

patients. When they need you they are<br />

more likely to recall your name and come<br />

and see you.<br />

Not all patients want a free, quickie eye<br />

test at a convenient chain. Many patients<br />

are prepared to pay for longer consult<br />

times, thorough investigations and top<br />

quality products. Professionals should<br />

not be providing important professional<br />

services for free. It devalues our skills and<br />

professionalism. Would a free accountant<br />

or lawyer deliver the same professional<br />

quality and thoroughness that a QC or<br />

senior partner would provide? Methinks<br />

not.<br />

Au Contraire<br />

In my discussions, lectures and writing<br />

I often cite complex cases. The reason<br />

I do this is that there’s not much point<br />

getting excited about the performance<br />

of a given lens on a simple -2.00 myope<br />

with bullet proof corneas and no worries.<br />

Throwing the toughest cases at a given<br />

new lens, that’s promoted as the best<br />

thing since sliced bread, soon sorts the<br />

wheat from the chaff.<br />

From time to time people get the<br />

impression that a given lens I’m<br />

discussing is only good for problem<br />

solving. Au contraire! If a lens works<br />

fantastically on the toughest cases<br />

imagine how well it will do in simple<br />

cases.<br />

By fitting all your new cases with the<br />

best lens available – that’s providing<br />

performance levels that outstrip<br />

competitors by two, three or nine times<br />

in patient ratings — then surely the<br />

logical step is to use the lens? At maybe<br />

only a premium of 10% to 15% on price<br />

(which is less than the difference per<br />

day between a McDonald’s coffee and<br />

a high end Barista coffee) your patients<br />

will soon find out what the difference<br />

is should they go ‘downmarket’ and get<br />

fitted by a competitor with a ‘lesser’ lens?<br />

Some even self-prescribe the cheapest<br />

daily they can find on the Internet.<br />

If the cheaper lens provides poorer<br />

visual quality, reduced comfort, excess<br />

movement, dry eye symptoms and redder<br />

eyes then your job is done. Nothing<br />

convinces a patient more than their<br />

own experience. Such experiences also<br />

reinforce the fact that you’ve done the<br />

best you can, in their best interest.<br />

If there’s a mantra to go by — be the<br />

best you can be - is one to aspire to. ▀<br />

Editor’s note and disclosure: Alan Saks was engaged by JJVC to share his<br />

experiences fitting Acuvue Oasys 1-Day at the recent ANZ product launches.<br />

He is not paid by any manufacturer to review or promote their products in<br />

his column, which remains independent.<br />

BY HANNAH KERSTEN FOR GNZ<br />

Professor Helen Danesh-Meyer, glaucoma specialist<br />

and chairperson of GNZ<br />

On 18 September this year,<br />

Glaucoma New Zealand (GNZ)<br />

will be holding its inaugural<br />

Glaucoma Symposium at Alexandra<br />

Park in Auckland. Professor Helen<br />

Danesh-Meyer, glaucoma specialist and<br />

chairperson of GNZ, will be overseeing<br />

the symposium programme.<br />

One of the key mandates of GNZ<br />

is glaucoma education - the webbased<br />

GNZ Professional Education<br />

Programme has been hugely supported<br />

by the optometry profession. This<br />

symposium is an extension of GNZ’s<br />

commitment to glaucoma education.<br />

Professor Danesh-Meyer says, “GNZ<br />

has been wanting to implement the<br />

idea for a couple of years – it seems<br />

particularly timely given the increased<br />

opportunity for optometrists to be<br />

involved in glaucoma management.<br />

Optometrists have a pivotal role in<br />

the diagnosis of glaucoma. However,<br />

now with therapeutic optometry,<br />

optometrists are increasingly involved<br />

in the ongoing care of glaucoma<br />

patients, and are independently<br />

prescribing glaucoma medications. The<br />

more ophthalmology and optometry<br />

interact and communicate, the better<br />

the outcomes for our patients.”<br />

This symposium is the first full-day<br />

optometry education event in New<br />

Zealand focused solely on glaucoma.<br />

The conference has the support of<br />

glaucoma specialists and will include<br />

speakers from both optometry and<br />

ophthalmology, including Professors<br />

Danesh-Meyer and Charles McGhee,<br />

Associate Professors Jennifer Craig<br />

and Gordon Sanderson, Drs Mark<br />

Donaldson, Dr Sam Kain, Sonya<br />

Bennett, Hussain Patel, Shenton Chew,<br />

Jay Meyer, Alex Buller, Alan Simpson,<br />

Jesse Gale, Dean Corbett and Graham<br />

Reeves, and optometrists Grant<br />

Watters and Hannah Kersten.<br />

Professor Danesh-Meyer hopes<br />

<strong>Jul</strong>y is Glaucoma<br />

Awareness Month<br />

Glaucoma New Zealand (GNZ)<br />

is set to hold its Annual<br />

Awareness Appeal in <strong>Jul</strong>y. It is a<br />

call to action – with a focus on getting<br />

people to have their eyes examined,<br />

raising awareness of glaucoma, and<br />

generating vital funds to enable GNZ<br />

to continue its sight-saving work.<br />

“Raising funds for GNZ to keep<br />

saving what most people consider<br />

their most precious sense, sight,<br />

plays an important role in this year’s<br />

campaign,” says GNZ executive<br />

manager, Helen Mawn. “Since 2002,<br />

GNZ has strived to make glaucoma a<br />

highly visible disease.”<br />

GNZ offers services to everyone<br />

affected by and concerned with<br />

glaucoma; advocating for regular<br />

eye checks, educating the public<br />

and health professionals, providing<br />

support and information to those<br />

with glaucoma and their families, as<br />

well as contributing to research.<br />

This year GNZ is teaming up with<br />

Cecily – a popular cartoon character<br />

created by Cantabrian Celia Allison.<br />

All through <strong>Jul</strong>y, for every order at<br />

www.cecily.co.nz that uses the code<br />

“Glaucoma NZ” – 50% of the sale<br />

will be donated to GNZ. Just enter<br />

“Glaucoma NZ” in the instruction<br />

box when you see “Your Cart”. Cecily<br />

humour can be found on quality<br />

merchandise such as lens cleaning<br />

cloths, cards, calendars, stationery,<br />

prints, tea towels and much more.<br />

Have a laugh, make a purchase, and<br />

help Cecily help GNZ.<br />

Also lending their loyal support are<br />

the optometrists, ophthalmologists,<br />

and pharmacists around the country<br />

who have taken GNZ’s donation boxes.<br />

“Many optometrists and<br />

ophthalmologists are also donating<br />

$2 from each eye examination<br />

undertaken during <strong>Jul</strong>y and we<br />

are grateful for the donations that<br />

we have received in lieu of taking<br />

donation boxes,” says Mawn.<br />

About 91,000 New Zealanders over<br />

the age of 40 have glaucoma and<br />

more than half don’t know they have<br />

it. Worldwide 64 million people have<br />

glaucoma and that’s expected to grow<br />

to 111.8 million worldwide by 2040.<br />

For more information visit<br />

www.glaucoma.org.nz ▀<br />

that the GNZ Glaucoma Symposium<br />

“provides both depth and breadth in<br />

glaucoma care.” The overall theme<br />

of the Symposium is Glaucoma –<br />

from Diagnosis to Management.<br />

The day will be divided into four<br />

main sessions: glaucoma diagnosis,<br />

special issues in glaucoma, glaucoma<br />

treatment and case presentations.<br />

Presentations at the Symposium<br />

will cover fundamentals such as<br />

optic nerve interpretation and<br />

gonioscopy, as well as some of the<br />

challenging issues in glaucoma such<br />

as the treatment of normal tension<br />

glaucoma and secondary glaucomas.<br />

There will also be a special session in<br />

which challenging glaucoma cases are<br />

presented. GNZ is looking to apply for<br />

six clinical diagnostic CPD points for<br />

this one-day event.<br />

GNZ would like to make this a regular<br />

event, and hope to have an annual<br />

Glaucoma Symposium, with each<br />

event building on the previous year.<br />

Professor Danesh-Meyer and GNZ are<br />

very excited about this initiative and<br />

look forward to bringing together both<br />

ophthalmologists and optometrists in<br />

September. ▀<br />

Glaucoma New Zealand Symposium <strong>2016</strong><br />

- Registration now open -<br />

The inaugural Glaucoma New Zealand Symposium will be held<br />

in September <strong>2016</strong>. This is a one day education event for optometrists<br />

and other eye health professionals.<br />

WHERE: Alexandra Park Function Centre, Greenlane West Road, Auckland<br />

WHEN: Sunday 18 September <strong>2016</strong>, 9.00 am - 5.00 pm<br />

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME: It will be an exciting one day symposium with<br />

rapid-fire presentations on a wide range of glaucoma topics, including Glaucoma<br />

Diagnosis, Special Issues in Glaucoma, Glaucoma Treatment and Challenging<br />

Cases. The scientific programme is being overseen by Professor Helen Danesh-<br />

Meyer and presentations will be given by glaucoma specialist ophthalmologists<br />

and optometrists.<br />

COST: $120 per delegate for a full day of glaucoma education<br />

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION: Application for 6 clinical diagnostic points<br />

REGISTRATION: For more information and to register for the Glaucoma New<br />

Zealand Symposium, visit www.glaucoma.org.nz<br />

Thank you to our Silver Sponsors<br />

18 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS <strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong>


J&J launch HydraLuxe<br />

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care launched its<br />

new contact lens, Acuvue Oasys 1-Day with<br />

HydraLuxe technology at a series of events in<br />

Australia and Auckland in May.<br />

The Auckland event at the Tamaki Yacht Club<br />

on 25 May was the last on the roadshow, which<br />

featured three speakers: Dr Emma Gillies, J&J’s<br />

professional affairs manager; keynote speaker Dr<br />

Brian Pall, senior principal research optometrist<br />

at J&J in Jacksonville, Florida; and our own Alan<br />

Saks, NZ Optics columnist on all things CL and<br />

optometrist with Mortimer Hirst in Auckland.<br />

Canapes and drinks and a couple of CPD points<br />

added to the warm and welcoming atmosphere<br />

as the speakers addressed a group of about 45 eye<br />

care professionals.<br />

Sean McKiernan, J&J’s national key account<br />

manager ANZ, kicked off proceedings mentioning<br />

the problems the CL industry has faced over the last<br />

decade and how J&J hopes its new HydraLuxe lens<br />

will change all that. “We can’t change everything,<br />

but what we can do is start the journey to try and<br />

get you to fall in love with contact lenses again.”<br />

McKiernan pointed out that increasing the love<br />

affair with CLs for patients could dramatically<br />

effect an optometrist’s bottomline. In the UK, on<br />

average, contact lens revenue represents 25% of<br />

an optometrist’s total optical sales, whereas in<br />

Australia and New Zealand it’s only 5%. “So there’s<br />

really an opportunity for all of us,” said McKiernan.<br />

Key to building up this revenue is stopping people<br />

exiting the category, he said. In 2015, 302,000 new<br />

wearers entered the CL category in Australia and<br />

New Zealand, but 229,000 dropped out. One way to<br />

keep new wearers is new products, said McKiernan.<br />

Dr Gillies started her talk stating that the new<br />

HydraLuxe lens is not Oasys mass produced. She<br />

continued the theme of dropout by quoting a UK<br />

study showing the main cause of dropout for new<br />

wearers was dry eyes and discomfort. To tackle this<br />

J&J commissioned a quantitative study of soft CL<br />

wearers to better understand the lens-wearing<br />

experience throughout the day; research that<br />

focused J&J on the tear film and thus helped them<br />

develop the HydraLuxe technology, she said.<br />

Before tackling the science behind the technology,<br />

an obviously passionate Dr Pall said the most<br />

important thing the audience could do is to try the<br />

lens for themselves. The technology is so good it can<br />

speak for itself, he said.<br />

As for the science, Dr Pall explained how the new<br />

lens is an innovative new daily disposable silicone<br />

hydrogel that’s designed to work with the key<br />

components of the natural tear film to lubricate and<br />

Obituary: Denis Kennemore<br />

BY JOHN BILLINGS<br />

It is with great sadness that I report the passing<br />

of a friend and well-known character in the New<br />

Zealand optical industry; Denis Kennemore. He<br />

passed away peacefully at home, aged 83 years,<br />

early Monday morning on 30 May.<br />

Denis was born 1933 in Sydney. In 1948 he began<br />

his working career at North Shore Gas Company<br />

as a sheet metal worker but he soon moved on to<br />

become an optical mechanic starting a five-year<br />

apprenticeship with AG Thomson and Sons.<br />

Denis left soon after completing his apprenticeship<br />

to join Geddes as an optical technician where his<br />

skills at fitting glass rimless frames stood him in<br />

good stead and he was there until 1956 (apart from<br />

1948 to 1952 when he did his National Service in<br />

the Navy).<br />

1956 brought the Melbourne Olympics and<br />

being an ardent sports fan he wanted to go, so<br />

resigned from Geddes. To fund the visit he went to<br />

Melbourne and got a job glazing sunglasses. After<br />

the Olympics he drove back to Sydney looking for<br />

work, but nobody wanted an optical technician, so<br />

he took a job painting the bottom of boats.<br />

His next move was to join OPSM where he worked<br />

in the lab. Knowing they were looking for smart<br />

people to train in optical dispensing and wanting to<br />

get on, he wore a shirt and tie to work. Eventually<br />

this paid off and they asked him to train as an<br />

optical dispenser in a store in downtown Sydney.<br />

Shortly afterwards he was transferred as assistant<br />

manager to Tamworth, a move not entirely with<br />

his agreement but that would have life changing<br />

consequences as it was here that he met Enid, the<br />

lady who would later become his wife, lifetime<br />

friend and, towards the end of his life, his intimate<br />

carer. Always the keen sportsman, Denis played<br />

rugby league here for a year but gave it up as, in his<br />

words, “the ground was too hard!!”<br />

Dr Brian Pall, Aki Gokul, Dr Emma Gillies and Alan Saks<br />

Jenny Ogier and Cliff Harrison<br />

moisturise the lens and support the patient’s tear<br />

film during lens wear, thus minimising friction from<br />

blinking and dryness.<br />

In an article written and circulated by Dr Gillies,<br />

the technology is described as “an enhanced<br />

moisture network with increased covalent bonding<br />

designed to further reduce the adhesiveness of the<br />

lens to better mimic the eye’s own mucins.”<br />

As well as explaining the science Pall also<br />

presented the clinical evidence showing that in a<br />

J&J study, twice as many wearers preferred the new<br />

HydraLuxe lens compared with another leading<br />

daily lens. “We think it’s a game changer. We hope<br />

you will continue to be as surprised as we are.”<br />

Alan Saks took a more personal approach to the<br />

new lens, sharing some particularly difficult CL<br />

patient case studies and explaining what happened<br />

when he decided to trial the new HydraLuxe lens on<br />

them. All fell instantly in love with the new lenses,<br />

he said, and most also experienced some degree of<br />

improved vision. “It’s my first choice for new and<br />

existing wearers,” he said simply.<br />

“And you never get a second chance to make a<br />

good first impression,” summarised Dr Gillies. ▀<br />

After marrying at<br />

Christmas in 1960,<br />

Denis and Enid<br />

moved to Wellington<br />

for a three-year<br />

stint. However, an<br />

opportunity with Optical Prescription Spectacle<br />

Makers NZ arose, and Denis purchased 51% of<br />

the business. Denis and Enid were to stay in<br />

New Zealand.<br />

In <strong>Jul</strong>y 1961 ADONZ was formed by eight<br />

founding members, including Denis. A key<br />

milestone was the success he achieved through<br />

tough negotiations for the exclusive use of the<br />

title “dispensing optician” by people registered<br />

under the new opticians Act of 1977. Denis was<br />

the first dispensing optician to be appointed by<br />

the Board and the first registered DO in New<br />

Zealand holding the registration number 61-<br />

00001, a fact of which he was extremely proud.<br />

In 1982 he owned a store in Capital on the Quay<br />

where he showed forward thinking by being one<br />

of the first practices to display frames rather than<br />

having them in drawers. In 1988 Denis was elected<br />

a Life Member of ADONZ. In 1990 Denis was the<br />

first DO to employ an optometrist and in November<br />

1990 opened another store in Porirua.<br />

Unfortunately, in 1992 he began having health<br />

problems and in 1993 underwent heart surgery,<br />

which is where I came onto the scene. He brought<br />

me out from the UK to work for him as a DO in<br />

the Porirua store. Due to his ill health, he and Enid<br />

decided to sell the business and in November 1994,<br />

OPSM Australia purchased Optical Prescription<br />

Spectacle Makers NZ.<br />

On their retirement Denis and Enid established<br />

the Kennemore Education Fund. This fund<br />

was initially established to support struggling<br />

Ahead of the game<br />

Style-Eyes<br />

It was 1995 when I got my first pair of<br />

glasses and I don’t recall a single pair seeming<br />

fashionable. ‘Geek chic’ was yet to become a<br />

trend and bespectacled teenagers around the<br />

country were all given the same nickname of<br />

‘nerd’. The only recollection I have of anyone<br />

wearing glasses as a fashion item was Lisa<br />

Loeb’s tortoiseshell cat eye frames in her 1994<br />

music video for ‘Stay’.<br />

I chose my very first pair because they<br />

seemed handsome and well-made. They<br />

were light, round metal frames with subtle<br />

engraving. In <strong>2016</strong>, this exact style is finally in<br />

fashion. Is this proof of the theory that fashion<br />

is currently on a cycle of around twenty years?<br />

Maybe I was just ahead of my time!<br />

I never loved my first pair of glasses the way<br />

I love the frames I have owned since. I finally<br />

took inspiration from Lisa Loeb at the age of<br />

18 in 1998 and got a pair of retro-inspired<br />

tortoiseshell frames. Glasses became my<br />

‘thing’.<br />

After this, I made my way through several<br />

rectangular pairs that were very popular in the<br />

early 2000s. Forest green! Lilac! Wave patterns<br />

on the temples! Apart from the colours, there<br />

was nothing particularly interesting about<br />

them. I was yet to discover the delightful<br />

world of independent designers and deadstock<br />

vintage frames!<br />

My first foray into something slightly unusual<br />

were some Modo frames. I loved the temple<br />

position. They also had crystal temples with<br />

embedded glitter! These frames could not be<br />

worn to the pub, lest some clever intoxicated<br />

person insist I was wearing my glasses upside<br />

down and that they simply must try them on!<br />

This was just the beginning. I was hooked.<br />

Around the time I purchased the Modo frames,<br />

I decided to consult the internet for eyewear<br />

advice. It was 2008 and the independent<br />

fashion blog craze was well underway. You<br />

could find blogs about almost every fashion<br />

item, except eyewear. I had been making<br />

websites since I was a teenager in the late<br />

‘90s so, of course, I started my own and<br />

eyeheartglasses.com was born. I barely<br />

knew anything, except that I loved the look<br />

of eyewear and all of my friends and family<br />

consulted me if they needed a shopping buddy<br />

students in their education and Denis and Enid<br />

have been generous in their contributions every<br />

year since. In later years as the fund grew, it was<br />

able to support every New Zealand student DO<br />

with the purchase of their text books. While<br />

Denis retired from optics, he still kept a keen<br />

eye on what was happening, and after he lost<br />

the ability to read after several strokes, would<br />

get Enid to read him the NZ Optics magazine<br />

news articles. He retained his non-practising<br />

registration status right up until his death.<br />

Denis was not only involved with the optical<br />

industry, but he threw his heart and soul into<br />

everything he had an interest in, be that bowls, golf,<br />

horse racing or the local community. In 2014 Denis<br />

and Enid were recognised by the Porirua Mayor,<br />

being awarded a Mayoral Certificate of Recognition<br />

for voluntary services to their community<br />

Denis was a straight shooter, who told things as<br />

they were and didn’t suffer fools. Sometimes this<br />

came across as him being described by some as a<br />

“grumpy bugger” but beneath that was a heart of<br />

BY JO EATON<br />

for their new pair. I still had a lot to learn.<br />

My style evolved and I became bolder<br />

with my choices. Here, it was time to prove<br />

the twenty-year cycle wrong. In 2010, 30<br />

years after their initial release, I happened<br />

upon some geometric Cazal frames. They’re<br />

deadstock and were made in 1980! I spent<br />

many hours hunting this exact colourway on<br />

eBay and I think my perseverance was well<br />

worth it.<br />

My blog started to become recognised in<br />

the industry and I was sent glasses by a few<br />

companies. My favourite of these were sent by<br />

Patty Perreira of Barton Perreira fame. I loved<br />

these so much that they were my number one<br />

pair for over three years.<br />

I’ve tried everything since: independent<br />

brands, chain stores and vintage deadstock. I<br />

even experimented with cheap online stores,<br />

the results being mostly awful. The one<br />

exception was a Kam Dhillon pair from Clearly<br />

that I bought in 2011. They served me well for<br />

a while!<br />

During my overseas travels in 2014, I saw a<br />

job advertised back in Melbourne at just the<br />

kind of independent boutique I’d dreamed<br />

about working in. I explained that I had no<br />

optical experience. On my return, they gave<br />

me a month trial anyway. It turned out they<br />

needed someone fully qualified, so I didn’t get<br />

to continue. But I loved working there so much,<br />

that I decided to pack in my decade-long career<br />

in digital marketing, and study the Certificate<br />

IV in Optical Dispensing full time, at RMIT.<br />

What about my glasses these days? I<br />

alternate between a deadstock vintage pair<br />

of white 1980s Martin Wells frames from<br />

Australia and a geometric orange and gold pair<br />

from Austrian brand Andy Wolf, but I always<br />

keep my eyes peeled for future trends. I look<br />

forward to sharing my insights with you here. ▀<br />

* Jo Eaton is an optical dispensing student at RMIT.<br />

Originally from Wellington, Jo became interested in<br />

eyewear after discovering she was myopic at the age of<br />

14. In 2008, many years after deciding to make unusual<br />

glasses her ‘thing’, she founded eyewear fashion blog ‘Eye<br />

Heart Glasses’. When she’s not immersed in the world of<br />

spectacles, she works in digital marketing, DJs, volunteers<br />

for community radio and is a director of feminist music<br />

organisation LISTEN.<br />

gold and a generous nature of spirit - and often<br />

a cheeky little smile. If it is the mark of the man<br />

what a difference he makes to people’s lives, then<br />

Denis you were a very big man, as you touched the<br />

lives of many.<br />

On behalf of his family, I would like to thank those<br />

people from the optical industry who attended<br />

his funeral, DO’s (present and retired), the<br />

president and secretary of ADONZ, wholesalers,<br />

previous employees and board staff, it was much<br />

appreciated and would have touched Denis. On<br />

behalf of the industry, I pass on our condolences<br />

to loving wife, Enid, son Bruce (DO), daughter<br />

Gillian and family. May you take comfort from the<br />

fact that many share your grief at the loss of a<br />

great man.<br />

Denis has now hung up his PD ruler, and turned<br />

off the vert, but as always I am sure he is still<br />

keeping a watch over what is happening in the<br />

industry. Denis, you will be truly missed. May you<br />

rest in peace. ▀<br />

<strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong><br />

NEW ZEALAND OPTICS<br />

19


DISPENSING OPTICIAN /<br />

OPTICAL ASSISTANT<br />

PATERSON BURN OPTOMETRISTS HAMILTON &<br />

SURROUNDS<br />

We are looking for a passionate dispensing optician / optical<br />

assistant to join our family.<br />

In this role you will offer an amazing eye care experience by<br />

providing exceptional customer service with honesty, care and<br />

absolute attention to customer needs.<br />

We offer a great working environment with continuous support<br />

and professional development opportunities.<br />

To be successful in this role you will:<br />

- Have a friendly, natural and consultative approach to selling<br />

- Be confident, enthusiastic and motivated to succeed<br />

- Have excellent communication and sales skills<br />

- Be a versatile team player<br />

Experience as a dispensing optician or optical assistant is<br />

preferred.<br />

If you are not yet qualified, we will provide the opportunity and<br />

support to qualify as a dispensing optician.<br />

This position is full time, based in Hamilton and/or Cambridge<br />

and requires some Saturday work.<br />

To apply:<br />

Please email your CV and a cover letter to sandri@patersonburn.<br />

co.nz<br />

Paterson Burn Optometrists is one of the largest independent<br />

optometry practice groups in New Zealand. We are totally<br />

independent and Waikato owned and we've maintained our<br />

independence in the ever changing environment of New Zealand<br />

optometry. Our core purpose is to improve people's lives by<br />

providing the best visual solutions available. Paterson Burn<br />

Optometrists value respect, integrity, accountability, enjoyment,<br />

continuous improvement, freedom for initiative and teamwork.<br />

NEED TO REPLACE<br />

YOUR LETTER CHART?<br />

AcuityKit has a comprehensive range of digital eyecharts for eyecare<br />

professionals. Ideal for low vision and domiciliary work.<br />

Visit our website www.acuitykit.com or email john@acuitykit.com<br />

DISPENSING OPTICIAN/OPTICAL<br />

ASSISTANT REQUIRED<br />

NEED A LOCUM?<br />

Call Bharat Raniga, locum optometrist, on<br />

021 424 253 or email: bharatranlga@yahoo.com<br />

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE<br />

Chair stand, vertometer, slit lamp and other accessories for sale.<br />

Please email bdclworks@gmail.com for further equiries.<br />

JOIN US FOR<br />

YOUR PERSONAL INVITATION<br />

BRISBANE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE<br />

SATURDAY 10 TH & SUNDAY 11 TH SEPTEMBER <strong>2016</strong><br />

Join 500 optometrists (including more than 100 non-<br />

Specsavers optometrists) at this year’s SCC for two days<br />

in September – for one of Australia and New Zealand’s<br />

premier optometry CPD and networking events.<br />

Visit spectrum-blog.com for more info<br />

If you strive for excellence, have a keen eye for detail, great at<br />

multitasking, enjoy working with children, then this is your<br />

opportunity to build on your skills and join a busy practice in<br />

Christchurch. No weekend work, no late nights. Full time position.<br />

Please send your CV and expression of interest to<br />

leza@anstice.co.nz<br />

OR JOIN US FULL TIME...<br />

With growth continuing, our store teams are currently<br />

seeking optometrists to fill permanent roles in the following<br />

NZ practice locations:<br />

North Island<br />

• Dunedin<br />

• Invercargill<br />

• Kerikeri<br />

• Masterton<br />

• Mt Maunganui<br />

• Pakuranga<br />

• Shirley<br />

• Te Rapa<br />

• Wellington CBD<br />

South Island<br />

• Palmerston North<br />

• Paraparaumu<br />

• Rotorua<br />

• Taupo<br />

• Tauranga<br />

We are currently also seeking experienced dispensers for a<br />

variety of our New Zealand stores.<br />

Alternatively, if you’re interested in a move to Australia -<br />

either short or longer term, talk to us for the lowdown on<br />

possible locations in all states.<br />

A trip to SCC as our guest could be the perfect way to see<br />

what's on offer.<br />

To find out more and to explore the T&C'S associated<br />

with this industry-wide offer, contact Carly Parkinson<br />

on 0800 717 350 or carly.parkinson@specsavers.com<br />

– or visit spectrum-blog.com<br />

PART-TIME DISPENSING OPTICIAN /<br />

OPTICAL ASSISTANT, TAKAPUNA<br />

We are looking for a dispensing optician/optical assistant to<br />

join our independent, high-end optometry practice in Takapuna,<br />

by the beach. The position is for 50-60 hours per fortnight –<br />

including alternate Saturdays and Mondays.<br />

The successful applicant will:<br />

- Be a qualified Dispensing Optician or Optical Assistant with<br />

dispensing experience.<br />

- Display exceptional customer service and sales skills.<br />

- Have a passion for fashion eyewear and leading edge lens<br />

technology.<br />

- Have some social media skills – e.g. Facebook, online customer<br />

communications.<br />

- Have flexibility to provide leave cover for our full-time<br />

Dispensing Optician.<br />

- Be a good team player.<br />

If this sounds like you, please email your CV to<br />

david@haydons.co.nz<br />

<strong>Jul</strong>y Classifieds FINAL NEW ZEALAND<br />

20 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS <strong>Jul</strong>y <strong>2016</strong><br />

1

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