Nov 2016

THE MAGAZINE FOR NEW ZEALAND’S OPHTHALMIC COMMUNITY
FOR OPTOMETRISTS AND EYE CARE PROFESSIONALS
PO BOX 106 954, AUCKLAND CITY 1143
Email: info@nzoptics.co.nz Website: www.nzoptics.co.nz
NOVEMBER 2016
NP4: A2160859511
World’s First and Only Water
Gradient MULTIFOCAL contact lens

OUR EXPANSION…
YOUR CAREER GROWTH
A MUTUAL OPPORTUNITY
As the Specsavers network of 370 New Zealand and Australian stores continues to
experience significant growth, opportunities abound in metro and regional locations
for career focussed optometry and dispensing professionals.
For those taking a fresh look at what Specsavers offers as a working
environment, the scale and format of our store locations continues to evolve
with exciting results for our partners, our teams and our patients. Take
Specsavers Ringwood as an example, recently recognised at the Australian
Retail Awards as the outstanding retail design project of the past year. It is
more than double the size of its previous location in the same shopping centre,
with six consulting rooms, 12 dispensing desks, a contact lens teaching zone
and four pre-testing rooms. Its investment in the latest retail and optometric
technology is exemplary, offering a glimpse of the future.
And now, as we look to the next phase of growth, we want to talk to you
about our plans – and hear about yours. Our growth really can be your
opportunity, whether you are looking at a store partner or an employed role -
at every level of experience.
To get the conversation started, contact Chanelle Coates on 0800 717 350 or by email on chanelle.coates@specsavers.com
Retail
Store Design
Award
2016
Retail
Employer
of the Year
2015
Overall
National
Supreme Winner
2015
ANZ Customer
Service Excellence
Award
2015
Franchise
Innovation
Award
2015
NZ Franchise
System of
the Year
2014
Retail
Innovator
of the Year
2014
Multichannel
Retailer
of the Year
2014
Roy Morgan
Research
No. 1 for eye tests
2014
FCA International
Franchisor
of the Year
2014
FCA Social
Responsibility
Award
2014
2 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS November 2016

J&J to acquire AMO
US-based healthcare company Johnson & Johnson is
to acquire Abbott Medical Optics (AMO), a whollyowned
subsidiary of fellow US healthcare firm
Abbott Laboratories, for US$4.325 billion in cash.
The acquisition includes AMO’s products in its three
business divisions: cataract surgery, laser refractive surgery
and consumer eye health. This includes AMO’s advanced
laser vision (LASIK) technologies, dry eye drops and
multipurpose solutions and hydrogen peroxide cleaning
systems for contact lens patients.
“Eye health is one of the largest, fastest growing and
most underserved segments in health care today,” said
Ashley McEvoy, J&J’s company group chairman responsible
for J&J’s Vision Care companies, in a statement. “With
the acquisition of Abbott Medical Optics’ strong and
differentiated surgical ophthalmic portfolio, coupled with
our world-leading Acuvue
contact lens business, we
will become a more broadbased
leader in vision care.
Importantly, with this
acquisition we will enter
cataract surgery – one of the
most commonly performed
surgeries and the number
one cause of preventable
blindness.”
Boston-based financial
markets analysts Trefis
issued a statement saying,
for J&J, the move was a
good one. “As far as J&J
is concerned we consider
the transaction to be a
good strategic move for its
existing Vision Care division.
We believe that there is
enough potential in this
segment which the company
can tap into with a larger
product portfolio.”
The world vision care
market is currently
estimated at US$68bn and is
expected to grow at around
5% per annum. Areas of
potential growth include
the contact lens market
Hoya launches Yuniku
BY LESLEY SPRINGALL
Causing a buzz among the media in the
Silmo pressroom in Paris was news about
lens company Hoya launching Yuniku, billed
as the world’s first 3D printed tailored eyewear,
designed entirely around the optimum lens for the
wearer’s prescription and lifestyle.
Speaking to NZ Optics at Silmo, Dave Nicoll,
Hoya’s sales development manager, EMEA, says
Yuniku was in development for two years following
advancements in 3D technology, which finally
made it possible.
“The idea behind it is to make it vision centric.
In the past the frame has defined the position of
the lens, so it will never be optimum doing that.
But with Yuniku, knowing the prescription and the
lifestyle functional needs of the consumer, we can
identify the optimum position of the lens and then
design the frame to maintain that.”
Optometrists and dispensing opticians who are
interested in adopting Yuniku for their practices,
will be trained to use the special Yuniku scanner
which, after plugging in the patient’s prescription
and functional lifestyle needs, allows them to help
the patient choose which lens they want, which
coatings and which frame design, size, texture
and colour. If a frame size or design does not allow
the lens to be in the optimum position, it will
automatically be removed from the catalogue, so
the patient never has that choice, says Nicoll.
Practices will be given a sample set, so patients
can feel the weight (only about 10g) and strength
of the 3D-printed frames, before virtually trying
them on, and playing with colour, size, texture and
shape, through the system.
Hoya’s Yuniku system in action
Johnson & Johnson’s HQ in New Brunswick, New Jersey in the US
– with just 11% of Americans wearing contact lenses
today, compared with 64% who wear glasses (US National
Eye Institute, September 2016) – and the developing
world, where increasing affluence means wider access to
corrective lenses. There is also the ageing population to
consider, said J&J in its statement, with the World Health
Organisation estimating the total number of cataractaffected
eyes to be “at least” 100 million.
In 2015, AMO reported US$1.1bn in sales across its
three divisions, with sales rising 6.2% year-on-year in the
second quarter of 2016, driven largely by demand around
cataract surgery. In July, to great fanfare, AMO received
FDA approval for its Tecnis Symphony range of intraocular
lenses, a completely new class of IOL providing superior
vision across a broad range of distances ( NZ Optics
September 2016).
Abbott Laboratories’
agreed to the sale after
actively and strategically
shaping its portfolio to focus
primarily on cardiovascular
devices and expanding
diagnostics, so away from
its vision care side. As part
of this new focus, it agreed
to acquire cardiac device
specialist St. Jude Medical in
April for US$25 billion.
Johnson & Johnson’s eyehealth
business was worth
US$2.6bn in 2015. It said
the acquisition will better
position the company to
reach patients in cataract
surgery, laser refractive
surgery and over the counter
consumer eye health;
three categories of care it
currently has no, or a very
limited, portfolio within.
The agreement,
announced in September,
is subject to antitrust
clearance and other US
regulatory requirements,
and is expected to close in
the first quarter of 2017. ▀
Dave Nicoll demonstrates Hoya’s new Yuniku 3D tailored eyewear system
“What we’re bringing to optometrists is a new
solution,” says Nicoll. “Frames are part of that
solution, 3D manufacturing is part of the solution,
and the software and lens design and manufacture
is part of the solution.”
Yuniku is the result of a partnership between Hoya
and Belgium company Materialise, which provides
3D printing software and services on a global scale;
most recently achieving fame for creating a 3D
printed heart for a baby born with holes in its heart
from congenital heart disease in New York.
Yuniku currently includes 12 different styles and
will be priced at the premium end of the spectrum,
says Nicoll. “It is absolutely the most personalised
optical solution in the world.”
Development has been top secret and given
it was only unveiled at Silmo Paris at the end of
September, it’s too early to know how the market
will take it. But interest was strong at Silmo among
the industry, as well as the media, so Hoya is
expecting big things, says Nicoll.
“I’ve been in optics 30 years and I’ve only ever
seen two game-changing technologies and this is
one of them, the other was freeform lens design.
This is that big.”
For more about Silmo Paris 2016, see p17-19. ▀
While the cat is away …
Lesley has been gallivanting around
Europe this month, visiting SILMO
among other things, leaving me
at the helm of the Good Ship Optics
(very trusting she is!) Thankfully, it’s
been a busy month full of events and
activities, so I’ve not even had a minute
to get lonely or worry about what
might fill the pages of the magazine.
Spring, it seems, has swept in a new
era of change and hot on the heels of
the Lensworx closure, Johnson and
Johnson have announced they will
buy Abbott Medical Optics. While we
won’t see any practical change until
the sale goes through in 2017, we
have taken a short look at what we
know so far (see story this page).
Of course the high-rolling feature
this issue, that everyone is turning the
page for, is the summer sun-health
special (p11-15). I’d like to extend
huge thanks to Dr Peter Hadden, Dr
David Worsely and Elisha Dudson for
their contribution and for adding a
wealth of clinical knowledge to our
understanding about summer eye
health. I’m sure you will also agree
there are some stunning frames
Silmo’s Australasian media contingent: Lesley
Springall, Insight’s Coleby Nicholson and
Mivision columnist Michael Jacobs
DRY EYE: COVERED
Optimel
Antibacterial
Manuka eye drops
Eaglevision
Punctal Plugs, Gauges and
Dry Eye Management
Mastrota Expression Paddle
0800 338 800 • Ralph Mob. 021 990 200
designsforvision.co.nz
EDITORIAL
- many of which were on display
at the recent Visionz conference
(full coverage in December), and
exceptional style tips from the lovely
Jo Eaton to boot.
Of course I couldn’t let Lesley get off
scott free, so don’t forget to turn to
p18 for her round up of Silmo 2016 and
some of the new tech and frame styles
coming your way. While we are talking
about overseas adventures, don’t
forget to check out Dr Penny McAllum’s
Niue trip on p23, and Devashini
Devanandan’s review of her experience
volunteering with VOSO in Samoa.
VOSO feature again on p21, where you
can check out the pictures from the
Dine by Donation fundraising event at
Meredith’s restaurant in Auckland.
There’s so much in this issue, I
don’t want to spoil some of the great
surprises! I hope you enjoy reading
and as always, please send your
feedback to editor@nzoptics.co.nz
Blephasteam
Moist heat
therapy
Eye Eco
Tranquileyes & DERM
moist-heat therapy
November 2016
Jai Breitnauer, Editor, NZ Optics
DV841-1016
NEW ZEALAND OPTICS
3

News
in brief
COIN-SIZED RETINA SCANNER
A European industry and academic consortium is working on a
four-year project to reduce the size and cost of optical coherence
tomography (OCT). The OCTChip (ophthalmic OCT on a chip)
project is using photonic integrated circuits to produce a coin-sized
retinal scanner to improve the screening and diagnosis of retinal
diseases. Being so small the scanner can easily be transported to
elderly patients, new-born infants and remote locations. Professor
Wolfgang Drexler,
head of the Centre
for Medical Physics
and Biomedical
Engineering at the
Medical University
of Vienna, is
leading the project.
PRESCRIBING CONTROLLED DRUGS
The ODOB issued a reminder to TPA optometrists that they are not
authorised to prescribe controlled drugs. “It has come to the Board’s
attention that there may be some confusion…To be clear, there are
no circumstances under which an optometrist, in the optometrist
(TPA endorsement) scope of practice or otherwise, may prescribe a
controlled drug.”
GLUCOSE SENSING CONTACT LENSES
A team at the University of Houston have developed non-invasive
glucose sensing contact lenses that sample glucose levels in tears,
not blood. Though work still needs to be done to understand
the correlation between tear and blood glucose levels, the more
important finding is that the structure is an effective mechanism
for using surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy,
said Associate Professor Wei-Chuan Shih from Houston’s
NanoBioPhotonics Group. “Everyone knows tears have a lot to mine.
The question is whether you have a detector that is capable of
mining it, and how significant is it for real diagnostics.”
PARALYMPIANS BEAT OLYMPIANS
Four visually-impaired
Paralympian 1500m
runners clocked faster
times than their Olympic
counterparts it’s been
revealed. Winner of
the T13 1500m final,
Abdellatif Baka from
Algeria, set a new
Paralympic world record
of 3 minutes and 48.29
seconds, and now holds
the fastest 1500m time recorded by any athlete in Rio. Olympic gold
medallist Matthew Centrowitz from the US was 1.7 seconds slower
than Baka as well as the second, third and fourth (Baka’s brother
Fouad) place Paralympian runners.
RESPECT AGREEMENT
The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and the
University of Otago Medical School have signed a landmark Letter
of Agreement aimed at building respect and improving patient
safety in surgery and strengthening the education of medical
students. This is the first agreement signed between RACS and a
university, and the first New Zealand collaboration under the Action
Plan: Building Respect, Improving Patient Safety. The Agreement
paves the way for a continuous focus on respect as a cornerstone
of the profession and comes in the wake of continued complaints
about sexual harassment and bullying.
100 YEARS OF LIGHT
Centenary congratulations to the US-based Optical Society (OSA),
which has been championing all things relating to the science of
light since October 1916. Over the last century The Optical Society
and its 19,275 global members have been at the forefront of
innovations that have changed our lives: barcodes making shopping
a breeze; MRIs detecting injury and disease; cameras capturing life
on Facebook and Instagram; telescopes discovering Pluto was a
dwarf planet; and laser and lens technology restoring sight.
BLAKE STEPS UP FOR OPHTHALMOLOGY
Famous illustrator Quentin Blake
has donated eight one-of-a-kind
art pieces from his collection of
illustrations for Roald Dahl’s books to
the UK’s Stoke Mandeville hospital’s
ophthalmology waiting area. The gift
was in response to a request from
consultant ophthalmologist Dr Sarah
Maling who contacted The Roald
Dahl Museum to see if they could
provide some pictures to brighten
up the dull and grim waiting area,
which she thought was particularly
unwelcoming for children. “We were
hoping for a few posters,” Dr. Maling told Ophthalmology
Times. “Quentin Blake felt that was not enough and gave us these
eight absolutely phenomenal pictures.” ▀
ILS steps up for Lensworx
Christchurch-based Independent Lens
Specialists (ILS) has come to the
rescue of Lensworx’s customers and
picked up all Lensworx’s contracts, following
the company’s liquidation in August (see NZ
Optics October issue).
The companies had a long-standing
relationship with both being co-distributors
for Kodak lenses in New Zealand. ILS will now
be the sole distributor and has employed
Lensworx’s former managing director
Albie Hanson to help service the ILS’ Kodak
contracts, especially in the North Island, and
manage other parts of ILS’ business.
“This will allow us to concentrate better on
promoting Kodak products and the Kodak
Lens Vision Centres, as well as the excellent
range of ILS optical products,” said Hanson.
“It will also make a much stronger platform
to provide the marketing and technical
knowledge to practices with dedicated
hands-on support that is needed to develop
the world-leading Kodak Lens model.”
Support for the Kodak Lens Vision Centres
Thanks from a
gentleman
On Sunday September 25th, more than 50,000 dapper
motorbike riders in more than 500 cities across 90
countries donned their cravats, oiled their moustaches,
dusted off their tweeds and rode their classic and vintage-styled
motorcycles to raise funds and awareness for men’s health.
Participants in the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) have
more than doubled since it was launched in Sydney in 2012 to
combat the often-negative stereotype of men on motorcycles,
bring motorcycle communities together and support a worthy
cause.
Christchurch-based Glenn Bolton, director of Independent Lens
Specialists (ILS), was one such Distinguished Gentlemen. He was
ably supported in his cause by many of the country’s eye health
professionals and wished to pass on his thanks.
“A big thanks to all of you who sponsored me in the
Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride. Your support helped New
Zealand become the 6th highest fund raiser, while I managed to
become the 110th highest fundraiser in the world.
“I know many of you have old bikes tucked away in the
garage, so get them ready for the DGR 2017.”
Monies raised from this year’s event will go to support
research into prostate cancer and people working to support
men’s mental health.
For more about the DGR go to www.gentlemansride.com ▀
retail programme, which Lensworx had
begun to roll out earlier this year, will be
based out of Auckland, said Hanson. The
programme offers independent practices
the opportunity to partner with Kodak and
use the brand, which is owned underlicence
by Californian company Signet
Armorlite, either in a small way or through
comprehensive whole-of-practice branding
and marketing support.
“I partnered with ILS many years ago on
Kodak distribution,” said Hanson. “I am
very happy to be involved with the new
arrangement. I think the model we have
now is going to be much stronger and more
proactive”
Safety Eyewear and the Kodak frame
range and retail programme will also be
available through ILS, which is currently
going through the process to become fully
certified for the processing of prescription
safety eyewear through the transfer of
Lensworx certification.
“We are very happy to have Albie on the
team as a full time rep,” said ILS director
Glenn Bolton. “Albie has worked hard over
the years developing the Kodak brand.
Kodak lenses are widely distributed in the
UK and Europe via independent optometry
practices and Albie will be working closely
with the independents here to support
them.
“Independent Lens Specialists will
continue to offer our own Alpha Freeform
product range and AR coating service, which
Albie will also be offering to practices as
part of his new role, allowing us, more
than ever, to provide the best service to
independent optometry.”
Run by Bolton and John Clemence, ILS
is well-known in the industry as the only
laboratory in New Zealand to manufacture
freeform progressives and to offer AR
coating and specialised edging on their MEI
robotic edger.
All Kodak enquiries should now be
directed to ILS, with Albie Hanson as the
first point of contact, said Bolton. ▀
A dapper Glenn Bolton taking part in the 2016 Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride
Video-streaming sunnies
Millennial-friendly messaging service and social media platform Snapchat is
gearing up to launch “Spectacles”. The new smart sunglasses are capable
of recording and streaming ten second video clips or “snaps” that can be
transferred directly to the Snapchat app.
The California-based company announced Spectacles at the start of October and
has renamed itself Snap Inc. to reflect its expansion into consumer hardware.
Describing the US$130 Spectacles product as a “toy” aimed at teenagers, Snap
CEO and co-founder Evan Spiegel, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal,
said watching the footage of a hike he did wearing a prototype pair of
Spectacles was like seeing your own memory. “It was unbelievable. It’s one
thing to see images of an experience you had, but it’s another thing to have
an experience of the experience. It was the closest I’d ever come to feeling
like I was there again.”
However, the announcement was met with distain and hostility by some
commentators. The potential for privacy invasion is of great concern to
the public, it seems, with commentators making reference to the hostile
reaction to Google Glass, also capable of recording video, which saw
some wearers banned from certain shops, bars and restaurants,
putting people off the product. ▀
www.nzoptics.co.nz | PO Box 106954, Auckland 1143 | New Zealand
For general enquiries, please email info@nzoptics.co.nz
For editorial and classifieds, please contact Jai Breitnauer, editor, on 022 424 9322 or editor@nzoptics.co.nz.
For advertising, marketing, the OIG and everything else, please contact Lesley Springall, publisher, on 027 445 3543 or lesley@nzoptics.co.nz.
To submit artwork, or to query a graphic, please email lesley@nzoptics.co.nz.
NZ Optics magazine is the industry publication for New Zealand’s ophthalmic community. It is published monthly, 11 times a year, by New Zealand Optics 2015 Ltd. Copyright is held by
NZ Optics 2015 Ltd. As well as the magazine and the website, NZ Optics publishes the annual New Zealand Optical Information Guide (OIG), a comprehensive listing guide that profiles the
products and services of the industry. NZ Optics is an independent publication and has no affiliation with any organisations. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily
those of NZ Optics (2015) Ltd.
4 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS November 2016

November 2016 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS
5

Frith & Laird celebrate 50
years
Manurewa-based optometrists Visique
Frith and Laird celebrated its 50th
birthday on Saturday 8 October, with
a well-attended party at its premises on Great
South Road, Auckland.
Frith and Laird was established by optometrists
Mike Frith and Knox and Heather Laird, who
actually took over a branch of George Read and
Sons, a city-wide practice founded in the early
1900’s. Mike Frith and Knox Laird were part of
the first intake of optometry students at the
University of Auckland, under the stewardship
of the late Professor Ted Grosvenor from the
USA. After qualifying, Mike developed what
was to become a life-long passion in low vision,
starting the low vision clinic at Greenlane Clinical
Centre, while Knox went on to become the first
optometrist in New Zealand to gain his PhD.
Heather also has a special interest in low vision.
The three diligently ran the practice, which has
served several generations of Maurewa families
– many of whom were at the party – weathering
the changes in the economy, the developing
suburb and optometry itself. In 2000, Frith and
Laird became a member of the Visique group, and
in 2010 both Mike and Knox decided to retire,
handing the reigns over to Heather Laird and
new additions to the practice, Hadyn Treanor and
Robert Ng.
“A lot has changed in 50 years; the way we
Mike Frith, Heather Laird, Hadyn Treanor and Robert Ng
The 2017
Optical
Information
Guide (OIG)
is being put
together now
The 2016 Frith and Laird team
practice and how we are perceived as an industry.
We are proud of our legacy,” said Hadyn in a
speech at the celebration. “We’ve seen big change
in the last 10 years with optometrist’s becoming
more recognised by the government and the
wider community in healthcare. We’re being
given more responsibility around prescribing and
diagnosing, but we’ve had to fight for the right to
do things young optometrists take for granted.”
Hadyn recognised that optometrists like Mike,
Knox and Heather have walked a revolutionary
path, and that current practitioners need to
change their outlook to make the most of the
rights and responsibilities optometry has been
given.
“The health sector is under a lot of stress. There’s
only so much the hospital can cope with. If we
can share that burden it is in everybody’s best
interests.”
The Visique Frith and Laird’s team would like to
thank all those who have shared the journey with
them, and for those who will support them over
the next 50 years.
Editor’s note: It was really lovely to see so many
local people, many of whom had been attending
the practice since they were children, and were
like family to the optometry team at the practice.
In Heather’s own words, it’s great to be able to
celebrate something so positive. Congratulations
team! ▀
Shamir expansion: New
appointments, new partners
Tony Egerton has been appointed National
Sales Manager (Australia) for Shamir.
A well-known personality in the Aotearoa
optics industry, Egerton was previously a sales
rep for Shamir New Zealand, and will continue to
assist Donald Crichton in that role.
“It’s a brand new role. [Australia] used to
handle most of the sales, but Shamir has grown
substantially, and we’ve just expanded our lab
in Brisbane,” said Paul Stacey, Shamir’s ANZ
chief executive. “It made sense to have someone
dedicated to that role.”
This change also means that Shamir are
able to focus more strategically on their New
Zealand business, said Stacey.
“We haven’t had the
resources until now, but
finally Shamir are able
to cultivate a greater
presence in New Zealand.”
With that in mind,
Stacey was also pleased
to announce that from
the start of October,
Shamir has been
working in partnership
with Independent
Lens Specialists (ILS) in
Christchurch.
“We produce Australianmade
and certified lenses,
and our lab is really
well set up,” explained
Stacey. “ILS also have
a really well set-up lab
and experienced staff. It
made sense that we would work together, and
encourage independent businesses to blossom.”
Until now, only a small range of Shamir
products have been available in New Zealand,
but thanks to this new partnership, Shamir
premium lenses and multi-coatings will now
be available to the New Zealand market, with
fittings on site in Christchurch.
“We’ve worked very hard and even managed
to secure overnight delivery with a courier
company,” said Stacey. “Customers can place an
order via Donald or directly with ILS.”
ILS will continue to run their own lines, and
offer Shamir’s specialist products in tandem. ▀
Demonstrating their new camaraderie, Shamir’s Tony Egerton and Donald Crichton flank ILS directors
Glenn Bolton and John Clemence at Visionz 2016
Ben Sherman now in NZ
Phoenix Eyewear has introduced a new brand
to its portfolio and to New Zealand, Ben
Sherman.
Phoenix had been looking for a brand to replace
Superdry (now distributed through Specsavers)
and had begun brainstorming a number of ideas
before going to Silmo last year, says Phoenix’s
Mark Collman. Top of the list was Ben Sherman
as Collman (already a fan in the clothing
department) says he admired the brand’s style
and spirit.
“Ben Sherman epitomises ‘Cool Britannia’ -
sharp styling, strong heritage, iconic brand. The
Ben Sherman shirt and brand have been adopted
by almost every youth culture or style movement
of the last five decades. What more reason would
you need to give it a go? Most of my friends have
Ben Sherman polos or t-shirts and wear them
with pride.”
An iconic British brand, Ben Sherman was born
in Brighton in 1963. Its colourful, button-down
collared shirts - an invention of founder and
designer Arthur Benjamin Sugarman - quickly
became popular among the smart young men in
the “mod” movement and jazz musicians of the
day. Today this British lifestyle brand sells apparel,
accessories and footwear worldwide and remains
popular with celebrities counting electronic music
group BS High Disclosure’s Res BS Pos.pdf 1 20/11/2015 brother-duo 15:55 Howard and Guy
Lawrence, Gary Barlow, 50 cent, American actor
Jesse Eisenberg and English actor Tom Sturridge
among its supporters.
Spurred on by what he knew about the brand, at
Silmo 2015, Collman met with brand owner Fabris
Lane, an Anglo-Italian eyewear company and
affiliate of FGX International, a division of Essilor,
whose other brands include Oliver Goldsmith,
Hook LDN and Accessorize. He says he was so
impressed with the brand’s latest collection and
future direction he pretty much signed it up on
the spot. However, given the brand’s parentage,
there was some considerable tooing and froing
before Phoenix could secure exclusive rights to
Ben Sherman in New Zealand and introduce the
brand at Visionz a couple of weeks ago.
The brand is a particularly good fit with the New
Zealand market says Collman: “British brands
seem to translate very well into the NZ market,
as does Brit culture. We share many of the same
influences in apparel, pop music, TV shows and
movies. I personally feel Brit brands work better
than most other style influences. The eye shapes,
colours and brand recognition all seem to click
with our local consumers, especially the men.”
Now available in New Zealand, the Ben Sherman
range from Phoenix Eyewear comes in 10 optical
styles (in three colours each) and eight sunglasses
(also in three colours). ▀
Make sure you’re listed in New Zealand’s
only comprehensive guide to all things
optical. Contact Susanne Bradley at
susanne@nzoptics.co.nz and secure your
listing or, for even more impact, take a
full page ad and get your first listing
absolutely free.
Don’t delay, contact us today.
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Contact: susanne@nzoptics.co.nz
6 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS November 2016

Introducing DAILIES TOTAL1 ® Multifocal contact lenses –
THIS IS WHY correcting
presbyopia will never be the same
DISTANCE
>80%
>80%
33%
WATER CONTENT (%) 3
NEAR
INTERMEDIATE
UNIQUE WATER
GRADIENT
TECHNOLOGY 1–3
The world’s first and only Water Gradient lens
designed to give presbyopic patients the ultimate
lens-wearing experience.
Seamless Vision Correction 4
Industry-leading Precision Profile Design
is built in to deliver clear, uninterrupted vision 4
+
Exceptional Comfort 5,6
Unique Water Gradient Technology
to reduce end-of-day dryness* 5,6
NEW
PERFORMANCE DRIVEN BY SCIENCE
*Based on in vitro measurement of unworn lenses.
References: 1. Thekveli S et al. Structure-property relationship of delefilcon A lenses. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2012;35(Supp 1):e14. 2. Angelini T et al. Viscoelasticity and mesh-size at the surface of hydrogels characterised
with microrheology. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2013;54:E-Abstract 500. 3. Dunn A, Uruena J, Huo Y. Lubricity of surface hydrogel layers. Tribol Lett 2013;13(2):371-378. 4. Alcon data on file, 2013. 5. . Pérez-Gómez I,
Giles T. European survey of contact lens wearers and eye care professionals on satisfaction with a new water gradient daily disposable contact lens. Clin Optom. 2014;6:17-23. 6. Alcon data on file, 2014. Based on an
ANZ survey of 61 eye care practitioners fitting 248 patients in DAILIES TOTAL1 ® contact lenses (assessed 1st October, 2014).
See product instructions for wear, care and safety information.
© 2016 Novartis. Alcon Laboratories (Australia) Pty Ltd. 10/25 Frenchs Forest Road East, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086, Australia Ph: 1800 224 153. 109 Carlton Gore Road, Ground Floor, Newmarket, Auckland 1023,
New Zealand Phone: 0800 101 106. ALC0619 10/16 NP4:A21606498033
November 2016
NEW ZEALAND OPTICS
7

Focus on
Eye Research
What’s ‘the next big thing’ in
eye research?
PALEJWALA N, JIA Y, GAO SS, ET AL. (2015).
DETECTION OF NONEXUDATIVE CHOROIDAL
NEOVASCULARIZATION IN AGE-RELATED
MACULAR DEGENERATION WITH OPTICAL
COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY,
RETINA, 35, 2204-2211.
One instrument that I was most excited to get at
the start of the year was a Zeiss OCT angiography
(OCTA) machine; I know that there is also at least
one other similar machine by a different company
around and I suspect there are quite a few more
who have got them or are looking at getting them
of whom I am blissfully unaware. I suspect also
that many optometrists who have purchased or
are in the process of purchasing OCT machines will
be thinking very carefully about whether they get
this feature. Hence I think it is timely to talk about
what it may or may not show. What OCTA does
do, of course, is show up the retinal and choroidal
vasculature in immense detail, without the need for
a potentially toxic dye as we use to use in standard
fluorescein angiography (FFA), and it takes less
than a minute to do so. However, it does not show
leakage and, being so new, we are still finding our
way with its potential applications.
This article was from a supplement in the journal
Retina entirely devoted to this new imaging
modality, which goes to show the excitement around
it. I thought it was intriguing mainly because it
demonstrated that OCT angiography can pick up
choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) in eyes with AMD
before leakage starts (ie. when it is nonexudative);
presumably this will mean earlier and better
treatment with fewer overall injections. They had 32
eyes at high risk of CNV, because of the presence of
active CNV in the other eye. Two were found to have
nonexudative CNV not visible with FFA in their other
eye. This is, of course, quite a low pick up rate, but
not for the patients concerned, who will be having
regular OCT examinations anyway since their other
eye is being treated. Interestingly, one of these CNVs
only slowly grew, so whether it really represents
sinister pathology is unknown. However, although
these nonexudative membranes are not visible on
standard FA they do have a histological correlate.
SZURMAN P, BODEN K, JANUSCHOWSKI K. (2016).
SUPRACHOROIDAL HYDROGEL BUCKLING AS A
SURGICAL TREATMENT OF RETINAL DETACHMENT:
BIOCOMPATIBILITY AND FIRST EXPERIENCES,
RETINA, 36, 1786-1790.
Just when you thought scleral buckling was dead
and buried (except for dialyses), along comes a new
buckling technique. This article particularly sparked
my interest because I had recently been made aware
of a study involving a new hydrogel intraocular
tamponade, a study which I declined getting
involved in because it is a Phase I trial (ie. safety and
efficacy, which means this is the first human trial)
– I think I might wait a bit before experimenting
on my patients! This material provides a temporary
buckle that goes away, so the side effects of
long-term refractive change and late exposure
with inflammation and an irritated patient can be
avoided, and which I’m sure most readers have seen
in the past. The advantages would include avoiding
a vitrectomy (for those patients who do avoid it),
BY DR PETER HADDEN*
with its risks, which of course is cataract, and better
closure of the break, particularly an inferior one
which can be hard to tamponade with gas in a
vitrectomy.
There were 21 patients included in this first human
study using this buckling material, although
admittedly 15 of these patients had a simultaneous
vitrectomy, which perhaps helped in the repair
of their detachment. Of those patients, 20 were
successfully reattached after their surgery;
interestingly, however, the one patient who didn’t
go flat did not have a simultaneous vitrectomy, so
perhaps we shall have to wait before we decide if
this technique is really valuable or not.
CHATTOPADHYAY C, KIM DW, GOMBOS DS, ET AL.
(2016). UVEAL MELANOMA: FROM DIAGNOSIS
TO TREATMENT AND THE SCIENCE IN BETWEEN,
CANCER, 122, 2299-312.
A great review article on one of my favourite topics!
This is an excellent overview update on uveal
melanoma. It is not original science but rather a
review; nevertheless, it is an excellent review and
one I would highly recommend to any registrars
who wished to read in one place all they needed to
know about uveal melanoma. Unfortunately, being
not in the ophthalmic literature it is not one that
many in this profession would have seen, hence I
felt the need to include it in this journal review.
One of the things it reviews are the recent studies
looking at treatment of the metastases of uveal
melanoma. Historically, we have basically been unable
to do anything useful except slightly prolong disease
free survival (DFS) and delay death. Now that we are
able to look at the different mutations expressed and
pathways activated by uveal melanoma there is hope
that if we can target several of them at the same
time we might be able to cure this disease by medical
therapy. This article summarises all the recently
completed trials looking at doing this. Unfortunately,
the bad news is that none have to date provided a
cure! Nevertheless, hope springs eternal ... but so
far the only therapy with good long-term survival is
surgical excision of liver metastases, which is possible
only in under 10% of patients.
It also gives an excellent overview of the clinical
presentation of uveal melanoma and the
therapeutic options. Unfortunately, transpupillary
thermotherapy, which a decade ago seemed to
hold so much promise, remains associated with an
unacceptably high recurrence rate (as high as 20%)
and no other new local therapies have emerged
in the last 15 years that really are any better than
what I learned when I was a fellow. ▀
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dr Peter Hadden practises at
Eye Institute Remuera and New
Lynn, Retina Specialists and
Greenlane Clinical Centre in
Auckland, subspecialising in
vitreoretinal surgery and adult
chorioretinal tumours, as well
as performing cataract surgery.
Outside ophthalmology, he
enjoys the company of his five
children and doting wife!
US grant awarded to New
Zealand researchers
Professor Paul Donaldson and Dr Ehsan
Vaghefi, based at the University of Auckland,
received a National Eye Institute (NEI) major
research grant in August.
Professor Donaldson (physiology) and Dr Vaghefi
(optometry) were awarded funding of US$432,000
from the NEI in the United States in collaboration
with Professor Thomas White from the State
University of New York, for five years. Their
collaboration aims to examine the effects of aging
on the lens transport systems that determine
ion and water homeostasis, water content and
therefore the optical properties of the normal
and cataract lens. It is hoped the results of their
work can be used to identify pharmacological
interventions with a view to restoring the agerelated
degeneration of water transport activity
and optical properties observed in the human lens.
Professor White’s group in the US will focus
on the use of animal models to identify
pharmacological interventions, while the Auckland
group will look at the ability of these interventions
to alter lens optics with non-invasive magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) and optical modelling
approaches.
In a statement, the University of Auckland
acknowledged the high ranking (3rd percentile) of
this project by the assessing committee, in a highly
competitive international funding environment, is
testament to the strength and innovation of the
collaboration, which was facilitated by Professor
White’s recent sabbatical at the University of
Auckland. The project also provides funding for
two PhD stipends, one in clinical optometry and
the other in bioengineering/medical imaging
Peptide study published
In other news from the Faculty of Medical
Sciences, Dr Cindy Guo and colleagues have
published a peptide intervention study using a
model that produces signs of age-related macular
degeneration. The paper Connexin43 Mimetic
Peptide Improves Retinal Function and Reduces
Inflammation in a Light-Damaged Albino Rat
Model appears in the online, peer reviewed journal
Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science.
This technology is licensed to CoDa Therapeutics
in the USA. The peptide is now entering preclinical
development. ▀
New certificate in glaucoma
In October, the
Australian College
of Optometry (ACO)
announced the launch
of their new Advanced
Certificate in Glaucoma,
(ACG ACO). This six-month
post graduate level course
provides optometrists
across Australia and
New Zealand with the
opportunity to undertake
comprehensive higher
level study in this specific
area, the college said in a
statement.
“The certificate has been
under development for
approximately 12 months.
An advisory committee
of ophthalmologists,
optometrists and ACO
staff have worked hard over this time to
facilitate a comprehensive syllabus,” said
Jolanda de Jong, general manager professional
development & membership for the ACO. “We
then engaged respected, knowledgeable and
experienced lecturers to deliver the content.”
De Jong said this new online, comprehensive
course is designed to act as a refresher for
therapeutically-qualified optometrists, who
have completed previous study into glaucoma,
as well as all
other registered
optometrists
with an interest
in glaucoma.
As far as the
ACO are aware,
there are no
other similar
courses offered
in Australasia.
“The ACO
believes that
the provision
Jolanda de Jong
Roman Serebrianik is on the advisory committee for the certificate and he is the Head of
Primary and Specialist Eye Care Services at the Australian College of Optometry (ACO)
of a comprehensive glaucoma course would
benefit the level of understanding across the
profession in glaucoma, improve servicing of
the general community and has the potential
to improve and increase co-management
with ophthalmologists,” said De Jong. “Other
comparable courses don’t offer the clinical
component or the level of depth of the ACO
Advanced Certificate in Glaucoma. We have
built a comprehensive postgraduate level
course with a practical clinical focus. One major
point of difference is that it is an academically
rigorous course, however there is flexibility for
students in the online delivery model.”
The six-month syllabus covers four didactic
modules at a postgraduate level. Students
will access 68 CPD (therapeutic) points for re–
registration purposes in Australia and CE points
are currently under application in New Zealand.
“Given that one in eight Australians over 80
will develop glaucoma there is definitely a need
for a high level understanding of glaucoma to
improve outcomes for the ageing population,”
said de Jong. ▀
Young Optometrists New Zealand
The Young Optometrists networking
group in Australia has been active for
around six years, but in New Zealand
no one has stepped up to the cause – until
now. Rotorua-based Natasha Smyrke and
Cambridge-based Devashini devanandan,
(along with Ashley Gray, who has since moved
to the UK), launched their own group for
young optometrists’ earlier this year.
“We actually came up with the idea
before we even knew what was happening
in Australia,” said Smyrke, who is keen
to see their reach expand due to the
incredible amount of interest they’ve
had so far. “When we heard about Young
Optoms Australia we phoned the Sydney
branch, and they met us for coffee during
a visit to Auckland. We’re now affiliated
with them.”
While the group are getting guidance
and support around their start-up from
their more experienced colleagues over the
ditch, they’re keen to express this group is
definitely doing its own thing.
“We want this to be an open, inclusive
group for all New Zealand-based
optometrists who have graduated in the
last 10 years,” said Smyrke. “Early meetings
in Auckland and Hamilton have had good
interest, and issues people have raised are
things like having a safe space to share case
histories and a strong voice in the NZAO.”
Smyrke says this endeavour isn’t just
about supporting optometry graduates
as they embark on their career, but about
preserving the hard-won status of the
profession as a whole.
“I think there can be a lot of apathy
among young graduates, who take
things like TPA for granted. But the older
generation fought hard for that. By creating
a network we can increase support and
understanding around our profession and
carve our own path.”
If you are interested in joining Young
Optometrists New Zealand, you can do so
via their Facebook page – www.facebook.
com/groups/YoungOptomsNZ ▀
The Auckland crowd: front Left to right Natasha Smyrke, Ashley Gray. Back Left to right Veeran Morar,
Devashni Devanandan, Robyn Sterling, Sarah Denny, Zane Stellingwerf, Grace Elliot and Ayah Hadi
8 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS November 2016

The final Grand Round of 2016
Wednesday 21 September saw the last in
the Eye Doctor’s series of Grand Rounds
for 2016, held at Novotel Ellerslie. There
was a great turnout of 41 people, a reminder of
the enduring popularity of these Bausch + Lombsponsored
educational talks. Eye Doctor’s are also
celebrating their 10-year anniversary and thanked
the audience for being part of their success story.
From baby rashes to strabismus surgery
Dr Shuan Dai opened the evening with an interesting
case of a six-week old baby presenting with skin
rashes and watering eyes since she was two
weeks old. There was no family history of any eye
conditions. The child was irritable and crying with
a swollen right eye, poor red reflex, and an IOP
of 34mmHg. There was hyphema with no other
causes and this led to the diagnosis of Juvenile
Xanthogranuloma – the most common condition
causing spontaneous hyphema in children.
The condition is characterised by benign cutaneous
histiocyte granulomatous inflammation with 10%
involvement of eye and adnexa. It usually presents in
the first 12 months, and the rash looks like yellowish
slightly raised skin lesions that take a few months to
disappear once treatment begins. It’s a self-limiting
disease though raised intraocular pressure can cause
permanent visual damage unless treated. After two
months using a topical steroid and eye pressure
lowering drops, the IOP came down to 17mmHg.
Signs of amblyopia will need ongoing treatment.
Dr Dai also showed some slides from his ‘working
holiday’ to China, and talked about the new
strabismus surgery techniques he was invited
to present at the ophthalmology conference he
attended in China. He showed excellent surgical
outcome with transposition of superior rectus muscle
to lateral rectus for correcting esotropia in patients
with chronic 6th nerve palsy. The most amazing part
is the restoration of nearly full-range movement
to the eye, he said. Dr Dai showed some video of
pre and post-op patients who had a full range of
movement just a few weeks after surgery.
Scleral thining
Dr Penny McAllum opened with the topic of the
blue/grey tinge to a patient’s eye caused by scleral
thinning. This can be congenital or acquired. If
congenital, it could be Ehlers Danlos Syndrome,
an inherited collagen disorder – ask your patient
to bend back their fingers to see if they have
hyper extendable joints, she said. If their joints are
normal, it could be osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle
bone disease), another collagen defect – check
your patient’s teeth, as people with this condition
often have teeth abnormalities. Another condition
causing the problem could be Marfan syndrome,
a fibrillin disorder resulting in the patient being
unusually tall, with long limbs, fingers and neck,
some heart defects. Lens subluxation is present in
75% due to weak zonules.
Acquired scleral thinning could be the result
of necrotising scleritis/scleromalacia due to
rheumatoid arthritis. The main treatment is oral
Prednisone or other oral immunosuppressant
agents for active disease. Another uncommon
acquired cause is radiation from pterygium
surgery, which can cause scleral melting many
years later. Fortunately, it’s no longer used in New
Zealand. It can also be caused by eye whitening
surgery using mitomycin C, particularly popular
in Korea. Other causes of thin sclera include large
eyes, such as in high myopes or buphthalmos
from congenital glaucoma. A blue or grey scleral
appearance can also result from staining with
some drugs, like tetracyclines, after many years
of regular use. Look for grey, brown or even green
staining of their teeth, skin and nails as well.
Dr McAllum then talked about the interesting
case of a three-year-old Indian boy with yellow
eyes, a sore throat, cough and a fever. He was
diagnosed with jaundice and strep throat – but
what was causing the jaundice? It’s not usual with
strep throat.
She explained that Jaundice is caused by high
levels of bilirubin in the blood stream, a yellow
breakdown product from haemoglobin. There are
three types of jaundice – haemolytic
(increased red blood cell breakdown),
hepatocellular (when the liver is not
functioning properly), and obstructive
(when there is a blockage in the bile
ducts, between liver and intestines),
which is the most common but usually
in adults. Dr McAllum’s patient had
a condition called G6PD deficiency, a
common genetic condition in African,
South Asian and Middle Eastern people,
triggered by some sort of stress on the
body. The patient was in haemolytic
crisis due to his G6PD deficiency,
triggered by the strep throat. It can also
be triggered by aspirin, antimalarial
drugs, some antibiotics and fava
(broad) beans. Once the cause of the
crisis has been removed, the condition
settles on its own.
Dr McAllum said this example served
as a reminder that sometimes you see
things in the eyes that reflect what is
happening elsewhere in the body.
Retinal vasculitis
Retinal vasculitis was the topic
presented by Dr Mark Donaldson.
Clinical signs include perivascular
whitening, haemorrhage in the retina,
a few cells in vitreous, and leakage. Systemic signs
include diabetes, IBS, and smoking.
Dr Donaldson talked us through the case of a fit
asymptomatic 60-year-old woman referred with
retinal haemorrhages. Ultra-wide fluorescein
angiography demonstrated ischemic retina, a
complication that could lead to neovascularisation
and blindness. All possible systemic causes of
vasculitis eliminated the diagnosis defaults
to Eale’s disease with photocoagulation
being recommended. The case succinctly
demonstrated the diagnostic pathways followed in
understanding patients with vasculitis.
Cirrus OCT angiography
Dr Andrew Riley reviewed the Cirrus OCT
angiography, which Eye Doctors purchased after
assessing its potential.
Dr Riley talked about the machines capabilities.
With advancements of live-tracking and faster
Dr Andrew Riley, Stephen Hill, Hue Bullen and Gary Filer
Dr Mark Donaldson, Cindy Tse, Lily Chang, Elkie Wong, and Dr Shuan Dai
acquisition time we can now see the doppler
effect of movement, he said. We actually see the
erythrocyte movement so can map the vessels.
However, he said it does not directly show
leakage. Dr Riley said he is excited about what
this technology provides. Abnormal vessels in
diabetic macular oedema and vein occlusion were
presented and definitions of macular ischaemia
explored. Choroidal neovascularisation from
myopic, trauma and age-related changes can
be identified and mature nets highlighted. The
cases highlighted how OCT angiography has a
bright future not just in diagnosis but also in
improved treatment decisions. This is likely to
reduce considerably the need for fluorescein
angiography, said Dr Riley, adding he envisaged
wider scanning areas with time. Other conditions
are being explored with this technology and optic
nerve vasculature and choroidal circulation are two
where we are just learning, he said. ▀
Bradley Pillay, Dr Penny McCallum and Sonia Swan
Chris Earnshaw and Stuart Campbell
VSP wearables study
Introduced
November 2014
“OptiMed NZ have now sold over 50 Takagi
700GL Slit Lamps”
Slitlamp Microscope
700GL
See your patients’ eyes
in a new light.
VSP Global announced it is
launching a major academic study
and consumer pilot test with the
latest version of the company’s techembedded
eyewear, called Level. The
study is in partnership with University of
Southern California (USC) Center for Body
Computing (CBC),
VSP Global’s innovation lab, The Shop,
debuted an early version of the prototype
in 2015 as Project Genesis— touted as
the first wearable to seamlessly integrate
health-tracking technology into the
temple of an optical frame. A partnership
with USC CBC followed soon after.
“Our partnership with VSP Global will
accelerate research and discovery as to how to
create digital health products and experiences
that will elevate, enhance and expand the lives
of users,” said USC CBC founder and executive
director Dr Leslie Saxon. “This study is the first
of its kind and will provide a crucial roadmap
for validating future products and platforms
and for understanding overall consumer health
engagement.”
The pilot study, launched in September
with USC employees, is being managed by
USC CBC in partnership with USC Roski Eye
Institute. Participants receive a Level frame
and accompanying smartphone app that
allows them to track their activity. The app
also syncs with the VSP Global’s Eyes of Hope
initiative, allowing participants to accrue points
for reaching daily step goals. Once a certain
number of points are achieved, that user
will automatically trigger the donation of a
comprehensive eye exam and a pair of glasses to
someone in need.
VSP’s tech-embedded eyewear Level
“As a community-based not-for-profit, we’re
curious not only about the technology and how
it can benefit the individual utilising it, but
also about the motivations that drive certain
behavior,” said Jay Sales, co-lead of The Shop.
“Connecting Level to our Eyes of Hope initiative
was a perfect way to explore how technology
within a platform as common as eyewear could
increase health and wellness as well as empathy
and opportunity for someone in need.”
Though still in prototype mode, the technology
embedded within the Level frames—including a
gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer—
will track a wearer’s steps, calories burned,
and activity time. Users will be able to locate
misplaced frames through the app’s “Find My
Glasses” feature.
It is hoped the study will provide useful feedback
on how individuals interact with the device, which
will inform future strategies for the prototype.
Select eye care providers within the VSP network
will also have an opportunity to test and provide
feedback about the Level experience. ▀
Optional Extras
• Camera Adapter With Yellow Filter
• Adjustable Inclined Eye Piece
• Inclined Eye Piece Adapter
• Yellow Filter
For further information or to order a Takagi Slit Lamp today
Ph: 0800 657 720 info@optimed.co.nz
Craig 0275 657 200 or Robert 0275 657 720
t 012 3456 7890
f 012 3456 7890 e user@yoursite.com
November 2016
NEW ZEALAND OPTICS
9

Exciting programme for RANZCO’s 48th Congress
Your toothbrush should be the only thing
left to pack for RANZCO’s landmark annual
calendar event, kicking off in just a couple
of weeks in Melbourne. Here’s NZ Optics need to
know guide.
Location
The majority of the Congress will be held at the
Melbourne Convention Centre on South Wharf.
However, the graduation and awards ceremony
and president’s reception on the Sunday will
be held at Myer Mural Hall on Bourke Street.
This chic, Parisian style ballroom was originally
designed by Sydney Myer to host lavish parties
and private fashion shows, and is named after
the eight unique murals that adorn the walls.
The Congress Dinner will be held on Tuesday
evening in the Olympic room at the Melbourne
Cricket ground, offering unique views of Yarra
Park. Guided tours of the stadium will also be
available.
Programme
The Congress promises a selection of lectures,
rapid-fire presentations and poster sessions with
a line-up of international speakers that include
Professor Gerard Sutton from Vision Eye Institute
Australia, Professor Maarten Mourits from the
Melbourne: Host to RANZO’s 2016 Congress
Department of Ophthalmology at the Academic
Medical Centre, Netherlands, Professor Keith
Martin from the University of Cambridge and
Dr Fiona Costello from the University of Canada,
among others. There will be a Practice Managers
conference, GP and optometry workshops and
professional development sessions. Special
guests include Dr Helen Szoke, CEO of Oxfam
Australia, who will be speaking at the RANZCO
Graduation Ceremony. There will also be a
number of non-scientific sessions running
alongside the Scientific Congress. These sessions
include Ethics, Training and Professionalism and
Cultural Awareness in Practice.
Getting social
Don’t miss the welcome event in the exhibition
hall, with hawker-style food bars and wine
on offer. Outside of the awards ceremony and
the main dinner, there will also be a Practice
Managers’ dinner, a Young Fellows dinner, a
Senior and Retired Fellows dinner and a Registrar
Networking Event. If you find yourself with a
little free-time and fancy exploring Melbourne
you can download a series of self-guided walks
from www.thatsmelbourne.com.au. They will
guide you through Melbourne’s cobbled laneway
districts and Victorian arcades, full of history and
– in many cases – captivating street art, not to
mention the enticing alfresco eateries.
See you there! ▀
Dr Fiona Costello
Prof Gerard Sutton
Aye, eye sailor
Celebrating
milestones
IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
10,000
IMPLANTS OF THE
TECNIS SYMFONY ® IOL
350,000
IMPLANTS OF TECNIS ® IOLs
TECNIS and TECNIS Symfony are trademarks owned by or licensed to Abbott Laboratories, its subsidiaries or affiliates. All other trademarks are the intellectual property
of their respective owners. AMO Australia Pty. Limited. Level 3, 299 Lane Cove Road, Macquarie Park, NSW 2113. AMO Australia Pty. Limited (Incorporated in Australia)
PO Box 401, Shortland Street, Auckland, 1140. © 2016 Abbott Medical Optics Inc. | www.AbbottMedicalOptics.com | WH AMO20403
Optometrist Ian Perry, a partner at Specsavers Wanganui,
moved to the Manawatu six years ago and loves the water.
“I’ve been sailing since the age of 11,” says Perry. “The boat I
most loved was the International Canoe which is a high performance
single-handed boat that I sailed in my 20’s and is quite different! I’ve
been crewing a 470 for the last few years.”
Perry is a member of Sailing Wanganui which runs sail training for
all ages, and is chairman of the Sailability Whanganui Trust, which
offers sailing as a sport to the disabled community.
“At an annual prize giving for Sailability Whanganui there was a
presentation from two club members who had just returned from
the 2013 Blind Sailing World Championships in Tokyo. Kiwi sailors,
Phil Paterson, who is sighted, and Russell Lowry who is totally blind
through retinitis pigmentosa.”
Paterson suggested Perry might join them as a tactician for the next
championship, so he was inspired to volunteer.
“I began working with Phil, Russell, and Jonathan Godfrey,” says
Perry. Godfrey, from Palmerston North, is totally blind from retinitis
pigmentosa. “Although new to sailing, he was fit from martial arts
and matched Russell’s strong competitive drive. Incredibly, we were
offered a place at the Blind Sailing World Championships in Chicago.”
With just a couple of months to train, the odds were against them –
many of the other teams were very experienced and had been sailing
together for years.
“It was a big ask to put this team into such a high-level international
competition,” says Perry, but it was an opportunity they weren’t
prepared to turn down. “The biggest barrier was that we were training
in winter with strong winds and the river in flood. We didn’t get to sail
against another boat until the practice day of the regatta!”
Perry’s biggest personal challenge was to verbalise all instructions
and not touch any of the controls. “My role was to be the team’s eyes,”
says Perry. “If I so much as touched the mainsheet or tiller we’d be
penalised – that’s a big ask for an active and reflexive sailor.”
When they arrived in Chicago they had two practice days and a
deteriorating weather forecast, but the rough weather at least gave
Perry’s team a fighting chance.
“We had five races on the first day and were disappointed with our
performance, but as the weather got worse the better we did!” he
laughs. “The other teams were used to training in smooth conditions,
while we’d had the brunt of Wanganui’s winter weather. In the last
and roughest race we placed first!”
Russell Lowry’s B1, (completely blind) team with Ian as tactician
had to content themselves with that one win on the first day, but the
B2 partially-sighted team of Dave Allerton and Dave Parker brought
home a gold medal.
“It was an amazing experience, although I found it mentally
exhausting!” says Perry, who says the team have not decided if they
will enter in 2017. “I sail to switch off, but as a tactician you have
to be hyper-alert and giving constant verbal commands. It was
an honour to spend time with the New Zealand and international
teams though, and especially to work with Russell who has so
much spirit.” ▀
10 AMO20403_Tecnis_Symfony_CelebratingMilestones_FPAdv.indd NEW ZEALAND OPTICS November 20161
7/10/16 10:15 am

SPECIAL FEATURE: SUMMER SPECIAL AND SUNGLASSES
Summer sun: don’t forget your eyes
EDITORIAL BY JAI BREITNAUER
The highly successful Slip, Slop, Slap campaign,
first launched in Australia in the 1980’s,
didn’t include a reference to sunglasses
for many years. In a part of the world where the
percentage of damaging UV rays is generally
known to be high, it seems crazy that eyes would
be left out for so long.
In New Zealand, the campaign has been known
as Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap (with the wrap referring
to sunglasses), for many years, and is currently
reaching out to the fourth generation of young
sun seekers in the hope of reducing the number
of preventable diseases – including melanoma –
caused by unprotected exposure to the sun.
It’s a delicate balance though isn’t it? As an
exceptionally fair-skinned child growing up in
the UK, my mum was so paranoid about the risks
associated with the sun we rarely spent much
time outdoors in the height of summer and didn’t
holiday abroad until I was in my teens. The upshot
of this is actually the reverse of what she hoped to
achieve – in my twenties and early thirties, I was
quite slap-dash with sun cream and barely wore
sunglasses or protective lenses. It was only after
developing a blister on my conjunctiva in 2013
that I began looking into eye health and the sun,
and realised just how thin is the wire we walk.
Cataracts, cancer, dry eye, AMD … the list of
eye-conditions that could possibly be affected
by exposure to the sun goes on. And yet, reports
have shown sun exposure can also help reduce
myopia, counteract the negative effects of too much
gaming, reduce the risk of diabetes (let’s face it, if
you’re outside you’re probably active) and, according
to one 2015 study, potentially counteract the
symptoms of dry eye by increasing vitamin D*.
Giving our clients good quality advice about
caring for their eyes in the summer months has
never been more vital, and this special feature is
designed to help you do just that. I’d like to thank
everybody who has contributed to this timely
feature, in particular Drs Peter Hadden and David
Worsely and Eleisha Dudson, for their articles. You’ll
also find some style tips from the fabulous Jo Eaton,
a product round up, and some industry news all
related to summer eye wear and care.
I hope you enjoy reading and, as always, please
send us your feedback via editor@nzoptics.co.nz
*Yildrim P, et al. Dry eye in vitamin D deficiency: more than an
incidental association. Published in the International Journal of
Rheumatic Diseases
Selling sunnies: what your customers need to know
Research conducted by The Vision Council in the US revealed
that 48% of people regularly wear one or more pairs of
non-prescription sunglasses, while 64% of people wear
prescription glasses, suggesting a huge opportunity to upsell
prescription sunnies.
NZ Optics has tapped the minds of many specialists in the
industry to provide the following five important facts if you have a
patient (or ‘client’ as many of you now say you prefer to call them)
interested in tinted or photochromic lenses:
1. UV rating of normal lenses and CLs
Your client will probably be interested to know their prescription
lenses have some UV protection already.
“The actual lens material blocks most of the UV from being
transmitted ‘through’ the lens,” says Emma Gee, training
manager for OPSM. “Different materials will block differing
amounts, for example, polycarbonate blocks 99% without
additional coatings.”
However, while reassuring for your client, this doesn’t mean
they can forget about sunglasses altogether.
“Quality sunglasses provide 100% protection from UVA and
UVB,” says Gee. “They provide visual comfort with tinting and
optional polarisation. Certain sunglass tints can also help with
increasing contrast in conditions such as cycling, golf and skiing.
Sunglass frames are also much better suited in terms of their
size and wrap to provide correct coverage for UV protection than
an optical frame.”
Your patients might also be interested to know about back-UV
coatings that can be added to the back surface of the lenses to
stop light coming around the edges and reflecting off the back of
the lenses into the eye.
Contact lenses also have built in UV protection but, says
contact lens specialist Alex Petty, they are no substitute for
wearing sunglasses. “The majority of contact lenses have UV
protection, however, they will only cover the 14mm or so of the
lens diameter. The conjunctiva, lids and lid tissue all needs UV
protection to decrease the chance of skin cancer and UV related
tissue degeneration.
“Contact lens wearers will also still suffer from glare so
sunglasses are an important part of improving the visual
experience when outside,” he says.
2. Sunnies have standards
Your clients need to understand the quality of sunglasses they
buy from you, compared with the quality they buy from a nonoptical
business, varies dramatically. Even if your client isn’t
interested in purchasing prescription sunglasses, there is important
information you should pass on to them to protect their eye health.
A practice needs to make sure its clients know their sunglasses
meet NZ standards (AS/NZS 1067:2003) with UV 400 protection,
says Mark Gaunt from Zeiss, and that the eyes are covered enough
to protect them from incidental light entering the eye - a good hat
helps here.
“If they make the wrong choice, they may be doing more harm
than good,” he says. “If they purchase a pair without UV400nm
protection their pupils may enlarge and cause harm from the extra
UV being transmitted into their retina.”
Many sunglasses are labelled as having UV protection, but that
doesn’t mean they have the right protection for New Zealand
or for anywhere for that matter. Your client needs to know the
CONTINUED ON P12
• Retro shapes made with ultra-modern materials
• Metal and acetate fronts
• Optimum wearing comfort
• An absolute design classic
November 2016
NEW ZEALAND OPTICS
11

SPECIAL FEATURE: SUMMER SPECIAL AND SUNGLASSES
NZ standard is voluntary; in fact, there is no standard
sunglasses have to meet, and the price of the sunglasses
doesn’t necessarily reflect the quality of the UV
protection. Glasses claiming they are UV400 should also
be avoided, says Gaunt, unless they also state they meet
the above standard, as there is no universally accepted
definition of what UV400 actually means.
3. Choosing frames
CONTINUED FROM P11
Just like optical glasses, your clients need to be advised
on the right sunglass frames for their face shape, lifestyle
and purpose.
Sporty-types and those who do a lot of driving or
work outside, might prefer wrap-style frames that
give a greater area of coverage and have a darker tint
or reflective lenses for added clarity outside, while
those who wear sunglasses more casually might prefer
something that fits with their own sense of style – such
as oversized frames or vintage. If your client expresses
any concerns over losing their
sunglasses or where they might keep a
second pair, then photochromic lenses
that change with the environment are
probably the better lifestyle choice.
The same style tips you’d use for
helping a patient chose prescription
lenses work for sunglasses. For example,
a rounder face would benefit from
square-shaped sunglasses to balance
their face shape, while oval faces
shouldn’t wear glasses that are too
wide. And a good thing to remember
is if your client has a strong affiliation
with a particular style of frames, they
can probably have tinted lenses fitted in
those frames too.
4. Clip ons/over glasses
For the customer who sees sunglasses
as pure necessity, the resurgence of
‘over glasses’ and clip-ons is no doubt a
dream come true. Coverspecs are wraps
that go over the top of your clients
existing glasses, and they are approved
by the Cancer Society of New Zealand –
giving protection along the side of the
frame as well as over the lens. Other
brands include Cocoons eyewear and
Horizons eyewear.
Alternatively, clip-ons – available from
a number of different suppliers – are
armless frames with sunglass lenses
that clip on to your clients’ existing
glasses. They fold up when not in use so
they don’t have to be removed (and are
less likely to be misplaced).
5. Photochromic lenses are just as useful
inside as out
Photochromic lenses, like Transitions and Hoya Sensity, are
really great for those people who just want a pair of glasses
for all occasions, without having to remember to take out
their sunnies or accessories.
“Transitions lenses are not sunglasses. But for patients
looking to find an everyday lens they can wear from
morning to night, indoors to outdoors, Transitions lenses
will be the lens to recommend,” says Stuart Cannon,
Transitions Optical general manager, Asia-Pacific.
“Outdoors, Transitions lenses block 100% UVA and UVB
rays from the sun and also help protect our wearer’s eyes
from glare and harmful blue light.”
These lenses are also useful indoors. Transitions
Signature VII lenses block at least 20% of harmful blue
light indoors – up to two times more than standard
clear lenses – while still being clear, and more than
85% outdoors. Transitions XTRActive help provide more
protection everywhere they are needed, blocking at least
34% of harmful blue light indoors and 88-95% outdoors,
according to a recent study.
Sunlight exposure
and AMD
Dr David Worsley*
Whether, and to what degree, sunlight exposure is an age-related
macular degeneration (AMD) risk factor is controversial. Although visual
perception occurs between wavelengths 380-760 nm, the retina/retinal
pigment epithelium (RPE) complex is exposed to light from 320nm and above.
Wavelengths below 320nm, including most UVA and UVB, are blocked by the
cornea and crystalline lens.
Laboratory studies provide evidence to suggest a vulnerability to sunlight
exposure. Wavelengths beween 400-760nm absorbed by retinal/RPE proteins, such
as melanin and lipofuscin, can lead to cell damage. The RPE is prone to oxidative
stress, especially from UV and blue light, with DNA damage, alteration of RPE
cell size and movement. The age-related increase in both number of lipofuscin
granules in human RPE cells and in their photoreactivity may impose a greater risk
of oxidative damage in the aged RPE, suggesting a light-sensitive mechanism in
the development of AMD. Blue light related photoreactivity of melanosomes also
increases with age. Blue
light exposure in an
experimental rat model
of dry AMD induces
retinal injury.
The retina possesses
inherent protection
against sunlight
damage via antioxidant
enymes, light
absorbing pigments
such as melanin and
flavoproteins, and the
shedding of damaged
photoreceptor outer
segments.
Epidemiological
Does UV contribute to AMD?
evidence for light
exposure as an AMD risk
factor is inconclusive
and only a few studies report a positive association. One of the best, the Beaver
Dam Eye Study (BDES), found that exposure to summer sun as teenagers through
to the thirties was associated with later development of early AMD. Estimated
ultraviolet-B exposure and historical markers of sun sensitivity were not
associated. An inverse association was found between the level of protection from
sunlight via use of brimmed hats and sunglasses and AMD, but only in men. Follow
up five-year incidence of early AMD confirmed this association; however the 10-
year incidence study showed few significant associations between environmental
light and incidence and progression of early AMD. A recent analysis of long-term
data from the BDES found some evidence that light eye or hair colour combined
with sunlight exposure is associated with increased risk of developing early
AMD. The link may be a genetically determined lower level of photo-protective
eumelanin. Other studies have similar findings; for example the Chesapeake
Bay Waterman Study found late AMD to be associated with long-term high blue
light exposure. An Australian study found that sensitivity to sunburn may be a
risk factor. In contrast to these studies, several case-control studies have failed to
show associations between sunlight exposure and AMD. Several studies showed
a lowered risk of AMD. A review of the literature in 2012 noted these conflicting
findings but by met-analysis found overall evidence in favour of an association.
We need to be cognisant of the inherent
weaknesses of epidemiology studies dealing
with a complex exposure. Issues include
challenges in measuring acute and chronic
lifetime exposure and the effect of potential
confounding variables, such as sun sensitivity
and sun avoidance behaviours. Furthermore,
each study evaluates a different population
(ethnic and genetic makeup) with different
confounding factors and located in a variety of
geographical areas with very different exposure
intensities.
In conclusion, the literature is conflicting. That
doesn’t provide a practical solution for advising
your patient. So my take on the controversy
is that the data does not support a strong
association of sunlight exposure and AMD, but
a modest effect can’t be ruled out. Therefore
it is reasonable to advise simple measures to
reduce potential risk. A wide-brimmed hat will
drastically reduce sun exposure. Sunglasses
will give additional protection. However, strict
wearing of sunglasses is not indicated, indeed
there are some circumstances where tinted
lenses may have a functional impact for an AMD
patient with reduced macular function.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
– BUILD TO
PERFORM
VIS ION EN H ANCEMENT
EYEWEA R
* Dr David Worsley is
an ophthalmologist at
Hamilton Eye Clinic and
Waikato Hospital. He is a
retina specialist with an
interest in AMD and sits on
the medical advisory board
for MDNZ.
12 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS November 2016

Choroidal melanoma: a spotter’s guide
BY PETER HADDEN*
There are not many truly life-threatening
ocular conditions, but choroidal melanoma
is certainly one of them. Overall, about 50%
of people diagnosed with it will, in the fullness
of time, die from it, so one can certainly say that
it is something no one wants to miss. Missing it
has been the subject of lawsuits in the USA and,
even in New Zealand, this diagnosis has graced
the adverse comments section of our Health and
Disability Commission, wondering if “x failed to
provide services with reasonable care and skill…”.
Luckily, that happened 16 years ago (before my
time, may I add!), but we certainly don’t want it to
come up again. So how can we avoid that?
Obviously the first step is not to miss the
diagnosis. Unfortunately, although melanoma is
rare, naevi are not and sometimes the differences
can be subtle. Furthermore, the only time when
maybe we might be able to make a difference to
the prognosis, ie. reduce the risk of metastatic
disease in the future, is if we can catch and treat
melanomas when they’re small, which of course is
when they are most easily confused for naevi.
One study found that, for small indeterminate
pigmented tumours, ie. ones that might be
naevi or might be melanoma, there was a 5%
cumulative chance of metastatic death for
each of the following risk factors: margin at the
disc, lipofuscin, symptoms and subretinal fluid.
Therefore if you’ve got all four there’s a 20%
chance you’ll be dead in a few years.
Some bright spark then came up with a
mnemonic to help people remember what to look
for if you think you’ve seen a naevus but don’t
want to miss a small melanoma (small being less
than 2.5mm thick). That mnemonic is “To find
small ocular melanoma”. This stands for thickness,
fluid, symptoms, orange pigment and margin at
the disc. Naturally of course others subsequently
pointed out that this didn’t really cover everything;
ophthalmologists routinely do an ultrasound
(B-scan) on all such lesions and therefore we
routinely add two letters to this, looking for
hypoechogenicity and characteristic shapes (as
well as the thickness, which ultrasound is very
good at measuring). Then of course, documented
growth is another risk factor. Fortunately many
of you probably don’t have ultrasound anyway so
you don’t have to remember those two letters, but
do remember to look at old photos to see if it has
changed.
It might be helpful at this juncture to go over
what each of these “suspicious features” actually
are:
T is for thickness
If it’s more than 2mm thick, that’s a bad sign. This
suspicious feature actually is best appreciated by
ultrasound, since on ultrasound you can measure it
very easily, as previously mentioned. But if you’ve
got OCT, you can switch on “enhanced depth
imaging” (EDI) or push the OCT machine forward
so that the image flips and you can get a pretty
image of the choroid and usually you can measure
the thickness of the tumour on this, but only if it’s
less than about 1mm thick.
F is for fluid
Subretinal fluid is a danger sign. Naevi can often
have a bit of fluid over the top of them, which
doesn’t matter, but if it’s leaking fluid around it,
that’s bad (unless of course it’s from something
else, like a choroidal neovascular membrane, which
you can get with naevi). Often you can see this
around the tumour or, if you get the patient to look
down, you might notice an inferior serous retinal
detachment. However, even a small bit of fluid is
important to spot and so if you’ve got a camera,
try putting it on autofluorescence; if it’s leaking
fluid, this will show up white beside the tumour.
OCT of course also comes in handy here, as it will
show fluid directly.
S is for symptoms
If your patient has an itchy eye, that’s a symptom
but it really doesn’t have anything to do with
whether there’s a naevus or melanoma in the
fluid. Pain doesn’t matter either (unless it’s huge,
melanoma is not associated with pain, and most
people would suspect that something’s amiss if
you have a really massive melanoma that takes up
the whole eye. The symptoms that really matter
are visual loss (not attributable to some other
cause, of course), field loss or flashes. The flashes
that you get with melanoma are different from the
Moore’s lightening streaks of vitreoretinal traction.
They tend to last longer, maybe a few minutes,
move slowly around, sometimes in circular
Pic 1&2. A small choroidal melanoma. Note the visible subretinal fluid and orange
pigment (lipofuscin). This patient was also symptomatic, with blurred vision and
flashing lights, as this tumour was under the fovea.
patterns, sometimes like a lava lamp, and aren’t
always temporal but instead can be anywhere. Ask
the patient if they’ve noticed any funny lights if
you’re wondering about melanoma.
O is for orange pigment
Orange pigment, ie. lipofuscin, is bad. Sometimes
it can be hard to see – it doesn’t stand out as
well as drusen against a dark background like a
melanoma, but is easier to see with an indirect
(where it kind of looks like someone’s got an
orange pepper shaker and shaken it across the
tumour). On autofluorescence, which you may
have on your camera, it shows up very obviously
as very light white spots over the tumour. One
caveat, however, RPE changes and drusen, both of
which are good signs (see below), can also show
up light on autofluorescence, but RPE changes
look more “geographic” (like how scattered islands
might look on a black and white map) and drusen
just don’t light up as much – no one said that
autofluorescence was completely straight forward!
M is for margin at the disc
This one’s easy. If the tumour is at the disc, or
within a disc diameter of the disc, then that’s a
suspicious feature.
Pic 3 (above). A colour photo and EDI OCT of a melanoma. Note the lipofuscin (orange pigment) on the tumour, the obvious tumour in the
choroid on EDI and the subretinal fluid above it which extends outside the borders of the tumour. Pic 4 (below). A colour photo and fundus
autofluorescence (FAF) image of a peripapillary melanoma. Note how the fluid shows up very brightly just below the melanoma. The central,
thickest part of the melanoma is dark, indicating RPE changes, but they aren’t very marked.
There are also a couple of signs that imply it’s
just a naevus. Drusen over the surface of it or RPE
changes such as hyper or hypopigmentation either
over the top of the tumour or around it, imply that
it’s been there a long time. That of course means
that it’s probably a naevus, as melanomas usually
haven’t been there a long time (or else they’d be
bigger). Melanomas are usually much more evenly
coloured and have a very distinct border without
RPE changes around them (for some reason,
some people seem to have the impression that an
indistinct border is bad; this is distinctly untrue).
There are also other pigmented things in the eye;
choroidal freckles, melanocytomas and CHRPEs
to name a few. Often also choroidal neovascular
membranes look pigmented too. Little spots
of pigment also are common in the retina. The
key thing with most of these is that they don’t
have the above features, except for pigmented
scleral crescents beside the optic disc, commonly
temporally – but these are flat and don’t have any
of the other features.
The bottom line has to be that, at the least, any
pigmented tumour with any of the suspicious
features mentioned has to be seen by an
ophthalmologist, except for little spots of pigment
that are otherwise completely benign looking
beside the disc. Those with suspicious
features will be offered treatment, but
it depends on how suspicious it is, how
worried the patient is and how badly
treatment of it will affect the vision as to
whether treatment will be delivered. If it
is watched, the standard recommendation
is to see it again in three months and then
once a year, to look for growth. This is often
done by optometrists and the main thing
here really is to make sure you look back
at the old photos to make sure it hasn’t
changed. Sometimes even with photos it
can be hard – if a photo is overexposed, it
might make the very thin pigmented border
of the tumour invisible and then, on a
subsequent normally-exposed photo, it will
look bigger. If you have autofluorescence,
make sure you do take an autofluorescence image
at the start because often the borders can be
much easier to see and less open to problems with
exposure than standard photos. Photos taken with
a red filter can also be useful, for the same reason;
they image pigmented choroidal tumours better
since they are less absorbed in the overlying retina
and RPE.
Good luck then with spotting naevi! And if you’re
thinking of buying a camera, consider one that
does autofluorescence; it’s useful in many other
conditions with fluid and RPE changes too, like
macular degeneration and dystrophies. ▀
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
* Dr Peter Hadden practises
at Eye Institute Remuera and
New Lynn, Retina Specialists
and Greenlane Clinical Centre
in Auckland, subspecialising
in vitreoretinal surgery and
adult chorioretinal tumours,
as well as performing
cataract surgery.
November 2016
NEW ZEALAND OPTICS
13

SPECIAL FEATURE: SUMMER SPECIAL AND SUNGLASSES
Sunnies for summer ‘16/17
rocco by Rodenstock
It was first seen in the 60s, and then suddenly disappeared like it was
swallowed up by the earth, but then rocco by Rodenstock returned to
the scene in 2014. In a retro design and wrought with ultramodern
materials, the eyewear is mainly something for trendsetters and the
fashion conscious. The yellow rocco circle is the typical distinctive
mark and gives each pair of glasses an individual dab of colour.
Maui Jim
Maui Jim got its start in 1980 as a small company selling sunglasses
on the beach in Lahaina, Hawaii. Seeing a need in the market for
technology that could combat intense glare and harmful UV while
bringing the brilliant colours of the island to life, we engineered
the revolutionary PolarizedPlus2 lens. Incorporated into seven new
sunglass styles, our Classic Collection was introduced. We now offer
over 125 styles of sunglasses, 100% of which are polarized and
protect from 100% of UVA and UVB rays.
Euro Optics
Adidas continues to offer many sunglasses in the performance
essential range that are all easy to RX and can be used in sun-rx
packages. The top selling model is the Whipstart which is the lead
sunglass campaign featuring Sonny Bill Williams. New models
include the Jaysor and Horizor. In the more sport specific range
Adidas is pleased to release the Zonyk (with photo chromatic
mirrored lenses) as worn by Nairo Quintana who was 2nd in this
years’ Tour De France. The new Barker’s sunglass range features six
models each in two colours and all are easy to glaze. Inface also offers
amazing quality fashion sunglasses for this summer.
Serengeti
rr309, wholesale price on
request
With comfort at the heart of the design, the Serengeti Slim Collection
features an ultra-thin frame made from premium Grilamid TR90
nylon and incorporates spring hinge temples for an easy custom fit.
The Grilamid TR90 ensures a super durable frame that is so light,
that you may forget you’re wearing anything at all. The classic
styling and minimalist design of the Slim collection partnered with
Serengeti’s superior glass lenses will not only have you turning heads
but opening your eyes to the experience that is Serengeti. The slim
collection features models Positano, Ostuni and Rapallo.
Tail Slide, RRP $309
Phoenix Eyewear
Kate Sylvester’s new Spring Summer ’16 sunglass collection
introduces Marie, Lee, Jacqueline and Françoise. These four new
classic yet contemporary shapes feature a soft, tonal colour palette
including honey, vanilla chip and olive. Kate’s favourite is the Lee in
honey as she loves how it infuses the aviator style with femininity.
The Jacqueline style is really taking off and is sure to become a best
seller this season. All Kate Sylvester sunglasses come with beautiful
polarised lenses and are also glazeable.
BTP International
Adidas Zonyk, RRP $279
Are you aware that fashionable sunglasses are available with
lenses fitted to your power? Nova is a global brand spread over 45
countries worldwide. Nova’s extensive sunglass collection provides
classic Italian styles catering to different age groups and lifestyles.
Prescription Nova sunglasses are provided with Nova Rx lenses which
are processed by the latest free-form technology. Nova RX lenses
helps to give perfect natural vision for a better and active lifestyle.
Lee, RRP $345 - $368
Positano RRP $345
Sasha, wholesale $120
CONTINUED ON P15
THE ULTIMATE TECHNOLOGY IN LIGHTWEIGHT PRESCRIPTION LENSES
// Up to 72% thinner and 45% lighter than traditional prescription lenses, built with NXT technology
and Trivex material, VARIO Drive Thin Design brings together the most cutting-edge advancements
in the optical industry
// Photochromic and Spectral Control® technologies in every lens let you discover infinite colors in any
light condition with stunning visual acuity; optional Polarization technology eliminates surface glare
// Available in 99% of prescriptions, progressive and single-vision lenses, ranging from +6 to -8 total
power (Cyl -4.00)
MODEL // CATERINA 8430
ANAND VARMA
NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER AND BIOLOGIST
CONTACT: BOLLE@BOLLE.CO.NZ OR 0800 2655 369
SEE EVERYTHING BEHIND SERENGETI TECHNOLOGY AT SERENGETIEYEWEAR.COM.AU fACEBOOk.COM/SERENGETIfANS PRESCRIPTION LENSES AVAILABLE FOR MOST FRAMES.
14 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS November 2016

General Optical
Founded in 1976, during the Golden Age of Munich
(Modern Creation München), the German brand
MCM crafts luxury leather goods and apparel for
the world’s most seasoned travellers.
MCM Eyewear is a unique collection where
dynamic design meets with the artisanal heritage of
the Brand. The iconic MCM elements – the Visetos
pattern, the classic brass plate, the studs and
vibrant colours – are also the main features of this
new Eyewear Collection where strong and unusual
Transitions
CONTINUED FROM P14
Transitions range of adaptive lenses provides
choices for all ages and lifestyles. Compatible with
almost any frame and lens material, they are a
great solution for all patients throughout the year,
and especially during summer! Transitions lenses
adapt continuously through varying light conditions
Contact lenses and summer
BY ELEISHA DUDSON*
With the warming spring and summer
seasons approaching, we see an
increase in both new and existing
patients coming in for their contact lens review.
When renewing the patient’s script, we also have
the opportunity to emphasise good contact lens
routines and offer advice about new products
tailored for their specific needs.
Allergies in spring and summer
With spring we see the uncanny sight of thick
yellow pine pollen resting on every surface
outdoors. This is the harbinger of pollens to come.
The pine pollen though, due to its large size, is not
as big an allergy concern for allergy sufferers as
the smaller grass pollens that come later in the
season 1,2 . If we want patients who suffer from
these allergies to continue successful contact lens
wear, then there are a few things we should be
advising.
Artificial Tears We know for sensitive eyes that
preservative free artificial tears are a great option.
There is recent research suggesting that inflamed
and dry eyes settle quicker with drops that contain
hyaluronic acid 3,4,5 . For patients with dry eyes
and allergies, recommending hyaluronic acid eye
drops could help provide better comfort. Examples
of preservative-free artificial tears containing
hyaluronic acid include Hylofresh and Systane
Hydration.
Medicated Drops Oral antihistamine tablets
dry the eye out which can further exacerbate
an allergic eye. Therefore, for some contact lens
wearers, a topical medication can be a great
adjunct. I often talk to patients about the use
of Patanol over the summer. Because Patanol
is a preventer (mast cell stabiliser) and treater
(antihistamine) it works really well when using
twice a day, prior to and after contact lens
removal. From my clinical experience I advise that
Patanol should not be used immediately prior
to sleep as the patient could wake with stingy
eyes due to the lack of tear pump occurring while
asleep. Patanol is best used at least 15 minutes
before sleep and then artificial tears just prior to
sleep.
Travelling
One key thing to discuss with patients is their use of
contact lenses while flying. Patients usually know
they shouldn’t wear their contact lenses on long
haul flights, but they often don’t fully understand
why. Believe it or not, it’s not because their contact
lens solution is limited to 100mls or because toilets
on planes are unhygienic! Rather it is due to the
cabin pressure and oxygen levels. Aeroplane cabin
pressures can be likened to being on a mountain
at an altitude of 1800-2400m 6 . At this level there
is about 76-81% oxygen pressure compared to
sea level 7 and with the eye shut the oxygen levels
at the corneas drop by 60-75% 8 . This can be
uncomfortable and risky for the eye, especially as
there is usually some sleeping involved on long haul
flights. It’s also good to remind patients that as well
as skin and lip dryness from flying, eyes are affected
too.
Contact lens options
For both allergies and travelling there is the obvious
option of daily disposables.
I have many patients who are on what I call “dual
prescriptions”. They have their “usual” lenses for
their day-to-day lives, and then run a second daily
disposable prescription for travelling. This means
MCM range RRP $500
shapes are combined with colourful prints and
modern embellishments.
The brand is modern, progressive, cosmopolitan
and aspiring: while embracing the past and its
German origins it looks toward the future.
outdoors, enhancing the wearer’s vision and
reducing their eye fatigue. Additionally, they offer
well-rounded protection from the sun’s harmful
rays. Outdoors, the lenses not only block 100% of
UVA/UVB rays, but they also help protect eyes from
glares and harmful blue light from the sun, which
emits more than 100 times the intensity of blue
light than electronic devices and digital screens.
there is no need to worry about solutions while
travelling, especially for those sensitive patients
who use a hydrogen peroxide care system. The
hassle of travelling with AOsept has provided me
with some interesting stories; including the demise
of a mobile phone, drowned by a river of semineutralised
AOSept from a knocked-over case!
For dailies there are now more options than
ever with the latest releases including Oasys
1-day, Alcon Dailies Total 1, Cooper Myday and
Bausch and Lomb Biotrue. With all the options
now available there is really no reason why you
shouldn’t be able to find a compatible contact lens
for your patient.
Orthokeratology (ortho-k) For some adults who
suffer dry and irritable eyes, wearing contact lenses
throughout the day is just not an option. For these
patients it can be worth considering ortho-k.
New ortho-k designs with larger optic zones,
multifocal, and astigmatism options now make
ortho-k a viable option for more patients who are
intolerant to daily contact wear.
Ortho-k can be an effective myopia progression
control option in children. The understanding of
how ortho-k slows myopia progression has brought
about new designs, that are further improving the
efficacy of myopia progression control in ortho-k.
Ortho-k should also be part of any myopia
control discussion with younger patients and their
caregivers. With summer’s increased daylight and
potential for outdoor activities, it is also a great
time to discuss recent research about myopia
progression and light exposure. Research suggests
that 60-90 mins of outdoor activity a day is likely to
help slow myopia progression 9 . As good an excuse
as any to get out and enjoy some backyard cricket,
beach outings and BBQs!
References
1. Zealand, Allergy New. A-Z Allergies. s.l. : www.allergy.org.
nz/A-Z+Allergies/Pollen+allergy.html, 2010.
2. Crump, Vincent St Aubyn. Pollen Allergy and Cross-Reactions
in New Zealand. s.l. : www.allergyclinic.co.nz/pollen_allergy.
aspx, 2014.
3. A randomized, controlled study of the efficacy and safety of
a new eyedrop formulation for moderate to severe dry eye
syndrome. F, Chiambaretta. s.l. : Eur J Ophthalmol. 2016 Jul
20:0. doi: 10.5301/ejo.5000836., 2016.
4. Efficacy and safety of two new formulations of artificial
tears in subjects with dry eye disease: a 3-month,
multicenter, active-controlled, randomized trial. PA,
Simmons. s.l. : Clin Ophthalmol. 2015 Apr 15;9:665-75. doi:
10.2147/OPTH.S78184. eCollection 2015., 2015.
5. Comparison of treatment with preservative-free versus
preserved sodium hyaluronate 0.1% and fluorometholone
0.1% eyedrops after cataract surgery in patients with
preexisting dry-eye syndrome. D, Jee. s.l. : J Cataract Refract
Surg. 2015 Apr;41(4):756-63. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrs.2014.11.034.
Epub 2014 Dec 5, 2015.
6. WHO. International travel and Health: Cabin air pressure. s.l.
: www.who.int/ith/mode_of_travel/cab/en/, 2016.
7. Baillie, K. Altitude air pressure calculator. s.l. : www.altitude.
org/air_pressure.php, 2010.
8. 8. Oxygen transmissibility corneal Oxygen. Weissman, B. A.
s.l. : Contact Lens Spectrum, Volume: 30 , Issue: November
2015, page(s): 25-29, 55 , 2015.
9. Light exposure and physical activity in myopic and
emmetropic children. SA, Read. s.l. : Optom Vis Sci. 2014
Mar;91(3):330-41. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000000160.,
2014.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
* Eleisha Dudson is an
optometrist at Stevenson,
Sangster and Matthews in
Wellington, and has a special
interest in orthoK
Style-Eyes
BY JO EATON*
et’s talk about sunglasses
L trends for summer
2016/17. Things finally
seem to be shifting from
the gigantic acetate frames
that have dominated the
past several years. Here’s a
rundown of what you can
expect this season.
Frame shapes
Rounder shapes are still a
popular choice.
Phil Thomas at Edel-Optics
says, “This summer, we shall see glasses in
panto or butterfly styles everywhere… Men
and women alike are going for round frames
with lenses that are slightly flattened at the
top. …This year, the glasses will not be quite as
oversized as last year.”
Interesting geometric shapes are also in many
collections.
Colours
Pastel colours are coming through again. Gold
and rose gold are popular in metal frames.
Lenses
In non-prescription glasses, flat-look lenses are
having their moment in the sun.
Mirrored lenses are big again this year. Super
are offering unusual colours to choose from,
such as bright pink mirror lenses.
Transitions
Transitions has been working on marketing with
well-known opticians, bloggers and designers
in the States in an effort to banish the daggy
reputation of photochromic lenses. They’re
pushing the fact the lenses clear when you walk
out of UV light a lot faster than they used to.
Coyote DeGroot of Labrabbit Optics in Chicago,
fashion blogger Leandra Medine of Man Repeller
and eyewear designers Coco & Breezy have been
some of the stars of the resulting campaign.
Check out the lookbook at www.transitions.
com/en-us/look-book/
Clips
Clip-on sunglass fronts, to be fitted over a
related pair of prescription spectacles, have been
making a quiet comeback for the past several
years and they’ve finally dropped the dorky
sports-dad feel. You’ll find them everywhere
from Luxottica brands like Oliver Peoples to
avant-garde Korean brand Gentle Monster,
through to many affordable brands.
Metal frames
With smaller frames making
a comeback, metal frames are
also on the way back in.
Karen Walker has just
released a range of metal
frames making use of
negative space, as if they are
outlines of her classic acetate
styles. It’s very clever!
As with spectacles, there is a
move towards smaller metal
frames in sunglasses for this
season. Check out AM Eyewear’s NOJ and Chico
frames and RVS Eyewear’s Palladium range.
Luxury
High-end eyewear brand Barton Perreira are
leading the way with sunglasses this year. Their
beautiful frame Belvedere is small, round and
comes with a clip.
Their rectangular Rango frame combines both
metal and acetate in a very masculine way,
while Beauregard does the same for femmes.
The real stunner of their latest collection,
however is the Boleyn frame, of which they
say, “[Its] name inspiration becomes very
apparent once seen, as it has a metal top half
and a plastic bottom, a reverse of the norm in
which the plastic half is traditionally on the
top. The metal has a filigree of very intricate
detail that evokes the distinctive car grills of
the past, it can be thought of as a spin on an
aviator, creating a unisex frame for the fashion
forward.”
Bold and unusual
If you’re going to go for big acetate sunglasses
this season, they have to look bonkers. Brands
leading the way here include Fakoshima, Stella
McCartney and Super.
You do you
Something I particularly love about 2016 is, that
while there are definite themes emerging as
trends, anything is acceptable as long as they are
worn with confidence. I’ve noticed sunglasses
styles associated with every decade from the
past 60 years worn lately without a sideways
glance from the arbiters of style! So, as my
friends are fond of saying, you do you!
* Jo Eaton is a native Wellingtonian, now studying optical
dispensing in Melbourne. She runs eyewear fashion blog,
Eye Heart Glasses’.
November 2016
NEW ZEALAND OPTICS
15

SPECIALITY CL FORUM BY ALEX PETTY*
HOW NOT TO REVOLUTIONISE CONTACT LENSES DESIGN
In the annals of history there exists a number of
important discoveries that were conceived over
a few beers. Arthur Holmes and his colleagues
developed the theory of continental drift whilst
sipping cocktails in Hawaii. Watson and Crick
unravelled the mysteries of DNA’s double helix in
the now-famous Eagle Tavern in Cambridge. Trivial
Pursuit, the Iron-Man triathlon and even Harry
Potter’s fictional sport Quidditch are all famous
ideas that may not have come to be without the
influence of a chilled alcoholic beverage.
The following innovation is not one of these.
Picture this scenario: on a balmy summer’s evening
last year, a colleague and I decided a quenching ale
was just the ticket after a long Friday of checking
eyeballs. My final appointment of the day was a
scleral contact lens fitting for a chap with advanced
keratoconus. Once I had finished regaling my fellow
optometrist with tales of the complexity of the case
our conversation (rightly) turned to weekend plans.
Given the heat, a swim at the local beach was on
the agenda. “That patient of mine would have a
tough time checking the water for sharks!” I laughed
sympathetically. “Did you not design his sclerals
to see underwater too?” my colleague retorted.
Chuckles simultaneously turned to quiet speculation
as metaphorical light-bulbs switched on above our
heads. What if it could be done ...?
Water-wear
One of the few limitations of day-wear contact
lenses are the difficulties when swimming. In my
younger years I would dive and swim with lids
clenched tight for fear of my soft dailies drifting
away (Fig 1.). Three years ago I had laser refractive
eye surgery and still I get a guilty kick when opening
my eyes underwater to experience the (blurry)
wonders beneath the waves. This freedom is one
of the main reasons I recommend orthokeratology
lenses to patients who enjoy the water. Goggles are
all good, but they have their limitations: fogging
of the lens, water influx, discomfort, field of view,
and those lovely compression marks visible after
removal. Plus, you’d never see a trendy surfer
waiting for the next set with a pair of goggles
strapped on. Wouldn’t it be neat if we could design
a scleral lens swimming goggle that could offer
great vision in and out of the water instead?
Several high-fives later we calmed down, ordered
another round and extra napkins, and got serious.
First things first: would a scleral lens stay in an open
Fig 1. One from the family album: Me as an 11-year-old soft contact lens
wearer demonstrating the clenched-eye diving technique that I had perfected
Fig 2. Is than an RGP lens? Or a pneumatic retinopexy gone wrong? No, this
ladies and gentleman, is a scleral swimming goggle
eye underwater? We decided yes: the large surface
area provides ample surface tension (when was the
last time you were able to pull a scleral or hybrid
lens straight off the eye without a suction tool?
Clue: it’s not easy) and the lids should provide an
additional barrier.
Second: how do we get around the issue of
the vergence changes when a rigid contact lens
is moved from air to water? As most of you will
appreciate when underwater the human eye
becomes severely hyperopic, by approximately 40
diopters, due to the cornea being almost entirely
neutralised. A traditional rigid lens would behave
similarly. Simply adjusting the contact lens front
curvature to focus correctly underwater would
lead to a colossal level of myopia when above the
surface. Not ideal. One solution would to create a
monovision-type set up, with one lens designed for
vision in air and the other for vision underwater.
Again highly impractical.
Eureka!
Then it hit us. Why not make a tiny goggle for each
eye? Create the lens with a completely flat front
and back surface, and insert the lens with an air
gap, rather than filled with solution, so that the air/
cornea refractive interface, and therefore the power
of the eye, remained the same in air and water! In
theory it would work perfectly. We left the bar that
night with a sense of purpose rarely experienced by
slightly-inebriated eye care professionals.
First thing on Monday morning I called Graeme
Curtis at Contact Lens Corporation in Christchurch.
“Was it even possible?” I asked. This lens would have
quite possibly the flattest base curve ever created
on a rigid lens, with essentially a radius of infinity.
It is testament to the technology of modern day
lathes (not to mention Graeme’s patience with
seemingly foolish requests) that his reply was “Sure,
let’s give it a try”. I heavily modified the parameters
of a trial scleral lens using rigid lens design software
Eyespace to match the cocktail napkin diagrams we
had sketched previously. Regrettably ‘infinity’ was
not a BOZR value I could input, so I had to settle on r
= 99999mm. You read that correctly: Our lens had a
100 metre base-curve radius.
Weird science
As I opened the courier parcel from CLC you could
have cut the tension with a knife. As it turned out
the parcel’s contents; possibly the world’s first
scleral swimming goggle, was the weirdest
contact lens I had ever seen. The completely
flat 6mm optic gave the lens a sinister
appearance: It looked more like a part from
a Terminator than something a water-sports
enthusiast would wear. After the initial
excitement subsided, human trials began.
Much like Australian Dr Barry Marshall, who
drank a petri dish filled with the bacterium H.
Pylori to prove the cause of stomach ulcers,
in the name of science I bravely inserted the
dry scleral lens onto my left eye.
Initial impressions were positive. For those
of you who have not worn a well-fitting
scleral lens they are surprisingly comfortable.
I could feel this lens a little more than usual
due to the abrupt junction at the optic zone
edge but it was not irritating. And I could see!
I could happily make out the 6/6 line on the
chart due to my plano unaided refraction.
Topography over the lens confirmed a front
surface power equalling zero diopters;
the lens was as flat as a pancake. OCT
and anterior photography highlighted
the unusual shape of the lens (Fig 3.) and
confirmed ~250μm of central clearance -
important when the lens is 35D flatter than
alignment.
However, things did not stay hunky-dory
for long. After a few minutes my vision
started to blur; I was struggling to see 6/12.
Under the slit-lamp the rear surface of the
lens was misting up like a bathroom mirror.
We removed the lens and added a lubricant
drop to the lens bowl prior to insertion. This
helped for about five more minutes but the
blur slowly returned. Only this time the lens
was starting to become quite uncomfortable.
Fig 3 & 4. OCT and slit lamp appearance of the flat scleral lens profile on eye
Fig 4.
Inspection showed the lens was fitting well in the
peripheral area and still had adequate clearance. I
managed to keep the lens in the eye for a further
ten minutes, before the pain and significant blur
necessitated removal.
We created a monster
Rather than relief, my first emotion was concern:
the vision in my left eye was still very hazy: I was
only reading 6/36 in my guinea-pig eye! The cornea
was clear and uninflamed however instillation
of sodium fluorescein revealed a subtle patchy
negative staining of the central epithelium. Further
investigation with corneal topography showed
very irregular central mires (Fig 5.). Realisation
dawned: we had created a corneal exposure
scenario mimicking the pathophysiology of
patients with conditions like Bell’s Palsy, thyroid
orbitopathy, restrictive eyelid disease and nocturnal
lagophthalmos. Even a healthy eye with excellent
tear film function will experience significant visual
problems and discomfort when the lids are not
regularly smoothing and spreading fresh tears over
our fragile corneal surface.
A case of one of my colleagues highlights this
concept in a similar way. At routine aftercare a
happy keratoconic patient noted that from time
to time his lenses would be very painful and
irritable for the duration of the day. The lens was
fitting beautifully and in the chair his eyes looked
pristine. The patient was asked to return wearing
his lens if the irritation arose. A few weeks later
the patient returned with a very red eye. One look
explained his troubles - poor insertion technique
had trapped a bubble of air under his lens (Fig 6.).
As the bubble was for the most part off the optic
axis he was unaware of it. Following removal,
a kidney-shaped depression was evident at the
site of the bubble, with dense epithelial staining
within its confines (Fig 7.). Needless to say it is
important to educate scleral lens patients to check
for bubbles after insertion with the aid of a mirror
and sometimes a penlight. Like a stone trapped
in a shoe, even a small pocket of air will gradually
cause problems.
In the end it took roughly an hour for my vision
to return to normal. Despite my scare I gamely
tried the scleral lens one further time, except with
a soft bandage lens worn beneath. The discomfort
was not noticeable but vision became equally poor
as the soft lens surface desiccated slowly. It was to
be the last time that the scleral goggle would ever
be worn.
Reinventing the wheel
The novel concept of using an air gap under the
lens had ultimately proven the design’s downfall.
So disappointing (and not to mention traumatic)
Fig 5. The exposure keratopathy induced by the air-filled scleral lens.
Note the distorted mires seen on topography
Fig 6 & 7. Epitheliopathy and inflammation caused by a trapped bubble
under a well-fitting scleral lens. Images: Lachlan Scott-Hoy
Fig 7.
was the outcome that the lens was never even
tested underwater. With our luck it would have
just floated off anyway!
It may seem like a waste of time to publish an
account of this fruitless escapade. However, I think
failures in science can also be viewed as learning
opportunities. Rome wasn’t built in a day after all.
I discovered:
Contact lens technology is progressing at an
incredible rate and more and more is possible
when designing rigid lenses.
A healthy lid-wiper should not be
underestimated in patients with irritation and
dryness symptoms. Neither should the absence of
obvious clinical problems preclude patients from
a diagnosis of dry eye. As I personally found out
symptoms can far exceed signs.
We are not born with two eyes as a handy
surplus should one be blinded through
irresponsible self-experimentation.
And perhaps the most important life lesson we
glean from this tale, the grander a pub idea is, the
more miserably it will fail!
On that sour note thank you for your support
this year. Have a safe and happy holiday period. I
look forward to entertaining with further specialty
contact lens reports in 2017. ▀
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
*Alex Petty is a New Zealand
optometrist based in
Tauranga with a particular
interest and knowledge in
speciality contact lenses,
ortho-k and myopia control.
16 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS November 2016

SPECIAL FEATURE: SILMO 2016
A spectacle of choice
Silmo 2016 wowed with the pure breadth of options on display. Lesley Springall
shares some highlights from her first visit to one of Europe’s most popular
international optical fairs.
The sheer scale of Silmo Paris, the annual
European optical fair held just outside
France’s capital city, surely must be daunting
to most, but especially to the novice fair attendee.
Two huge, purpose-built exhibition spaces,
with row upon row of 950 different size stands
– most cleverly decorated to stand out from
their neighbours as they vie for attention from
nearly 34,000 visitors – at first seems like a test of
orienteering. But by the second day, even a novice
such as myself was counting down the stand
numbers like a pro.
It was hard to identify themes at this year’s show
as there seemed to be just about everything on
display in terms of frame colours, materials (I’ve
never seen so many buffalo horns) and frame
shapes. If there was a standout, however, it was
the return of round – large round and, especially
for men, small round, somewhat retro-looking
frames. Colour was everywhere, with some brave
designers even presenting frames in those trickiest
of facial-match colours, yellow and green. Blue was
Eye catching displays at Silmo 2016
particularly popular, however, with clever patterns
(on metal or acetate) now the norm.
The other key themes from this year’s fair were
customisation, innovation and authenticity
with French and Italian frame makers reeling off
their “we really are, really made” in France/Italy
credentials, as soon as you start talking to them.
Both are less than impressed by their governments’
decision to award “made in France/Italy” labels to
any manufacturer who simply designs or makes just
part of their frames in the country.
As for innovation, Silmo has always been a
showcase for new materials and advancements
in frame technology, but it seemed like nearly
everyone had a new way of dealing with the old
hinge and screw technology at this year’s fair. The
technology on display from the lens and equipment
manufacturers was equally fascinating. But of
particular interest was Silmo’s Experience Store,
which featured the latest technologies on offer
to draw patients into practices and keep them
entertained. This included hologram greeters
Silmo Paris: what an experience!
BY CLAIRE MCDONALD*
There was a palpable sense of anticipation
as we walked from the train across the
forecourt to Silmo. Sporting a limp,
courtesy of a collision with a fare jumper
hurdling the metro gate, I was not exactly sure
what to expect.
The show was as big as everyone had
promised; at times a bit overwhelming. The
two large halls dedicated to Silmo at the Parc
des Expositions exhibition centre in Paris Nord
Villepinte had definite themes; Hall 5 seemed
colourful with flamboyant frame designers and
stands, while Hall 6 had clinical equipment and
lots of brands, which were less familiar to me,
plus all the lens suppliers.
Making contact with frame designers from the
other side of the globe gave me insights into the
story of the products we stock and use to help
our patients on a daily basis. For me, however, the
true high point was the one-on-one time I spent
with some of our key brands: Alan Peterson from
Monoqool kindly spent a fascinating hour talking
to me about his vision for the company and the
challenges of developing his 3D printing process.
Technology and customisation featured
everywhere. I talked with a young IT whiz about
his app to put virtual stock onto customers faces.
There were frames made from paper and lens
cloths made from recycled PET bottles. At the
Hoya stand, Hoya executives were scanning faces
to design a customised lens with a 3D printed
frame, optimising Hoya’s lens’ performance (see
separate story). I am not sure if people will want
customisation at the expense of choice in frames,
however, though it was a nice touch to see all
Hoya’s staff wearing the frames, giving a uniform
effect similar to the French Morel team, who were
all sporting bright yellow sneakers!
The stands at Silmo Paris ranged from highly
creative to slick; with orange Dutch cows,
American milk bars (complete with rock and roll
dancers) and a British double decker red bus; all
of which is impossible to experience without
considering our own street appeal.
For me, Silmo also highlighted how crowded
the optical frame market is. The idea of selecting
unique brands at a fair on this scale might give
you the sense of unlimited choice. I suspect it
is very easy, too easy, to order out-there new
designs, which may prove less than successful in
your own practice. So for this kiwi optom at least,
we will continue to enjoy the selection curated by
our own trusted suppliers.
and a variety of frame
simulation technologies
from table top displays
to wall-hanging
technologies and freestanding
screens in a host
of sizes. Often wrapped
up closely with innovation
was customisation, with
a number of companies
offering new ways for
practices to customise
their frame and lens
offerings to patients
(see below and the Hoya
story on p3). All of which clearly demonstrated that
innovation is thriving in the industry.
NZ Optics’ Lesley Springall talking frames with Xavier Garcia
Paperstyle
Demonstrating this innovation, and something
a little bit different from the host of acetate,
wood, horn and metal frame manufacturers,
was Paperstyle, a South Tyrolean brand of paper
eyewear, made entirely by hand.
Through a patented process, premium paper
(15 to 18 sheets) is pressed, glued, vacuum-dried
and shaped with special milling machines. The
outcome is amazing; a moldable, durable, but very
lightweight product that can be customised to
whatever the customer desires, with many using
their own photographs as the basis of their, highly
personalised, new frame designs.
Monkey Glasses
Another frame brand that caught my eye was
Monkey Glasses, with its “Save the Orangutan”-
themed stand, complete with jar of yummy
banana lollies, this six-year old Danish company
majored on its environmental, sustainable and
biodegradeable credentials. Monkey Glasses’
frames are handmade and are manufactured from
a special biodegradable material - cotton acetate
- that can look like wood, horn or even crystal. To
add to the feel-good factor, and the story that can
be sold to environmentally-minded patients, is the
knowledge that a percentage of every frame sold
goes to support the work of Danish conservationist
Lone Dröscher Nielsen’s who’s working to save the
orangutans in Borneo; even the cases are made
from recycled paper.
Area 98
Area 98 prides itself on being a “braver” brand
company, featuring brands such as La Matta,
Kaos and, the rather mind-blowing detailing and
handmade individualism of Coco Song, inspired
by the opulence of ancient Chinese dynasties,
incorporating feathers, silks, lacquers, leaves and
even flowers in its temples.
La Matta’s new collection, launched at Silmo (and
available in New Zealand through BTP) is described
as “an anthem to the modern and sensual woman. A
mysterious woman who likes to transform herself, by
showing her personality through the accessories she
wears.” The slightly accentuated temples, giving an
unusual cat-eye effect, in animal-themed acetate, are
decorated with small, coloured inserts at the hinges.
Kaos’ new Silmo range, meanwhile, focused on
colour and detail, designed to appeal to a younger
audience, with their squared, rounded and oval
shapes, alternating with contrasting shades or
absolute black.
Area 98’s Michela Del Tin, while demonstrating
the latest handmade offerings from Coco Song,
featuring feathers and silks embedded into the
acetate temples and semi-precious stones such
as lapis lazuli, said Area 98 was formed from the
merging of three companies: Area 98 which is Italian,
and its subsidiary company in Hong Kong, and the
company’s main US distributor, Poets Eyewear. The
design is divided between Italy and Hong Kong.
Both La Matta and Coco Song sport very powerful
decoration on the temples, but La Matta, with its
animal prints, is more for the provocative, strong
woman, while Coco Song is more for the elegant,
dreaming woman, said Del Tin. “La Matta really
wants to break the rules; there is a lot in the frames
and it takes inspiration from jewellery…Kaos is the
younger brother of La Matta, more unisex in style,
but still colourful…they are all unified by colour.”
One of La Matta’s new styles
launched at Silmo
Fitting Box
In the Experience Store section, Fitting Box
was busy demonstrating Owiz Street, it’s latest
innovation in augmented reality virtual try-on
technology. Designed to grab attention in a
practice’s window, Owiz Street transforms the
window into an interactive experience, remotecontrolled
from the passing shopper’s or patient’s
own smartphone. The mounted display acts
like a mirror, recognising the viewer’s face and
allowing them to virtually try on any eyewear
CONTINUED ON P18
William Morris’ Robert Morris and Claire McDonald
*Claire McDonald is an optometrist and co-owner of McDonald
Adams in Warkworth. This was her first visit to Silmo.
Phone: 0508 FRAMES (372 637)
November 2016
NEW ZEALAND OPTICS
17

SPECIAL FEATURE: SILMO 2016
CONTINUED FROM P17
they select from the practice’s own range. Other
products in its Owiz range include Plugin, which
adds a practice’s digital frame catalogue to its
website or Facebook page; Web, a web-to-store
turnkey website, compatible with tablets and
smartphones; and Mirror, a touchscreen mirror
which allows your customer to virtually try on
different frames in your collection either through
a standalone mirror or iPad.
WOOW, Face à Face, ProDesign and Inface
Four large, very popular stands clustered around a
crossroads made up the Design Eyewear Group: the
French brands Face à Face, (classical architectural
influence), and its younger, more affordable
sister, created in 2014, WOOW. Then, the more
minimalist (less flamboyant), but still eye catching
Scandanavian ranges from ProDesign Denmark and
Inface.
Though the Design Eyewear Group had a host of
staff on hand to help with enquiries, there never
quite seemed to be enough and there was even a
queue for Face à Face, which unusually had a totally
enclosed stand, where admittance was by invite
only for buyers.
Distributed by Eyes Right Optical in Australia and
New Zealand, the Eyes Right team Gaye Wymond,
son Mark and daughter Lisa, were hard at work
buying exciting new stock for the coming season.
Face à Face – Akiko 2
William Morris
William Morris’ popular and busy stand was
dominated with an iconic British double-decker red
bus that doubled as a selling and ordering platform
(the top floor of the bus), office and storage room
and made it crystal clear to the whole show what
the company was all about.
The wonderful founder and designer Robert
Morris (he thought his middle name, William,
sounded more British) was on flamboyant form
WOOW’s colourful stand Sabine Pretz from PaperStyle Michela Del Tin, shows off Coco Song’s amazing frames
welcoming Kiwi optometrist Claire McDonald and
myself to the stand as if we were long lost friends.
Centre stage was William Morris’ new Wills
collection, aimed at a younger audience, the
collection has a retro look and is light and carefully
crafted in easy-to-wear shapes and energetic
colours, to show off the wearer’s personality, but
with a feel that treats older children more as adults.
“Kids don’t want to be kids,” said Morris. “We
are targeting kids between 9 and 12 who want to
look like their grown-up brother or sister, so there’s
nothing childish about our kid’s range…it’s very
sophisticated.”
Another highlight was the company’s new Autumn
and Winter collection, which takes its inspiration
from the heart of London and is backed by an eyecatching
advertising campaign featuring British
bulldog Quincy. These British credentials are key
to the success of the brand and Morris says one
of things he’s most-proud of is being selected as
the only eyewear brand in the UK to be allowed to
be part of the GREAT Britain campaign, allowing
it to use the “FASHION IS GREAT Britain” logo and
imagery, and be part of the country’s drive to
reposition itself as a vibrant, inspiring and innovative
place; an honour it beat several other well-known
British brands such as Victoria Beckham and Paul
Smith for and will hold for the next five years.
Xavier Garcia
Xavier Garcia himself, took time out to show some
of his new Autumn-Winter collection, featuring
seven new acetate designs and four new metal
designs, grouped together as “the Skin collection”,
because they are made from thin metal sheets
known as “skins”.
He says he’s often asked by journalists what his
inspiration is for each new collection to which
he likes to reply: “There is no inspiration, there is
always work, work, work.” But he says he has been
inspired by metal in this collection, and particularly
the use of layering with the metal skins, so that the
design becomes part of the structure. His “Heidi”
model, for example, features a round shape with a
double bridge and a clever inner “skin” on the top
bar of the bridge; “Helen” uses skins along the front
to evoke the “flutter of dragonfly’s wings”; while
“Landa” has a distinctly masculine air created by the
inner skin, which lines the bar at the front, creating
a colour contrast.
Xavier Garcia’s “Heidi” frame demonstrating his metal “skins” design
Jono Hennessy
Jono Hennessy Sceats, his son Jasper and Peter
Grunfeld were manning the Jono Hennessy
stand at Silmo and attracting a lot of attention
particularly for the Australian company’s new
Carter Bond styles, featuring fine wood-look
profiles with split metal temples in natural
finishes. The company’s “upside down round
THE INSPIRATION OF SPANISH DESIGNER
XAVIER GARCIA
✖ character
✖ quality
✖ impetuosity
For more, contact Cardinal Eyewear at www.cardinal.co.nz
18 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS November 2016

Jono Hennessy Sceats and his son, and brand manager, Jasper
eye” was particularly eye catching and would suit
anyone, agreed Hennessy Sceats. On the Jono
Hennessy side, the company was using more
combination constructions, featuring interesting
temples and changing some of the colours to
matt finishes, so it’s a more modern finish. “The
big thing that’s happening is everything is round
now, and smaller rounds,” says Hennessy Sceats.
“And everything has to have more detailed
construction now, which is a worldwide trend
to distinguish the quality of the frames and
make the patient feel special.” The company now
exports more than 50% of its range to Europe and
says Silmo is its key sales fair.
TO BE CONTINUED…with so much to see,
we couldn’t fit it all in. Part II of Silmo
2016 will be in our December issue.
Silmo endures, expands
Given the terrible
Paris terrorist
attacks at the
end of last year, Silmo
organisers had feared
its flagship exhibition,
showcasing more than
1,350 optical industry
brands, would not attract
anywhere near the same
numbers as last year,
especially as many other
shows in the region had
poor visitor numbers in the
preceding months.
But the optical industry
is obviously a hardy lot
as visitor numbers were
down just 1.3% on last
year, to 33,791, including
56.5% from abroad and
43.5% from France. Plus,
given the obvious activity
on most stands, it looks like orders are unlikely to
be affected and could even be up on last year, says
director Éric Lenoir.
Last year’s show saw the launch of a new concept,
new image and new look, so changes to this year’s
show were more minor, he says, with tweaks to do
with hospitality and layout as part of the organisers’
continual focus to improve the experience for both
visitor and exhibitor alike. There was, however,
more focus on the “phygital” - convergence of
physical and digital – exhibition side, with an
expanded Experience Store, demonstrating how
optometry businesses, and those who serve them,
can incorporate more digital solutions into their
practices, allowing them to “get smarter” about
how they serve their patients and increase revenues.
Sporting the latest trend in his own eyewear -
round, retro-looking frames from Lafont - Lenoir
says next year’s show from 6-9 October, 2017,
however, will be something special as it will be the
50th anniversary of Silmo Paris; a company he is
still completely passionate about after working for
it for more than 21 years, having joined straight
Silmo Sydney event organiser Gary Fitz-Roy with Silmo director
Eric Lenoir
from college. “I love it. We
are dealing with fashion,
technology, health. It is
a brilliant mix, and even
though it’s a big show, with
a lot of people, it’s a small
family. The optics world
is not that big in terms of
world turnover, but it’s so
creative, so innovative and
every season there is always
a surprise, and it’s a serious
product – because if I didn’t
have my glasses I couldn’t
see you,” he laughs.
Silmo overseas
He is also excited about
Silmo’s international
expansion. After just two
years Silmo Istanbul - a
joint venture with a Turkish
optics media company
and Silmo’s first foray abroad – has made all its
targets, has most, if not all, of the local companies
exhibiting and is now attracting interest from other
countries in the region, including the Middle East,
Africa and North-East Asia. While the new Silmo
Sydney show is set to launch in March next year.
Exporting the brand gives Silmo an opportunity
to grow, says Lenoir. It also helps Silmo Paris attract
more visitors as the exhibitors at Silmo Istanbul, for
example, are the wholesalers and distributors from
the region and thus the most likely visitors to Paris.
He’s expecting the same to happen with Silmo
Sydney. There’s a lot of opportunity in the region
as the market, both for small and new exhibitors
and the level of choice on show for the practices
and stores themselves, has been a bit controlled by
the Australian Optical and Wholesalers Association
(ODMA), which, until 2017, had run the main show
in the region every two years, he says.
Silmo is looking at other areas for expansion,
including South East Asia and South America, both
of which are currently poorly served in the optics
arena, says Lenoir. ▀
2016 Silmo d’Or
Awards
Silmo’s 2016 Silmo d’Or Awards night was
a festive evening liberally fuelled with
canapés and champagne. Belgian designer
Alain Gilles and Silmo president Phillippe Lafont
announced the awards, designed to recognise
and reward the creativity and innovation of the
industry, amid a cabaret of singing, dancing,
visual light illusions and a bubble man at the
Maison de la Mutualité in central Paris. The
award winners were:
● Children: KNCO for “Bili” by Karavan Kids
Sport Equipment: Demetz for “Lazer-Run”
● Low Vision: special prize: Visiole for “Go
Vision”; Essilor for “My Eye”; and Ceciaa for
“NuEyes”
● Frame Technological Innovation: Oxibis Group
for “77H” by Exalto
● Premiere Classe prize: Pride Eyewear for
“305 BL”
● Material/Equipment: Netlooks for “Netlooks
3D”
● Vision: Essilor for its “Eye Protect System”
● Sunglasses: Parasite Design for “Anti Retro X”
● Optical Frame: Blake Kuwahara for “Khan”
● Jury Special Prize: Kuboraum for “Maske E3”
Pride Eyewear’s “305 BL”
Kuboraum’s
“Maske E3”
Blake Kuwahara’s “Khan”
More than 75 years after its creation,
Lacoste has become a lifestyle brand
which exemplifies elegance and comfort.
Lacoste looks at life in an optimistic way by
telling itself it is a beautiful sport: a sport in
which you compete with elegance, show
off your panache, and combine a quest for
performance with an eye on elegance.
L2773 BLUE
L2771 HAVANA
Contact GenOp today to find out how you
can become a stockist.
Toll free: 0800 141 444
www.generaloptical.co.nz
customerservice@genop.co.nz
November 2016
NEW ZEALAND OPTICS
19

Orthokeratology Society of Oceania Conference 2016
BY ALEX PETTY*
The Orthokeratology Society of Oceania (OSO)
is the longest running group dedicated
to the practice of fitting ortho-k contact
lenses in the world. In September 2016, Surfers
Paradise played host to the 12th Biennial Congress
of the OSO and combined this with the 5th
Annual Congress of the International Academy of
Orthokeratology and Myopia Control. Both of these
independent, non-profit organisations exist to
promote research, professional development and
safe-practice in the field of orthokeratology and
reduce the impact of the global myopia epidemic.
The OSO conference is always a highlight of the
calendar for me as it attracts a certain breed of
highly passionate and motivated practitioners.
Close to 300 orthokeratologists from around
the world made their way to the Gold Coast this
year, making it the largest OSO conference to
date. It was especially pleasing to see a strong
New Zealand contingent, which highlights the
commitment Kiwi optometrists have to offering
cutting-edge treatment options and long-term
eye care to their patients. The meeting attracted
international speakers from around the globe,
including America, Europe and Asia as well as local
experts from Australian and New Zealand-based
universities and private practices.
As always the content of the lectures was
enlightening and each session was broken down
into key areas including: myopia control, beginners
and advanced orthokeratology fitting, problem
solving, specialised ortho-k fitting, latest research
and scleral lens fitting. It is perhaps no surprise
that discussion around myopia control was the
focus of many of these talks, as orthokeratology
lenses are a key treatment in the fight against
rampant myopia development in our children.
Staggeringly, predictions suggest that 10% of the
world’s population will have high myopia by 2050,
a 4x increase in prevalence since 2000. As we know
the risk of ocular disease increases dramatically at
these levels of myopia. It is fortunate that these
days we have the treatments to prevent someone’s
retinal detachment or maculopathy later in life: as
a profession we just need to start offering them.
The main message I took home from the
Congress is that reports out of Asia from
practices and hospitals that have been controlling
myopia for several decades suggest that the
myopia control effect of atropine drops is overestimated.
Speciality ortho-k lenses with small
diameter treatment zones designed for the young
progressing myope show significantly higher
myopia control rates than conventional ‘adult’
ortho-k lenses. These are the main treatment
modality employed by these centres. It is
imperative that we stay as updated as possible
when it comes to myopia control. Simply fitting
a standard orthokeratology lens or giving a
prescription of 0.01% atropine may not be an
optimal myopia control strategy for your young
patients.
The shock of the conference came at the
conclusion of Australian ortho-k guru John
Mountford’s lecture. Following a straight-talking
and scientifically robust account of the modern
advances of astigmatic ortho-k (including an
amusing mis-credit of a photo to a certain Kiwi
optometrist by the name of Alex Perry) John
finished by saying it would be the last lecture
he would ever give. John has been one of the
pioneers of orthokeratology worldwide and was
instrumental in starting the OSO several decades
ago. He has researched and lectured extensively on
the topic and is the principal author of the ortho-k
bible Orthokeratology: Principles and Practice.
John received a standing ovation from the floor
followed by a heartfelt speech from OSO president
Gavin Boneham thanking John for his commitment
and passion over the years.
The other uncanny quality about
orthokeratologists is that they all know how to
have fun! There were numerous opportunities
for networking and letting one’s hair down
throughout the conference, including a meet-thespeakers
drinks by the exotic Marriott lagoon pool
and the Gala Dinner held in the luxurious hotel
ballroom on the Saturday night. The Gala Dinner
had an Olympics theme and involved a range of
‘events’ throughout the night that each country/
table competed in. I’m sad to report that our New
Zealand All Blacks table finished middle of the pack,
but at least we beat Australia! Ortho-k Olympics
powerhouse Latvia took out the gold medal.
I would encourage anyone with an interest in
speciality contact lenses or myopia control to
attend the next conference in two years. It is truly
a unique gathering of like-minded individuals and I
challenge even the savviest practitioner to leave the
conference without some insightful pearls of clinical
wisdom to apply in their practice. Thanks to the OSO
committee, including our NZ liaison Jagrut Lallu, for
organising another successful event. I know I speak
for a number of practitioners when I say we can’t
wait for the next one.
I also implore health care practitioners here
in NZ; optometrists, ophthalmologists, general
practitioners and paediatricians, to sit up and
take responsibility for the young myopes in our
community. I don’t believe it is good enough to
ignore myopia progression in the 21st century.
Simply prescribing single vision spectacles or single
vision soft contact lens has been shown to worsen
myopia progression and increase the risk of ocular
disease later in life. If you are not confident or wellequipped
to offer effective and proven myopia
control treatment options to your patients, please
refer these patients to a colleague who can assist
them. A list of OSO members in New Zealand can
be found at www.oso.net.au
Clinical summary
Myopia control
Fabian Conrad from the Brian Holden Vision
Institute shared some startling statistics about the
myopia epidemic: 50% of the world population
will be myopic by 2050, which carries a significant
social and economic burden. Currently disease due
to myopia is the #1 cause of blindness in Japan
and Shanghai. Mathematically reducing the rate
of myopia progression by 50% will decrease the
amount of myopia over 5.00D by 97%.
Zhi Chen, a physician from Fudan University
Hospital in Shanghai, informed us that the choroid
will change in thickness within hours to match
the eye’s defocus. He cautioned against reading
too much into axial length measurements as a
decrease over time may not rule out an increase in
myopia.
Continuing the choroidal thickness theme
our very own John Phillips from the University
of Auckland shared some fascinating insights:
-2.00D and +2.00D of blur changes choroidal
thickness by 20μm after just an hour. Experiments
suggest atropine prevents the choroidal thinning
response, a clue to its mechanism as a myopia
retardation agent. A novel multifocal ortho-k
lens design caused an immediate and sustained
increase in choroidal thickness when compared to
a conventional lens. This highlights the potential of
new ortho-k lens designs to combine with atropine
drops for optimal efficacy of myopia control.
Spanish optometrist and researcher Jacinto
Santodomingo-Rubido showed that in a
Melbourne based study 64% of young ortho-k
patients had a total arrestment of myopia over 5+
years. In a study of his own 33% of ortho-k patients
had a decrease in axial length after eight years,
although this was not statistically significant due
to the low sample size.
Francoise Rateau reflected on her experiences
treating myopia with atropine in her private
practice. She had found that 50% of her patients
did not require further atropine drops to halt
their progression beyond 15 years of age, and 70%
beyond 18 years. She also observed that 0.01%
atropine was not as effective for children younger
than nine years or for patients with high myopia.
Paul Gifford, an Australian researcher shared some
of the undertakings he has been working on to
offer online tools for the practitioner and public to
understand myopia and how
to prevent it. These are great
resources and can be found at
www.myopiaprofile.com and
www.mykidsvision.org
Rob Gerowitz, American
practitioner, ran through some
relevant research in the field of
ortho-k and myopia control.
Patients with two myopic
parents have a 5x increased
risk of myopia and the risk
of microbial keratitis is 7.7
incidences per 10,000 patient
years, a similar figure to
other overnight contact lens
modalities. These risks can be
decreased with correct hygiene
and lens care behaviours.
The Sydney Myopia Study
showed that higher levels
of time spent outdoors was
associated with less myopia.
Scott Read from QUT
Optometry School described his
novel study using wrist-band
light meters. Myopes showed
less light exposure than the
non-myopes and there was
59% faster axial eye growth
in the children classified as
having low-light exposure
over the course of the study.
He suggested children should
still be encouraged to wear
sunglasses outside as the lux
OSO and IAO board members
level behind a sunglass was still in excess of that
received when indoors.
Orthokeratology
Helen Swarbrick, esteemed leader of the ROK
research group at QUT, gave compelling evidence
to prove that orthokeratology does not bend the
stroma, but only changes the thickness of the
epithelial layer. An insignificant 5μm increase in
corneal thickness is observed after ortho-k wear
which is consistent with ~1% corneal swelling due
to hypoxic oedema.
Kate Gifford, Optometry Australia president,
showed us some of her PhD research looking into
the binocular vision effects of orthokeratology.
Her results showed that ortho-k lenses decreased
accommodative lag and decreased esophoria,
whilst increasing spherical aberration in the visual
system. It is thought that these effects contribute
to the myopia control effect of orthokeratology
lenses.
Randy Kojima, an academic from Vancouver who
has lectured extensively on behalf of Medmont,
highlighted some key aspects to using topography
to fit rigid contact lenses. He illustrated how
the elevation plot on a topography is crucial
to predicting where a lens may decentre and
suggested modification to lens parameters may
be required when a perfectly fitting lens does not
behave as expected.
Jaume Pauné Fabré, another Spaniard and
chairman of the European Ortho-K Fellowship,
analysed the results of Eddie Chow’s study into a
new myopia control orthokeratology lens design
with a smaller aspheric back optic zone. His results
showed that the treatment zone gave a better
myopia control effect in low levels of myopia.
Pieying Xie, director of the Beijing Beiyi
Optometry and Ophthalmology Centre, showed
evidence answering the question of what happens
after long-term ortho-k lens wear is discontinued.
There was no significant increase in myopia in
these patients, giving us confidence that myopia
will not ‘catch-up’ after cessation of treatment.
Pat Caroline, associate professor at Pacific
University College of Optometry, explored the
myopia control optics of orthokeratology lenses.
He reasoned that a lens with a larger ring of midperipheral
corneal steepening leads to larger blur
circles at the retinal level. This optical affect may
have an effect on the dopamine-storing amacrine
Kiwi delegates relaxing by the pool Sarah Stevens, John Phillips, Damien Koppens, Sarah Tait and
Alex Petty
Some kiwi and not so kiwi All Blacks: Andrew Sangster, Alex Petty,
Stephanie Fox, Eleisha Finlay, Charl Lass (SA), Jake Brown (AUS).
The Marriott lagoon pool
cells in the peripheral retina. Increased dopamine
in animal models has been shown to decrease
axial eye growth, a clue to the mechanism of how
peripheral myopic defocus may signal the eye to
stop growing.
Scleral lenses
Steve Vincent, senior lecturer at QUT Optometry
School, gave a fascinating insight into current
research surrounding hyopixia and scleral lens
wear. Although theoretical models predict most
scleral lens designs should lead to hypoxia and
resultant corneal oedema, clinical research
suggests that oedema following scleral wear is
less than 1.7%, approximately half that could be
expected. Research has also shown that decreased
lens thickness and decreased lens clearance had
no effect on corneal swelling in a high Dk material.
It should be noted that these tests were done on
healthy eyes. The same conclusions may not be
valid in a compromised cornea, the patients that
often have the most to gain from scleral lens wear.
Pat Caroline gave a second talk exploring
the scleral shape and concluded that corneal
astigmatism does not predict scleral toricity. The
majority of patients have a scleral shape that is
best fitted with a toric or quadrant specific scleral
lens for centration and comfort. He also posed the
idea that overnight scleral wear may be a great
option to manage persistent epithelial defects. In
these case the 10% overnight corneal oedema is
acceptable if the post-lens tear film is replenished
twice daily. ▀
OSO President Gavin Boneham
OSO NZ liaison Jagrut Lallu chairs the panel discussion with Nitesh
Barot, Ken Kopp, Lachlan Scott-Hoy and Jaume Pauné Fabré
Jason Anderson from Medmont showing the tear film analyis function
of the E300 topographer. with Brian Naylor looking on.
*Alex Petty is a New Zealand optometrist based in Tauranga with
a particular interest and knowledge in speciality contact lenses,
ortho-k and myopia control.
20 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS November 2016

Dining for VOSO
Volunteer Ophthalmic Services Overseas (VOSO) was honoured
to be the chosen charity during the month of October for
Meredith’s Dine by Donation night, something VOSO had not
been involved in before.
Meredith’s, the intimate Dominion Road restaurant in Auckland
owned and run by chef Michael Meredith, holds a regular Dine by
Donation event every Tuesday to raise money for charitable groups and
organisations across Auckland. The boutique dining location say they
offer degustation only menu’s, paired with ‘superb wine’ and ‘inviting
hospitality’.
The first Tuesday of October saw the restaurant fully booked out
by VOSO supporters, including Dr Shuan Dai, Darryl Eastbrook, Kylie
Dreaver, John Tarbutt, Dr Rosie Murdoch and Maryanne Dransfield.
Although, at the time of going to press, the full amount raised
during the month of October had not yet been tallied, Meredith’s has
indicated that Dine by Donation raises around $2000 each Tuesday for
the chosen charity.
“Michael Meredith is a wonderful man, who is also behind the
Eat My Lunch project,” said VOSO secretary Kylie Dreaver, who was
instrumental in organising the event. “The funds raised will be used for
continuing the great work VOSO does next year. VOSO is planning to
travel to Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.”
Mike Frith, Ramana Malavarapu, Mark Dromgoole, Kylie Dreaver, Richard Johnson, Rosie Murdoch,
John Tarbutt and Bob Kinnear
Dreaver was overwhelmed by the positive response from the charity’s
supporters and the great atmosphere.
“The food was amazing and I have wanted to dine here for ages,” said
Dreaver. “I am delighted so many people have come out to support
VOSO. It is very appreciated.” ▀
Brng Liang, Brn Duan, Hong Duan and Dr Shuan Dai
First New Zealand ortho-k fellows
Four New Zealand optometrists, Jagrut Lallu (Hamilton),
Eleisha Dudson (Wellington), Alex Petty (Tauranga) and
Shonit Jagmohan (based in Melbourne), were made fellows of
the International Academy of Orthokeratology at the recent OSO
and IAO congress in Surfers Paradise. These four orthokeratologists
are the first New Zealanders to attain this honour.
The FIAO (Fellow of the International Orthokeratology Academy)
is the gold standard for practitioners of orthokeratology.
Fellowship status in the academy is determined by practitioner
experience and expertise and follows a rigorous case evaluation
and testing procedure over the course of several years.
Orthokeratologists who achieve fellowship status are committed
to adhering to the highest standards of care in this specialty and
are required to possess and demonstrate the highest level of
knowledge, ethics and patient care with respect to the practice of
orthokeratology. Fellows also serve as mentors and role models for
new ortho-k practitioners.
There are now a total of nine fellows of the academy in Australia
and New Zealand, who join an international cohort of experts
throughout the world. ▀
The first NZ fellows of the International Academy of Orthokeratology (L to R) Shonit Jagmohan, Eleisha
Dudson, Jagrut Lallu and Alex Petty with Gavin Boneham, OSO president who also was made a fellow
(centre with tie) and new Australian fellow Celia Bloxsom (far right)
Daryl Eastabrook, Helen Eastabrook, Joheen Dagg and Maria Pais
John Tarbutt, Sandra Cameron, Helen Beckwith, Victoria Elias, Colin Beckwith, Hamish
Caithness, Linda Tarbutt and Clint Bird
Mike Frith, Phillippa Pitcher and Jasha Morarji
November 2016
NEW ZEALAND OPTICS
21

New shore clinic for Auckland Eye
Auckland Eye opened its new North Shore
clinic and operating suite at 3 Fred
Thomas Drive, Takapuna, at the end of
August, followed by a launch celebration on 22
September. Auckland Eye’s doctors work from
14 clinics around the Super-city, and while this
facility is brand new, it replaces a previous clinic
in the Takapuna area.
“I’ve had a surgery of some sort in Takapuna
for the best part of 20 years,” says Dr Archie
McGeorge. “But around 10 years ago we
transferred most of our ‘North of the bridge’
Drs John Russell, Jenni Waddell and John Arcus
Xieda Man, Varny Ganesalingam, Naomi Bicheno and Alex Bicheno
activity to Albany, where we had a hub. But we
still had a small, 50sqm clinic at 2 Fred Thomas
Drive, Takapuna, which was very popular.”
When Dr McGeorge discovered, thanks to local
optometrist Martin Davey, that a 400sqm site
was to become available next door, at No 3 Fred
Thomas Drive, he took the idea of creating a new,
state-of-the-art hub in Takapuna to the other
shareholders. To Dr McGeorge’s delight, his idea
was supported.
“Our previous premises were restricted to
one person, there wasn’t much space, and
any patients for surgery had to
come down to Remuera,” says Dr
McGeorge. “We’ve been wanting
to develop operating facilities
on the shore for a long time, and
Takapuna is a great, centralised
location – close to the bus station,
the motorways, and we now have
free parking for 34 cars.”
The new, purpose-designed-andbuilt
facility has four state of the
art consulting rooms, plus a fully
equipped operating theatre.
“We’re starting with cataract
surgery, which of course is a key
service of ours, but we have the
equipment here for a variety of
operations, from diabetic laser to
vitrectomy,” says Dr McGeorge. “By
next year we expect to have the
facilities required to cover all adult
eye surgery at North Shore.”
This will be good news for the
often older demographic who
may not wish to travel across the
bridge. While the new clinic will
serve Auckland as far north as
Warkworth, there will still be a
small, regional consulting clinic in
Albany where the old hub used to
be.
Auckland Eye doctors working
from the premises include Drs
Stuart Carroll, Dean Corbett,
Archie McGeorge, Yvonne Ng, Sue
Ormonde and Alison Pereira, and
the clinic is open five days a week.
Prior to the opening,
the site was blessed
at a dawn ceremony,
attended by staff and
contractors on Friday
26 August.
During design, the
team at Focusplan
addressed common
difficulties sight
impaired often
encounter. As a result,
flooring materials,
surface colours and
lighting has been
carefully selected to
help guide patients
through each space.
The launch party
saw around 100
invited guests,
including local GPs
and optometrists,
enjoy a short tour of
the facility and hear
Dr Corbett explain
Auckland Eye’s plans for the future.
“There’s plenty of room for expansion here,”
says Dr McGeorge. “And we are looking forward
Dr Dean Corbett and nurses Jillian and Miriam in the new theatre. The team were the first team to operate at
Auckland Eye North Shore
to offering a full range of ophthalmic services
on the North Shore. This is a quantum leap from
anything we’ve had on the shore before.” ▀
Silmo Sydney organiser recognised
Gary Fitz-Roy, managing director of
Expertise Events, organiser of Silmo
Sydney, was recognised as a Paul Harris
Fellow, following the efforts of Expertise Events
in facilitating a nationwide initiative to raise
awareness to the risks of macular degeneration.
Through the programme, Expertise Events
distributed 500,000 Amsler Grid cards, a simple
test people can use to see if they are at risk of
macular degeneration. The cards were distributed
at a number of needlecraft consumer events
organised by Expertise Events in Australia.
“We worked with Rotary Club Victoria member,
Jeannie Handsaker, to distribute the cards at our
craft events and set up a designated area where
eye specialists had the opportunity to educate
people on how to effectively complete the test,”
said Fitz-Roy in a statement. “We recognised
these events host the demographic most at risk
of macular degeneration.”
Established in 1957, The Paul Harris Fellow
recognition acknowledges individuals who
contribute, or who have contributions made
in their name, of US$1,000 plus to The Rotary
Foundation of Rotary International.
See associated picture and Silmo story on p19 ▀
CooperVision
®
experts in silicone hydrogel technology
2006
comf ilcon A
2009 2009 2013 2016
enf ilcon A
(UV)
somofilcon A
(UV)
stenf ilcon A
(UV)
fanf ilcon A
(UV)
Biof inity® Avaira® clariti ® 1 day MyDay® cAir
1999 2016
1999 2004 2005 2008 2011
lotraf ilcon A
lotraf ilcon B
2004
galyf ilcon A
(UV)
senof ilcon A
(UV)
naraf ilcon A
(UV)
delef ilcon A
For more information on our extensive range of silicone hydrogel
contact lenses, contact your CooperVision Business Development Manager.
Live Brightly
22 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS November 2016

‘A celebration of research’
The 10th annual HealtheX Conference
was hosted by the Faculty of Medical and
Health Sciences, University of Auckland, on
9 September 2016. Sponsored by the Auckland
Medical Research Foundation (AMRF) and
the Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust (MPPT)
among others, the event was attended by over
200 members of the University of Auckland
community, including Vice Chancellor Professor
Stuart McCutcheon and Deputy Vice Chancellor of
Research Professor James Metson.
This year saw around $15,000 worth of prizes on
offer, including three AMRF travel awards, more
than ever before at HealtheX, in what the Faculty
called, ‘a day of celebration of student research
conducted at the Faculty’.
Among the winners were Hans Vellara and
Himanshu Wadhwa from the Department of
Helping
Niue
Eye Doctors’ and Counties Manukau
specialist Dr Penny McAllum recently
returned from her fifth trip to the island
of Niue, where she helps provide eye care to the
1400 residents.
“There are usually two or three doctors on the
island, which is quite a good ratio for the small
population,” she says. “Niuean’s are also citizens
of New Zealand, so they are entitled to treatment
here as well, but by sending an eye team, more
patients can have access to eye care close to
home, eye disease can be identified at an earlier
stage and a lot fewer patients need to travel for
treatment.”
Dr McAllum, together with Auckland Eye’s
Dr Sarah Welch, were originally asked to help
Niue by the late Dr David Murdoch, who had
a particular passion for making sure underequipped
Pacific regions had access to specialist
eye care. Both have now been helping the island
population since 2009, travelling to Niue every
two years and performing mainly cataract and
pterygium surgery, and providing intravitreal
Avastin injections.
They see patients with a variety of eye
conditions, including a number of young people
with keratoconus, some of whom have now been
treated with cross-linking, says Dr McAllum.
Last year two Counties Manukau DHB-based
diabetic retinopathy photo-screeners, with a
retinal camera, also came with the Niue eye
team for the first time. This was a very successful
addition to the service, so yearly photo-screening
visits have now been instituted, with the full
team undertaking surgery still on alternate years.
“This year was a short trip, focused on diabetic
Dr Penny McAllum, far right with Niuean colleagues Charmaine,
middle, and Raina, left
Ophthalmology. Vellara, whose supervisor is A/
Prof Dipika Patel, was a runner up in the AMRF
Doctoral Oral Presentation category for his In vivo
orbital compliance in thyroid eye disease research.
Wadhwa, whose supervisor is A/Prof Trevor
Sherwin, was awarded second-runner up in the
non-doctoral oral presentation award category,
for research titled Investigating the use of corneal
stem cell-enriched spheres in keratoconic corneal
tissue repair.
Spurred on by his success at Healthex, Wadhwa
went on to win first prize for his oral presentation
at the University of Auckland’s Exposure (postgraduate
research) Exposition, on the same topic.
Exposure is open to all currently enrolled research
postgraduate students at UoA. The Healthcare Oral
Competition, won by Wadhwa, was sponsored by
Fisher and Paykel. ▀
Over 80 patients were examined on this trip
screening. It was just one diabetic photo
screener, the Australia-based Niuean eye nurse
and myself on this visit. We saw more than 80
patients,” Dr McAllum said. “There was one lady
with bad AMD and a young man with severe
iritis. I referred half a dozen cataract patients
back to New Zealand for treatment.”
Dr McAllum always involves local doctors,
whenever they are available. “The young man
with iritis started treatment and responded well,
but it was a good teaching opportunity for me to
show the local doctors how to diagnose iritis and
operate the slit lamp. This helps them manage
eye patients between the team’s visits. We
also keep in touch by email.”
The vast majority of patients Dr McAllum
saw this year were suffering from diabetic
retinopathy. “Diabetes is a big problem in
Niue, with about 250 diabetics in the small
population. There seems to be a genetic
predisposition to diabetes, but lifestyle and
dietary factors also contribute.”
Seven diabetic patients were referred back to
New Zealand for laser or surgical treatment,
while Avastin treatment was started with
some others.
During this trip, Dr McAllum was also
interviewed by a local television crew, which
featured the eye team on their news that
night. “It was a great chance to get the word
out in the community that diabetes can cause
serious eye problems and that, as well as good
control, it needs regular screening to catch it
before vision is lost.”
Dr McAllum says she really enjoys helping
the Niueans in Niue. “Everyone is so friendly
and it’s a lovely place to spend a few days. It’s
a pleasure catching up with the many patients
and staff who we now know quite well, and
feeling like we’re making a difference to eye
health in Niue.” ▀
MDNZ public lecture on 9 November
On 9 November, Macular Degeneration New
Zealand will be hosting a free public lecture
at the Auckland War Memorial Events
centre and again on 15 November at the Grand
Hall, Parliament, Wellington, to raise awareness of
macular degeneration. The speaker will be Professor
Alan Bird, a British ophthalmologist, internationally
recognised as one of the pioneers of medical retina.
He is a professor and consultant at the Institute of
Ophthalmology at the Moorfields Eye Hospital in
London, UK.
Professor Bird’s talk, “The Treatment Revolution
of AMD”, will take a look at how the management
of AMD has changed, and is still changing,
for the benefit of the patient – something he
himself is very well versed in. Prof Bird created
a multidisciplinary research team based at
Moorfields that investigates monogenic retinal
disorders and age-related macular disease.
Investigative techniques include molecular genetics,
electrophysiology, psychophysics, specialised
imaging and morphology.
This research resulted in
the development of new
technologies to define
the clinical characteristics
of retinal disease
providing a clearer
understanding of retinal
degenerative diseases.
Professor Alan Bird
Prof Bird has also
undertaken extensive
international work in Africa on river blindness and
in Jamaica on retinal changes in sickle cell disease.
He has written more than 370 papers published
in refereed journals as well more than 80 book
contributions.
The Auckland event is open to all optometrists,
ophthalmologists and ophthalmic nurses, and for
optometrists CPD points are being applied for. The
lecture starts at 6:30pm and if you wish to attend
you should email education@mdnz.org.nz. ▀
VOSO visits Samoa
Aside from the
television
advertisements
showcasing tranquil
island getaways,
I knew very little
about Samoa when
I decided to take
the opportunity to
accompany John
Tarbutt on VOSO’s
annual optometric
outreach trip to
Samoa in August
this year.
We spent a week
on the beautiful island of Savai’i; working
at Safotu and Tuasivi hospitals; refracting,
examining and giving out new and pre-loved
spectacles we had brought with us from NZ.
We were fortunate to be able to work with
Samoa’s only resident optometrist, Fuiavailili
Erna Takazawa, who is based in the capital
Facilities in Samoa are very basic
E Y E W E A R
MERSEYBEATEYEWEAR.CO.UK
BY DEVASHINI DEVANANDAN*
Devashini Devanandan hard at work
Apia, as well as
several welltrained
eye nurses
at the local
hospitals. For most
of the year, these
nurses offer the
only optometric
and ophthalmic
care to the island’s
residents.
We were also
able to identify
many cases of
pathology which
were referred
for ophthalmic
care when the next surgical team arrive on
the island. With the lack of adequate eye
care, many simple pathological cases, such as
cataract, pterygia and diabetic retinopathy,
were in their most advanced states; to a level
which we would never see in NZ. While acutely
aware of how much more I would be able to
offer these patients if they
were in my home practice
in Waikato, their gratitude
for our services provided
the driving force to make
this appeal a success.
My week in Samoa was
an eye-opening experience
which enabled me to
appreciate the true value
of the care we offer as
optometrists. It was a
privilege to be able to
help the lovely people of
Savai’i, and I encourage any
interested optometrists
to volunteer their time for
future outreaches should
the opportunity arise. ▀
*Devashini Devanandan is a
Cambridge-based recent optometry
graduate
SHOP ONLINE NOW!
Get the latest models exclusively at
(NZ) 0508 678 478 optiqueline.co.nz
November 2016
NEW ZEALAND OPTICS
23

with
Prof Charles McGhee
& A/Prof Dipika Patel
Series Editors
Age-related macular
degeneration: update
Background
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the
leading cause of blindness or severe irreversible
visual impairment in people over 50, in the
developed world. As of 2009, 49% of the current
blind foundation registrations in New Zealand
were for AMD 1 . The incidence, prevalence and
progression of AMD increases with age and
varies by ethnicity. In the Beaver Dam Eye
Study, a primarily Caucasian population, the
prevalence of AMD was 10% in individuals aged
55 to 64 year rising to 46% for those aged ≥
75 2 . The prevalence of AMD in Asians over 55 is
estimated 6.8% 3 . AMD is comparatively rare in
the Asian subcontinent and Hispanic populations
and is virtually unknown in African, Maori and
Polynesian populations. The subtype of AMD
that is seen clearly differs between ethnicities.
Whilst classical AMD is seen most commonly in
Causasians, polypoidal choriovasculopathy (PCV)
is the commonest type of AMD seen in Asians. In
2014, the prevalence of AMD in New Zealanders
aged 45-85 year age group was estimated to
be 184,000, numbers which are projected to
increase markedly to 208,200 by 2026 4 . With the
impending demographic shift towards an aging
population, AMD represents a significant and
increasing burden on the health care provision in
New Zealand in the coming years.
Risk Factors and pathophysiology
It has long been recognised that the likelihood of
an individual developing AMD is the result of a
complex interplay of genetic and environmental
risk factors; factors which are probably
cumulative with respect to the risk of developing
the disease. Whilst the genetics of AMD are
beyond the scope of this article it is clear that
certain genetic anomalies carry a significant
risk for affected individuals, the classic example
being complement factor H polymorphisms.
Gene products for CFH play an important role
in the regulation of the host immune system
and individuals who carry a CFH polymorphism
therefore posses a dysfunctional and “over active”
immune system. This risk is not insignificant, for
example individuals who are homozygous for
the Y420H risk allele of CFH are known to be 7x
more likely to develop AMD compared to normal
controls. These results suggest that inflammation,
plays a significant although as yet ill understood
role in the development of AMD. Apart from age,
ethnicity and genetics – strong non-modifiable
risk factors – numerous studies have identified
cigarette smoking to increase the risk of
developing AMD. Smoking significantly increases
AMD risk in a dose response relationship with
the relative risk increasing in proportion to
the number of pack years 5 . Smoking cessation
reduces the risk of progression and thus smoking
cessation remains the single most effective
population intervention to reduce the burden
that AMD represents.
The conventional hypothesis for the
development of AMD holds that the primary
event in the development of AMD is dysfunction
of the RPE, with build-up of drusen, RPE
atrophy, ischaemia of the outer retina and
ultimately the production of VEGF and subretinal
neovascularization. However this conventional
hypothesis ignores the role of the choroid and in
particular the role that the choriocapillaris plays
in the maintenance of the Bruchs/ RPE complex
and the outer retina. What is now clear is that
irrespective of the mechanism a thin choroid, and
in particular a thin inner choroid is a significant
risk factor for the development of “classical” AMD.
How “risk” CFH polymorphisms and smoking fits
into this story remains a matter of conjecture
but it is highly likely that inflammation plays
a key role in the loss of the choroicapillaris.
Whether this is the primary event, or the end
game of AMD needs further study but the answer
to this question has huge implications for the
development of new therapeutic targets in both
dry and wet AMD.
DAVID SQUIRRELL AND PAVANI KURRA*
Classification and natural history
Most readers will be familiar with the classification
of AMD and recognise that AMD encompasses
a wide spectrum of disease. Dry AMD is
characterised by the presence of one or more of
the following: presence of at least intermediate
size drusen (63 microns or larger in diameter),
retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) abnormalities,
reticular pseudodrusen and/or of geographical
-atrophy (GA) of RPE. Wet AMD is characterised
by the development of subretinal and intraretinal
neovascularisation. Soft drusen and pigmentary
abnormalities increase with age and strongly
predict progression towards advanced AMD.
The risk of progression of AMD also seems
to accelerate the more advanced the disease
becomes. Whilst approximately 15% of patients
with early AMD developed large drusen at 10
years the risk of advanced AMD developing over
this time period was low. However if a patient has
Intermediate AMD the five year risk of developing
advanced AMD increases steeply to near 20%. It
is also noteworthy that patients with reticular
pseudodrusen have a particularly high propensity
to develop advanced AMD. The risk of a patient
who has advanced AMD in one eye, developing
advanced AMD in the other eye is approximately
50% at five years. In all cases the risk of progression
to advanced AMD, is inversely associated with
choroidal thickness.
Prevention
By far and away the single most effective
preventative strategy for the development of
advanced AMD is to stop smoking. The large and
hugely influential AREDS studies demonstrated
that antioxidant supplements may slow the
progression of moderate AMD (soft drusen
and pigmentary changes) to wet AMD but the
therapeutic effects are sometimes overstated.
Although the relative risk reduction for patients
taking antioxidant supplements was around 25%
in real terms the more important absolute risk
reduction was smaller at around 8%. There have
also been concerns raised by some that, in a small
sub-set of patients, antioxidant supplements may
actually accelerate AMD. However, generally one
would still advocate antioxidant supplements in
all patients with moderate AMD. There is currently
no evidence to suggest AREDS supplements help in
halting progression of dry AMD.
The reported ability of lutein, xeothanine and
mesoxanthine supplementation to increase the
density of macular pigments is interesting and
the results emerging from the clinical trials with
subjects on these supplements report better
subjective and objective measures of visual
functioning compared to controls. However
whether such interventions actually reduce the
risk of the development of AMD remains uncertain
and at the present time one can only say that their
role is unknown.
The drug treatment of dry AMD remains an
exciting area of research with a number of
neuroprotective and inflammatory modulating
agents the subject of large clinical trials. The
technologies underpinning stem cell transplants
also continue to improve and show great promise,
but at the time of writing the drug treatment of
dry AMD remains a story of unfulfilled promises.
Wet AMD treatment
It is perhaps not too much of an exaggeration to say
that the use of antiVEGF agents in ophthalmology
has been one of the single greatest advances in
modern medicine. Certainly the advent of the
antiVEGF era has transformed the outcome of
wet AMD with the improvement in visual acuity
observed in the key note ANCHOR and MARINA
trials extending out to five years and beyond 6,7 . The
question of which antiVEGF agent to use (Avastin,
Lucentis or Eylea) remains the subject of debate
and the choice of which drug is used in which
country may have as much to do with politics and
economics as it does evidence. The key note trials
demonstrated that regardless of the drug used,
most patients with classical
wet AMD did well and,
at a population level at
least, there was little to
choose between the agents.
However as always there
are nuances; not every
patient responds equally
well to each drug and the
treating clinician needs
to be prepared to switch
drugs early if the agent used
proves to be ineffective. One
exception is that Aflibercept
is more effective than the
other two agents at treating
patients who have the PCV
variant of AMD. Currently in
New Zealand avastin is the
first line treatment for wet
AMD, Lucentis being the
funded second line agent.
In November, Pharmac will
announce the results of
their long-awaited review
of antiVEGF agents and it
is anticipated that they will
add Eylea to this list. The
drug treatment of wet AMD
continues to evolve at a fast
pace and whilst it is not
possible to “pick a winner”
at this time, what is certain
is that new, longer-acting
treatments will enter the
market over the coming
years.
Putting the excitement of
emerging drug treatments
to one side, currently the
greatest challenge for
clinicians, particularly
those in the public sector,
is to provide the treatment
patients need. Despite
innervations such as
utilising trained nursing
staff to deliver injections,
most public eye clinics are
struggling to provide the
treatments their patients need. In Auckland alone,
we are now providing about 20,000 appointments
annually to treat wAMD, a growth in demand that
has not been matched by increased resources. It is
widely accepted that under treatment of wet AMD
is associated with worse outcomes and MDNZ and
others continue to lobby central government and
local DHBs for more resources.
In summary the outlook for our patients with AMD
has never looked better. Challenges do however
remain. Early detection and treatment is crucial and
MDNZ and others continue to work hard raising
awareness of AMD. Once diagnosed patients,
optometrists and general practitioners need an easily
accessible “fast track” referral process to ensure
treatment is delivered promptly. The availability of
these “fast track” services are patchy and patients
often have to rely on the private sector in the first
instance to get prompt treatment. Thereafter, eye
clinics need the resource to provide capacity for the
ongoing review and treatment of what is a chronic
disease. Our score card for the management of wet
AMD in New Zealand remains “heading in the right
direction, but could do better” ▀
About the authors
* Dr David Squirrell
David is a specialist whose primary interest is medical retina
and AMD. David has severed as the principle investigator for
numerous studies in AMD, including the key note IVAN trial.
David works at Greenlane Clinical centre and Milford Eye clinic
Auckland.
* Dr Pavani Kurra
Pavani is currently working as a junior clinical fellow
in medical retina at the University of Auckland and
Greenlane Clinical Centre. She also spent time undertaking
ophthalmology electives at L. V. Prasad Eye Institute and in
Alice Springs prior to her fellowship in New Zealand.
Fig 1. (a) Colour photograph, (b) fluorescein angiogram and (c) OCT of patient with classic wet AMD.
Fig 2. (a) Colour photograph, (b) infrared image and (c) OCT of a patient with reticulo-pseudodrusen.
Note there are very few drusen seen on fundoscopy but marked changes are seen on the infrared
image. The OCT image is characteristic with focal subretinal protrusions and a thin choroid
Fig3. Five year outcome data from the CATT trial revels that patients maintain their vision into year 5
with appropriate and timely treatment
References:
1. Blind Foundation. Blindness by cause among New
Zealanders aged 50 or over. . (Blind Foundation
New Zealand, Auckland, 2009).
2. Klein, R., Klein, B. & Linton, K. Prevalence of agerelated
maculopathy: The Beaver Dam Eye Study.
Ophthalmology 99, 933-943 (1992).
3. Kawasaki, R., et al. The prevalence of AMD in
Asians: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
OPhthalmology 117, 921-927 (2010).
4. Worsley, D. & Worsley, A. Prevalence predictions for
age-related macular degeneration in New Zealand
have implications for provision of health care
services. New Zealand Medical Journal 128, 44-55
(2015).
5. Khan, J., Thurlby, D., Shahid, H. & etal. Smoking
and age related macular degeneration: the
number of pack years of smoking is a major
determinant of risk for both geographic atrophy
and choroidal neovascularisation. British Journal of
Ophthalmology 90, 75-80 (2006).
6. Brown, D., Kaiser, P., Michels, M., Soubrane, G. &
Schenider, S. Ranibizumab versus verteporfin for
nAMD (ANCHOR study). New England Journal of
Medicine 355, 1432-1444 (2006).
7. Rosenfeld, P., et al. Ranibizumab for neovascular
AMD. The New England Journal of Medicine 355,
1419-1431 (2006).
Dr David Squirrell
Dr Pavani Kurra
24 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS November 2016

Glaucoma New Zealand Symposium
BY DR HANNAH KERSTEN*
The Inaugural Glaucoma New Zealand (GNZ)
Glaucoma Symposium was held on September
18 at Alexandra Park in Auckland. The
Symposium was an initiative of the GNZ trustees:
Professor Helen Danesh-Meyer, A/Professor Gordon
Sanderson, Dr Sam Kain and Dr Mark Donaldson.
It was the first full day optometry education event
in New Zealand focussed solely on glaucoma. The
Symposium was timely given the increasing role
of therapeutic optometrists in the management
of glaucoma. Thanks to our Silver Sponsors, AFT
Pharmaceuticals, Clinicians, and Ophthalmic
Instruments. Other supporters included Device
Technologies and Toomac Opthalmic.
The overall theme of the Symposium was
Glaucoma – from Diagnosis to Management and
the programme was divided into four sections.
Dr Mark Donaldson welcomed the more than 90
delegates, who came from all over New Zealand,
and one who travelled from Australia. The
academic programme commenced with a section
on Glaucoma Diagnosis and was opened by Dr
Shenton Chew, who spoke about risk factors for
glaucoma and the importance of early detection
in order to avoid permanent visual loss. Dr Chew
also outlined the role of ocular perfusion pressure
and intracranial pressure in glaucoma progression.
This presentation was followed by an entertaining
overview of disc assessment (described as a
‘complex beast’) by Dr Kain. His analogies to
the character Homer Simpson provided useful
insight into the importance of looking at disc size,
regularity of the neuro-retinal rim (the donut) and
symmetry between the eyes. Dr Geraint Phillips
of the School of Optometry at the University
of Auckland tackled the challenging topic of
visual field progression in glaucoma, including
the difficulty in determining the optimum
number of visual field tests (always a patient
favourite) needed. Dr Jesse Gale kindly travelled
from Wellington for the Symposium. His first
presentation beautifully outlined conditions that
Jonathon Taylor from Invercargill and Niall McCormack from Hastings
Gary Filer, Dr Hussein Patel and Dr Graham Reeves
may mimic glaucoma, including compressive optic
neuropathies. Dr Alex Buller from Hawke’s Bay
gave a hugely informative presentation, complete
with a number of excellent videos, on the difficult
topic of gonioscopy, considered to be the gold
standard of anterior chamber angle assessment.
The angle theme continued into the next talk,
another by Dr Chew. He informed us of some large
studies soon to be published that may change the
way that patients with narrow angles or angle
closure glaucoma are referred and managed. Dr
Graham Reeves closed the first session with an
excellent talk on the Disc Damage Likelihood Scale,
developed by glaucoma guru Dr George Spaeth.
This emphasised that it is essential to pay close
attention to the rim to disc ratio, taking the size of
the optic disc into account.
Session two was all about Special Issues in
Glaucoma. Professor Charles McGhee gave an
illuminating overview of corneal conditions
associated with glaucoma, particularly the ICE
syndromes. I discussed the management of
corticosteroid induced glaucoma and ocular
hypertension, which is extremely common in
patients on long-term topical steroid therapy. Dr
Simpson was an early adopter of OCT imaging,
and highlighted its importance in glaucoma
management today. Dr Sonya Bennett rose to the
challenge of summarising the critical things to
look for in secondary glaucomas and said to always
assume you are looking for something, rather
than expecting to see a normal eye. Associate
Professor Jennifer Craig brought our attention to
the extremely common co-morbidities of dry eye
and glaucoma. The main culprit is the cytotoxic
agent benzalkonium chloride, so we should strive
to reduce the application of preserved eye drops.
Professor Danesh-Meyer completed the second
session line-up and provided an eloquent update on
the management of ocular hypertension, bringing
our attention to the risk factors that can increase the
chance of converting to glaucoma.
The theme for session three was Glaucoma
Management and a broad range of topics
were presented. Dr Dean Corbett discussed
the role of selective laser trabeculoplasty,
which is increasingly being used as a first-line
glaucoma treatment. Dr Hussain Patel gave two
presentations in this session. The first outlined the
challenge of deciding who to treat and the pattern
of treatment intensification. In his second talk, Dr
Patel spoke on trabeculectomy surgery, its postoperative
management and what optometrists
should be on the look-out for in the late postoperative
period. Dr Gale took the podium again to
enlighten the audience on glaucoma management
in pregnancy (a tricky task!). Interestingly, IOP
may drop during pregnancy. The possibility of
pregnancy should be considered in all women of
reproductive age who have glaucoma. Professor
Editorial: The hard work paid off
BY JAI BREITNAUER
When the team from Glaucoma New Zealand (GNZ)
came to see us in early April, just a few weeks after
I joined NZ Optics, there was much excitement
around the idea for a dedicated Glaucoma symposium, and that
excitement has been infectious.
NZ Optics is pleased to support eye-health charities in New
Zealand, and we’ve enjoyed being able to help Glaucoma NZ as
the date was set and the symposium took shape.
When I arrived at the event I was overjoyed to see 92 delegates
from as far as Invercargill and even Australia. The majority were
optometrists but also among the crowd were six nurses, a rep
from the Blind Foundation, some students and ophthalmologists.
There were 17 speakers in total, including Dr Hannah Kersten who
recently had her PhD accepted and was instrumental in getting the
conference off the ground. The speakers and delegates were united
in the cause of in-depth glaucoma education – an event that is a
first not just for Glaucoma NZ but also for New Zealand in general.
Kristine Jensen and Teresa Hsu
Speakers (L to R) Drs Allan Simpson, Hannah Kersten and Sonya Bennett, A/Profs Jennifer Craig and Gordon Sanderson, Drs Hussain Patel, Dean
Corbett and Geraint Phillips, Professors Helen Danesh-Meyer and Charles McGhee with Drs Shenton Chew, Graham Reeves, Jesse Gale and Alex Buller
Danesh-Meyer gave an informative
presentation on lifestyle factors
and glaucoma, including blood
pressure, exercise, diet, stress and
supplementation with omega
three and ginkgo biloba. Grant
Watters concluded the session
by discussing the management
of glaucoma patients who wear
contact lenses. The management
of vulnerable groups (patients with
keratoconus or diabetes) was also
highlighted.
The final session of the day was a
collection of cases. A/Prof Gordon
Sanderson presented a case that
involved forensic optometry,
certainly raising some interesting
questions in the minds of listeners.
I outlined two methods of
measuring IOP fluctuation. Dr Kain
spoke about a rare case of angle
closure associated with an iris
melanoma. Dr Simpson discussed
the diagnosis and management of
twins who presented independently
with narrow angles. Finally, the
question of is it glaucoma or
something else was posed by
Professor Danesh-Meyer who gave
examples of glaucomatous and nonglaucomatous
optic neuropathy, and
ways to differentiate between them.
Overall, the day provided
fantastic glaucoma education and
a platform for glaucoma discussion
between optometrists,
ophthalmologists and
industry. Glaucoma NZ
is hoping to make this a
regular event, so watch this
space!
*Dr Hannah Kersten is a lecturer
and research fellow at the
University of Auckland and a
therapeutic optometrist with Eye
Institute.
Lyn Scott, Brian Appleyard and Bruce Keighley
Glaucoma NZ team from (L to R) Dr Hannah Kersten, Professor Helen Danesh-Meyer, Helen
Mawn, Ana Cunliffe and A/Prof Gordon Sanderson
A B
C
D
“We’re thrilled by the turnout,” said Professor Helen Danesh-
Meyer, the chairperson of GNZ. “To have this many people
committed to a day of glaucoma shows an exciting move forward
for glaucoma care in New Zealand.”
A/Prof Gordon Sanderson echoed the sentiment. “We’re
pleased to have such a good turnout for this event, offering
in-depth discussion on a range of pertinent topics that are often
given a once-over-lightly treatment. This is an opportunity
to go into depth and share cutting edge information, latest
management techniques and diagnostic technology. The way
glaucoma is managed will change dramatically in the next
few years, moving toward a more community based model
that is better for our often elderly patients. The involvement of
optometrists in this game-changing shift is crucial to that new
model.”
Glaucoma is still the leading cause of preventable blindness, but
E
F
A/Prof Sanderson visualises that with education programmes in
the optometry sector, this will reduce remarkably over the next
12 cards in each pack
No message inside
12
cards
in each
pack
Or with your chosen message
for orders of 10 packs and over*
To order online go to
www.glaucoma.org.nz
or call 0800 452 826
November 2016
NEW ZEALAND OPTICS
25

Focus
on Business
THE BUSINESS PRE-NUPTIAL
AGREEMENT:
Bringing in a new owner or partner
There are many reasons why you may
want a new owner or partner in your
optometry business, such as;
••
You need additional capital;
••
It’s part of your succession plan;
••
They complement your existing
operations, whether it be from their
personal skill set, a business that can
be bolted on to yours or they have the
contacts or geographical reach you’re
seeking;
••
You just want a running mate and to
de-risk.
All are very valid reasons, but before
you confirm such an important decision, I
strongly recommend that you consider the
points below.
Ambiguity can often lead to conflict
Ambiguity from the outset is more likely
to lead to conflict in the future. So, whilst
it’s easy to overlook and avoid difficult
conversations in the early stages of a
business relationship as you want to
promote optimism and positivity, it’s
essential to discuss exit.
The procedure for exit of either party
should be clear. How much notice do you
need to give, when is exit forced and who
can you sell your share(s) to?
Are the parties aware of their roles
and responsibilities? Relationships can
deteriorate rapidly where roles and
responsibilities are not clearly defined.
Issues can arise if one party carries
out more work than the other and is
not adequately rewarded. If roles and
responsibilities are not to be equally
shared, it’s worth having a conversation
about remuneration and/or profit share.
I can’t stress enough how important
agreements are to successful business
relationships - robust shareholder and
partnership agreements ensure there’s
clarity if a certain event occurs, and
prescribe rules that each party agrees to
and is aware of. Quite simply they are prenuptial
agreements for businesses.
Do your due diligence – do you really know
your prospective partner?
You are giving up power, control and
influence to someone else – and it’s far
easier to give it up than take it back. So it’s
worth checking their background facts.
Understand that you might be taking
on additional risk. The extent depends
on your legal structure and on how the
other party’s may impact you; especially
in a partnership where liability is joint
and several (in the absence of forming a
limited partnership).
Scan the internet, have they been barred
as a director of a company in the past…?
Often employers will undertake checks
on prospective employees, why not for a
prospective business partner?
Expectation – price
Frequently the owner’s expectation of
value is vastly different from what it is
actually worth. So what looks to be a
great business proposition often falls over
because the owner has overvalued the
business from the outset. Suffice it say, get
an independent valuation of your business
and realign expectations (if required),
otherwise conversations with prospective
investors are likely to be short-lived.
Letting go
Ask yourself, ‘’Am I really willing to give
up control?’’ If not, then you may wish
to reconsider other options, such as a
BY DAVID PEARSON*
different class of shares with no voting
rights if you need a capital injection,
without having to relinquish any control.
Tax
Tax legislation always plays its role
and has to be considered. Once the
transaction has been executed it is very
difficult to remedy or reverse adverse tax
outcomes. So canvass the tax position
first.
• Shareholder continuity rules for a
company to carry forward tax losses
and/or imputation credits must
be considered if introducing a new
shareholder. It is easy to inadvertently
breach the thresholds and lose the
value of tax losses and imputation
credits;
• If you are encouraging an existing
employee into the business as a
succession plan, price is relevant from a
tax perspective. An income tax liability
will arise to the extent an employee
does not pay full market value for a
shareholding;
• Will the introduction of a partner
change your legal structure from sole
trader to partnership? How does this
impact on income tax and GST status?
Could this give rise to potential tax
liabilities?
• If you are looking to combine
businesses, how will you do this? Will
this require transfer of assets and
liabilities to a new company? A tax cash
cost may arise, even though no real
income has come in;
• Have you considered the operating
structure for tax efficiency? Does the
introduction of a new business partner
change anything?
• At what price will a prospective new
partner/owner be introduced to the
business? To assist in mitigating risk
and to facilitate the transaction, we
often see “earn-out” clauses included
within sale and purchase agreements.
Under an earn-out clause the purchase
price is dependent upon future trading
activities and performance. The clauses
are often coupled with a “lowest price
clause” to reduce the risk of adverse tax
consequences arising.
A common-sense approach
It’s common-sense, but do you like them?
Or would you duck under cover if you
encountered them in the street rather
than enjoy a coffee together?
While you don’t necessarily need to be
great mates you must acknowledge that
you will potentially be spending a lot of
time with them.
This is not an exhaustive check list
but it’s certainly well worth considering
before making what could be one of the
most important business decisions you
will ever make. ▀
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
* David Pearson is
Managing Partner
in the Napier firm
of BDO, a global
network of chartered
accountants and
advisers. He has a
specialisation in
advice to the medical
sector.
BV secures Falvin
Dennis van der Maas from Beni Vision is excited
to announce they are now the New Zealand
supplier for Falvin, a boutique frame designer
based in Denmark.
“We spotted them at a European optical fair in
February, in the emerging designers room,” said van
der Maas. “We did a double take and went back –
their product is stunning.”
After several months and emails and phone
calls, Beni Vision were able to meet up with
representatives from Falvin in Copenhagen in August,
where the deal was sealed.
“Our samples arrived just a few weeks ago and
we’ve had excellent uptake already,” said van der
FEB31st lightweight wooden frames
Excessive gaming causing
retinal damage?
Concerns that New Zealanders’ increasing
dependence on electronic devices for gaming,
lifestyle and work could be causing eye strain
and long-term retinal damage to their eyes have
resurfaced as a result of new research conducted on
behalf of Essilor’s new Eyezen lens.
A nationwide survey of New Zealand optometrists
found that nine in ten (87%) expressed concerns
about the number of people presenting with eye
damage, some as young as five years old, as a result of
heavy digital device use.
The Eyezen study also showed that eight in 10 (80%)
of optometrists believed those patients most affected
were aged between 30 and 40 and one in five (19%)
said in their experience, teenagers were also a high
risk demographic.
The research also found the most frequent symptom
of excessive device use was dry eyes with almost eight
in 10 (77%) of optometrist’s saying patients were
presenting with this condition frequently. Eyestrain
Stars and their
eyes: Mila Kunis
The 33-year-old Hollywood actress, who starred
in 2016 hit movie Bad Moms, revealed in
2011 that she suffered from chronic iritis.
The disease, which at one point was so bad Mila
Kunis admitted she was practically blind in one eye,
causes inflammation of the iris resulting in blurred
vision. Kunis hid the condition, worried it would
affect her career, but eventually she developed a
cataract. She had life changing surgery in 2010. “I
was blind. I’m not blind anymore,” said Kunis in an
interview with Cosmopolitan magazine in the US,
describing her cataract surgery. “They cut it open
and dropped a new lens in there.” ▀
Falvin Eclipse
Maas. “Their range is quite small, just nine optical
frames and one set of sunglasses, but each comes
in six colours and you can even have them diamond
encrusted. It’s an exclusive, selective and luxurious
range – the designer describes her glasses as
‘jewellery for the eyes’.”
Feb 31st new range
Another Beni Vision supplier, FEB31st, has also
released a new range, FEB31st 2.0.
“They’re the world’s leading manufacturer of
wooden eyewear,” explains van der Maas. “We’ve had
them for about four years and their product is already
very popular, but this new range, just revealed at
Silmo, is thinner, stronger and lighter than before.”
Beni Vision are also expecting new post-Silmo styles
to arrive from Blackfin and TAVAT.
For more on Falvin and FEB31st, see Silmo
coverage p17 ▀
and headaches were seen almost as often at 72% and
52% respectively.
Other common symptoms revealed in the research
were stinging/tired or itching eyes, discomfort caused
by the glare of the screen, and a progressive difficulty
in staring at the device.
Brown’s Bay optometrist Bruce Nicholls said,
“strained vision, headaches and sleep deprivation
are all linked to the high energy blue light emitted
by flat screens and the cumulative effect of regularly
switching between multiple devices.” He claimed
many of us are looking at our phone screens up to 150
times a day along with additional exposure to laptops,
tablets and PC’s, with one study showing that using
multiple devices increases your risk of symptoms by
almost 25%.
“What we are seeing now is that concentrated
numbers of hours spent in intensive screen time
while gaming and even long work days are causing
noticeable symptoms in device users. Essentially overexposure
to that blue light
- which occurs on the light
spectrum next to harmful
invisible ultraviolet light
could cause significant, long
term damage,” he said.
Nicholls, who is backing
a consumer campaign by
Eyezen, said a better-safethan-sorry
approach needs
to be adopted and advocates
blue light protection as a
counter to increased screen
use for patients under 40. He
said he currently prescribes
blue-light blocking lenses to
increasing numbers of Kiwis
displaying symptoms of
digital eye strain.
“The pretext is that if you
stop blue light from entering
the eye then potentially you
stop its damaging effects.” ▀
26 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS November 2016

OPTICAL ASSISTANTS AND
DISPENSING OPTICIANS
Welcome to OCULA. Purveyors of fine eyewear.
We are looking for that unique someone who can take our new
flagship eyewear boutique in Queenstown from zero to hero.
Contact us for more information.
Email danielle@eyesonardmore.co.nz for more information.
OPTOMETRIST WANTED
WANAKA
Are you passionate about what you do? Do you (or want to)
specialise in contact lenses, paediatrics and therapeutics?
Eyes on Ardmore is offering arguably the most lucrative
opportunity; to live in paradise and develop your career.
Our busy boutique practice is equiped with all the toys you
could want (OCT, Tonoref 3 and digital phoropter, IPL...). In addition,
you will be supported by a trained clincial assistant.
The position is flexible for 3 to 5 days per week and would suit
somebody wanting to make the Southern Alps home.
Email danielle@eyesonardmore.co.nz for more information.
SALES ACCOUNT MANAGER
FULL OR PART-TIME
An opportunity exists for an account manager to represent a
number of VMD Eyewear’s established brands in the North
Island. Our collections can be viewed online at www.vmd.co.nz
Industry experience (optical sales or dispensing) or a successful
track record in sales will be an advantage for this role which
involves servicing our existing North Island accounts and
developing new accounts.
If you wish to be part of a successful New Zealand company
that has offices in New Zealand, Australia and the United
Kingdom, please forward your resume to careers@vmd.co.nz
or contact Nigel Butler for further information 09 525 6601.
OPTOM PLATE FOR SALE
The personalised plate OPTOM is for sale after 18 years. Asking
price is $1500+GST or make an offer. Additional fees apply to
change or remove message and have the plate made.
Contact stuart.warren@nsoptom.co.nz
MORE CLASSIFIEDS ON PAGE 28
Bayer and DelSiTech partner-up
Bayer and Finnish drug
delivery technology
and development firm
DelSiTech have signed a
Collaboration and Technology
Licence Agreement for the
worldwide application of
DelSiTech’s Silica Matrix drug
delivery platform. "Successful
ocular drug delivery is one
of the biggest challenges
in developing novel drug
therapies for ophthalmic
diseases," said Professor
Andreas Busch, Bayer’s
head of drug discovery in a
statement announcing the
new partnership. ▀
Specsavers’ ad wins award
Specsavers has won the Excellence
in Marketing award at the 2016
Franchise Council of Australia (FCA)
Awards for Excellence for its Australian
and New Zealand ‘Beach Volleyball’
marketing campaign, launched in
December 2015.
The campaign, filmed in Queensland,
features a beach volleyball player who
mistakes a seagull for the volleyball with
predictable consequences. The campaign
was backed by an A$2 million media
spend including TV, video-on-demand
and digital media as well as a 12-page
catalogue distributed to 2.3 million homes in Australia. This is the second time Specsavers has won the
Marketing Excellence category and the fourth year in a row it has won a FCA award. ▀
Get to the main
cause of dry,
irritated eyes*
4UP TO
HOURS
RELIEF 2
CLINICALLY PROVEN
The 4 days of Optics
06 - 09 October 2017
Optrex ActiMist – clinically proven to work
How does Optrex ActiMist work?
ActiMist liposomes
Natural lipids
LIVE THE EXPERIENCE
silmoparis.com
Optrex ActiMist contains
liposomes (tiny bubbles fi lled with
moisture) that migrate across the
surface of the eyelid and collect
at the edges of the eye.
These liposomes mix with natural
lipids on the eyelid.
ActiMist liposomes
When the eyes are open the new
lipid mixture spreads over the
whole tear fi lm, and helps fi ll the
gaps to restore the damaged
lipid layer.
Hygienic. Can be used
by multiple people
Lasts 6 months
after opening
Won’t smudge
make-up
Convenient and
portable
Suitable for use
with contact lenses
Order stock for your practice today
FREE CALL 0800 393 564 EYELOGIC
www.optrex.co.nz optrex@eyelogic.com.au
Always read the label. Use only as directed. If symptoms persist, see your healthcare professional. †When wearing make-up, it is recommended to apply from 20cm. *Due to disturbed lipid layer of the tear fi lm. References:
1. Lee S et al. Klin Monatsbl Augenheilkd 2004; 221:1–12. 2. Khaireddin R, Schmidt KG. Klin Monatsbl Augenheilkd. 2010; 227: 128-134. 3. Pult H et al. Contact Lens Anterior Eye 2012, 35:203-207. Reckitt Benckiser, Auckland. TAPS DA1541
November 2016
NEW ZEALAND OPTICS
27

OPTOMETRY OPPORTUNITIES
State of the Art Technology
Exclusive Optos Daytona Ultrawide
Digital Retinal Scanner
Corporate Social Responsibility
OneSight Charity– We will not stop
until the world can see
Work-Lifestyle Balance
Flexibility with attractive
OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN NEW ZEALAND
AND AUSTRALIA
MORE CLASSIFIEDS INSIDE
ON PAGE 27
PART-TIME DO/OPTICAL ASSISTANT
Nicholls Optometrists in Browns Bay are looking for a part-time
Dispensing Optician or Optical Assistant to provide maternity
cover for 12 months from November 2016. Days required are
Mon & Fri 8.30-5.30 and Sat 8.30-1.30. You will become part of an
experienced team in a well resourced independent practice. Please
contact Bruce Nicholls in confidence at nicholls4@gmail.com
For a confidential chat, give me a call
Hirdesh Nair
E: Hirdesh.Nair@opsm.co.nz
P: +64 21 523 282
Location Hours Term Location Hours Term
Newmarket 40 Long Term Wellington Float 40 Long term
Queenstown 40 Long term Ch’ch Float 40 Long Term
Thames 24 Long term Masterton 40 6 months
Lynnmall 16 Long term New Plymouth 40 6 months
St Lukes 16 Long term Papanui 40 6 months
DISPENSING OPTICIAN OR
EXPERIENCED OPTICAL ASSISTANT
Our modern progressive independent practice requires a
dispensing optician to join our experienced dispensing team. A
dispensing qualification is not necessarily required, but experience
is a must. The main role will be dispensing but also includes
auxiliary testing as the practice has a strong clinical focus. Our
large onsite Laboratory allows for fast and efficient glazing and
adjustment services. Pukekohe is a fast growing area, 30 minutes
south of Auckland central (travelling against the traffic).
John Kelsey and his team are proud of the high standard of our
services and would like to welcome an enthusiastic and motivated
new staff member to join our well established team.
This position is full time with some Saturday morning work. In
the first instance please contact Laurraine at admin@optik.co.nz
AUCKLAND PRACTICE FOR SALE
Finally, a bustling, central Auckland practice for sale!
The current owner is looking to retire and would like to find
someone to take over this profitable, independent practice and
their loyal customers. There’s tremendous scope for growth for the
right owner who has the skills and the energy, drive and marketing
know-how to make this practice stand out.
This practice is ideally suited to an optometrist who yearns to be
truly independent and is ready to run their own business, make
their own decisions and reap the rewards from the hard work they
put in. Or perhaps you’re overseas and looking to move or return to
New Zealand?
Situated in a very sought after suburb with good schools and
amenities close by, with many high-value customers and a great
team, this practice has it all, and you’ll receive the full support of
the current owner in a comprehensive handover process.
If this sounds like you, please email, in strictest confidence,
info@nzoptics.co.nz, quoting code PFSB20
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENATIVE
Euro Optics Ltd, a well-established eyewear wholesale
distribution company, are looking for an outgoing person to join
our small customer service team.
This role is for someone who likes to be up on their feet all day
with plenty of variety. The main responsibilities include:
- Inbound sales calls and enquiries from existing customers
- Picking and packing of customer orders
- Checking off inwards shipments from suppliers
- Invoicing customers’ orders and processing customers returns
& credits
- Warranty assessment and processing
- Processing and sending out customer back orders
Excellent English both written and verbal is required as are
computer skills. Experience in the optical industry will be big
advantage. Would suit someone who has had a similar role in the
past or someone working in optical retail who would like to work
in the wholesale side of the industry.
The company is located in Mt. Wellington, Auckland.
If you think this sounds like the job for you, apply now.
You must be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident. Please
note there is no flexibility around this requirement.
Please email your CV to: marketing@adidas-ep.co.nz
OPTOMETRIST WANTED
ROLLESTON EYE
We see a wide range of ages and nationalities. An interest in
extension learning in behavioural optometry and binocular vision
is essential.
Rolleston Eye is located with access to the outdoors of Canterbury
and the South Island. There is vibrant city life in the suburban
surrounds of Christchurch.
This position would suit an optometrist who likes to work
independently but have advice a phone call away. See our website
and contact leesastuart@gmail.com
MANUAL VERT NEEDED
Do you have an old manual lens meter lying around gathering
dust? Why not sell, or rent it to a training DO? If you can help,
please email mgr.pukekohe.nz@specsavers.com
OUR EXPANSION…
YOUR CAREER GROWTH
A MUTUAL OPPORTUNITY
As the Specsavers network of 370 Australian and New Zealand stores
continues to experience significant growth, opportunities abound in
many locations across both countries for career focussed optometry
and dispensing professionals.
OPPORTUNITIES NOW AVAILABLE…
Last financial year Specsavers New Zealand grew
significantly and already this year we are seeing further
growth – which presents ongoing opportunities for
optometrists in the following locations:
NORTH ISLAND
• Lower Hutt
• Masterton
• Palmerston North
• Paraparaumu
• Rotorua
• Te Rapa
• Wellington CBD
• Whakatane
SOUTH ISLAND
• Dunedin
• Invercargill
• Riccarton
Westfield
We are currently also seeking experienced dispensers in a
number of our New Zealand stores.
To find out more, contact Chanelle Coates on
0800 717 350 or chanelle.coates@specsavers.com –
or visit spectrum-blog.com to review all your options
and currently available locations.
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
MY
K
Thinking of selling your practice - we have buyers
Considering buying - we’ll give you all the options
OpticsNZ specialises in optometry practice sales,
we've helped dozens of Optometrists buy and sell their practices
For more information contact Stuart Allan on: 03 546 6996
027 436 9091 stu@opticsnz.co.nz www.opticsnz.co.nz
• Locum Service
• Recruitment Services
• Practice Brokering
• Business Consultants
28 NEW ZEALAND OPTICS November 2016