In recent years, I’ve witnessed the global eye care community experience a seismic shift in the understanding, management, and treatment of myopia. Specifically, due to its alarming rise in prevalence and its risk of causing severe ocular complications, such as glaucoma, myopia has emerged as a critical public health issue with profound implications for vision and overall wellbeing.
Here, I discuss my first-hand experience in watching this dramatic evolution unfold.
Passion sparked by observation/studies
During my ophthalmology residency in China in the early 1990s, orthokeratology (ortho-k) was gradually recognized by clinicians for its potential in controlling myopia progression. However, at that time, there were few ortho-k designs, even fewer manufacturers, and minimal professional support for clinicians adopting this treatment.
Despite these limitations, ortho-k’s impact on myopia control ignited my passion to further ex-plore myopia, ultimately leading me to pursue a PhD in myopia research following my OD training.
During my graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry, a confluence of evidence from animal models demonstrated that emmetropization and the abnormal axial elongation associated with myopia are primarily influenced by visual experience during early development. This highly reproducible finding laid a solid foundation for optical interventions aimed at slowing myopia progression.
From research to clinical application
As I transitioned into a full-time faculty role at Berkeley Optometry, I recognized that many student clinicians were still being taught that myopia was predominantly a genetic condition, with little that could be done to alter its progression. As a result, my initial efforts to establish a myopia control clinic faced resistance. Additionally, the revenue potential of such a clinic was underestimated, resulting in a lack of resources and staffing.
Despite these challenges, in August 2013, I founded the Myopia Control Clinic at Berkeley Optometry, volunteering my Sundays to provide direct patient care with minimal staff support.
Within the first six months, the clinic was booked out six to eight weeks. Eleven years later, the Myopia Control Clinic serves over 2,000 recurring patients.
The growth of our myopia control clinic mirrored the rapid evolution of the expanding body of clinical evidence and treatment options (e.g., specialized soft contact lenses, novel spectacles, and low-dose atropine).
The journey so far
The journey from my early days of ortho-k treatment in China, to the establishment of the myopia control clinic at UC Berkeley is analogous to the broad transformation in the field: What was once a niche area of study is now a central focus of clinical practice and research, driven by a growing recognition of the importance of managing myopia to protect the long-term vision of millions worldwide. As we continue to witness this evolution, it is clear that the future of myopia management is not only promising but game-changing, offering new hope for generations to come. OM
