Interview With a Low Vision Consultant

 

Reported by Sunkanmi Arogbokun

Dr Eme Okpo is a Consultant in Low Vision and Rehabilitative Optometry with Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano. Has practiced Optometry for more than twenty year. A former Chapter Chairman NOA Kano State.

Q1: What is low vision? 

A: According to WHO a person with low vision is one who has impairment of visual functioning even after treatment and/or standard refractive correction, and has a visual acuity of less than 6/18 to light perception, or a visual field of less than 10 degree from the point of fixation, but who uses, or is potentially able to use, vision for planning and/or execution of a task. The two notable things about the low vision definition are best visual acuity and the VA benchmarks.

 

Q2: What are the challenges of being a low vision specialist?

A: Before patients enroll for low vision assessment, they must have gone here and there and situation seem same. These patients have psychological issues and might portray some abnormal behaviours which spans from denial, anger depression to acceptance of conditions. Another challenge is the unwillingness of patient to accept aids because most patients wants their aids to come inform of spectacle. Low vision assessment is tedious therefore, Clinician must be calm enough to take patient through the rehab process. Low vision aids are not readily available in the local market, most of the aids are shipped into Nigeria based on request. 

Q3: Do you enjoy your job? 

A: I enjoy being a low vision specialist because I put smiles on gloomy faces. This field happens to be the last resort. Patient coming in are dejected and many times hopeless but when leaving, they are all smiling because they could do what they could not when they enter into my office. 

Q4: What qualities does a low vision specialist need to have?

A: There are a numbers of qualities expected of a low vision specialist but for me I feel a low vision specialist should show empathy, patience and be ready to work based on the psychological state of his/her patients. Q5: Why low vision? A: I am first an optometrist, before being a specialist. Having checked all the specialties in optometry I found Low vision fascinating because it is the last resort for patients. The specialty helps clinician to give hope back to the those who do not have it. 

Q6: Is the Specialty lucrative? 

A: Yes, but that shouldn’t be your driving force. 

Q7: What is your typical schedule like in the hospital/Clinic? 

A: Busy, because you get referral from different places in the country. 

Q8: What is the hardest part of Low vision? 

A: It is the clinical procedures involved while assessing my low vision patients. 

Q9: Do you have a ‘’lightbulb moment’’ where you realized being a low vision specialist was the right choice? 

A: Someone being led into your office, walks out of the office himself with the prescribed aid makes you have this feeling of fulfilment. These moments are important to us because it justifies your decision. 

Q10: What are the challenges you faced when seeing a patient? 

A: Majority of low vision patients do not know what the therapy is all about, this make the therapy process difficult. Many times these patients want to have their vision back, this kind sort of expectation might make your therapy process difficult too. Furthermore, low vision patients often times are depressed, a clinician must therefore know how to work on patient’ psychology to get the best out of them.