Ophthalmology in Thailand 1997.

This article is a brief history of ophthalmology in Thailand after World War II and the National Programmes for the Prevention of Blindness in the past two decades from the late 1970's. Presentation illustrates the efforts of the eye sector in Thailand not only modernizing ophthalmology. However, eye care services in public places has also been made available to all assured with easy accessibility and acceptable quality. The National Blindness Prevention programmes have been forwarded through adoption of primary eye care approach integrating into the national health scheme of primary health care. Avoidable blindness once prevalent in 1980's, has been reduced from 1.1 per cent to 0.3 per cent in twenty years. Eye care networks that came into existence in that period covering the whole country are now once again under realignment for new challenges from unavoidable types of blindness.

Intracameral pilocarpine in topical phacoemulsification.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and corneal toxicity of intracameral pilocarpine. METHOD: A randomized, control trial using contralateral eye as control was designed to evaluate the effect of intracameral pilocarpine during phacoemulsification in 30 patients. 0.13 mg/ml pilocarpine in BSS was used as an irrigating solution to remove viscoelastic agents at the end of the operation while BSS was used in the control group. The outcome measurements composed of intraoperative pre and post irrigation pupil diameter, pre and post operative endothelial cell count and corneal thickness. SETTING: Priests Hospital. RESULTS: The pre-irrigation pupil size in the pilocarpine group and the control group was 7.62 +/- 0.75 mm and 7.60 +/- 0.77 mm respectively. The post-irrigation pupil size in the pilocarpine group and the control group was 5.40 +/- 0.79 mm and 7.18 +/- 0.79 mm. There were no statistically differences in pre and post-operative endothelial cell density, central corneal thickness, and the average corneal thickness between the pilocarpine group and the control group during six months follow-up. CONCLUSION: Intracameral pilocarpine in a low concentration (0.13 mg/ml) effectively constricts the pupil without significant changes of corneal endothelium compared to the control group.