Latest developments are indicative that ethnicity is an essential aspect for the ophthalmology sector.
The conclusion stems from the latest findings of a study on the health conditions after eye surgery for a detached retina.
Compared to white patients, Black, and Hispanic individuals experienced worse vision after surgery.
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Researchers looked into the potential influence of race on the visible results of retinal detachment surgery. However, the conclusions need to be finalized as more research is required.
Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD), which arises when a tiny tear or break occurs in the retina, is the most observed type of retinal detachment. The most frequent form of treatment for this illness is surgery.
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In the study, 71 white participants with RRD and 124 Black and Hispanic people with RRD had their medical records compared. All the surgical procedures were carried out at the Boston Medical Center.
The discovery leads to curiosity about the probable causes of such significant disparity among different ethnic groups.
“One factor that might explain racial differences in vision results is related to vision care for minority populations across the lifespan. Underdiagnosis and under-treatment in the form of fewer ocular diagnoses, less access to and utilization of vision care, and lower rates of follow-up care contribute to observed racial and ethnic differences in treatment outcomes. In addition, the ability to afford glasses is linked to socioeconomic status and, unfortunately, many families have to make difficult choices about how to use limited resources,” informs Karen Lincoln, Ph.D., professor of environmental and occupational health, University of California Irvine.