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Arch Ophthalmol. 2003;121:1041-1042.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

OPHTHALMOLOGY IS one of the most satisfying medical specialties because we make so many patients happy: prescribing glasses, removing a cataract, or fixing a retinal detachment. Some ocular conditions, however, are not so easily dealt with. Unfortunately, even in the 21st century, there remain some conditions for which we do not yet have a cure. Patients are frequently unable to accept this fact. They read the newspapers and spend hours on the Internet and cannot accept that "nothing more can be done." For such patients, our most important role may be to admit defeat and then provide the appropriate education and support.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a prime example. It is the most common cause of legal blindness among elderly persons,¹ but patients often have overly optimistic expectations. The media are happy to gain attention by reporting 1 or 2 anecdotal "cures" long before a proposed therapy has undergone . . . [Full Text of this Article]

CAN OPTIMISM BE HARMFUL?


FIVE STAGES OF BLINDNESS

ROLE OF THE OPHTHALMOLOGIST


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