AAO sponsors congressional briefing on military eye trauma bill

WASHINGTON — The American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Blinded Veterans Association and several other vision organizations held a Capitol Hill briefing on Oct. 29 to increase congressional support for the Military Eye Trauma Treatment Act of 2007, the AAO announced in a press release.

H.R. 3558 would improve the ability of the U.S. Department of Defense and the Veterans Health Administration to treat military personnel on active duty who suffer serious eye injuries. The legislation would also provide for the establishment of a Center of Excellence dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of military eye injuries, according to the release.

"The Academy wants to ensure that those serving on active duty and veterans of prior service are provided with excellent eye care and resources," said Michael X. Repka, MD, the AAO's federal affairs secretary, in the release. "This measure will really help to ensure that the transition from the battlefield to the VA is as seamless as possible for the patients involved."

Between October 2001 and June 2006, more than 1,000 service members with combat-related eye trauma were evacuated from overseas military operations.

In addition, approximately 54% of soldiers treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center who have traumatic brain injuries are reporting vision problems, and as many as 16% of all soldiers returning from Iraq are experiencing significant problems with vision dysfunction, the release said.