President of the Turkish Ophthalmology Association, Prof. Dr. Ziya Kapran said that artificial intelligence technologies have the potential to revolutionize the field of eye health, early diagnosis, disease prediction and improvement of treatment processes.
In its 95th year of establishment, the Turkish Ophthalmology Association (TOD), as one of the most established professional organizations in Turkey, organizes training activities and events to increase the professional skills and experience of Turkish ophthalmologists. While the association organizes many educational seminars throughout the year, the National Ophthalmology Congress is the most important scientific activity of TOD. The scientific program of the 57th National Congress includes panels, courses, round table meetings, interactive meetings, video sessions, oral presentations and poster events, international young ophthalmologists sessions, UKOK panels and industry satellite meetings, as well as what the diagnosis and treatment methods of the future may be within the framework of developing technology. is also discussed. Within the scope of the congress, seminars are organized under different headings regarding eye diseases and treatment methods. The effects of new technologies on diagnosis and treatment methods and eye health are examined by experts.
President of the Turkish Ophthalmology Association, Prof. Dr. Ziya Kapran shared that ophthalmology has benefited significantly from artificial intelligence applications. He said that artificial intelligence technologies have the potential to revolutionize the field of eye health, early diagnosis, disease prediction and improvement of treatment processes. Ziya Kapran continued his explanations as follows: “Automatic image analysis systems used in the detection of common vision disorders such as diabetic retinopathy can analyze retinal layer photographs with equal or sometimes better accuracy than doctors by learning from large data sets, thanks to artificial intelligence. These systems detect microscopic changes in eye vessels, nerve fibers and other anatomical structures, opening the door to early intervention. Another advantage offered by artificial intelligence in the management of eye diseases is that it paves the way for personalized medicine. Algorithms that can model the progression of diseases, especially in individuals with genetic predisposition, can develop patient-specific risk assessment and early warning systems. By processing large amounts of patient data, these algorithms can determine which treatment method is best suited to which patient. This makes the treatment of eye diseases more effective and efficient. “In this way, artificial intelligence plays a key role in directing treatment and creating personalized treatment plans.”
Pay attention to ethical issues
Prof. dr. Ziya Kapran underlined that the applications of artificial intelligence technologies in ophthalmology bring with them some ethical and practical problems. He shared that the transparency of decision-making processes of artificial intelligence systems, data privacy and possible inaccuracies of algorithms raise questions about the reliability and acceptability of this technology. Ziya Kapran continued his statements as follows: “Creating the large and diverse data sets required to train these systems requires collecting sufficient data from different ethnic groups and geographies, which is a challenge in itself. Therefore, the success of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology will be possible not only with the development of technology but also by strengthening ethical standards, data sharing policies and international collaborations.
