EDITORIAL
OCE’s vision and mission look beyond
Rodrigo M. Torres
Director of OCE
Contact
Rodrigo M. Torres, MD
Consejo Argentino de Oftalmología
Tte. Gral. Juan Domingo Perón 1479, planta baja
(C1037 ACA) Buenos Aires
01151993372
romator7@gmail.com
Oftalmol Clin Exp (ISSNe 1851-2658)
2025; 18(1): e4-e6a.
https://doi.org/10.70313/2718.7446.v18.n1.409
The visual process involves different variables, always incorporating spatiotemporal aspects within a specific environment. An individual, organism, or entity can see and establish a mission associated with its vision in a given context. We can dynamically see at different distances, establishing a general overview before focusing on a specific point while maintaining the ability to perceive our surroundings. OCE, the scientific journal of the Argentine Council of Ophthalmology, is in constant evolution. At present, its founder and first director, Dr. Oscar Croxatto, has transitioned from physical existence to becoming part of the energy that drives us to see beyond, broadly and without losing sight of our daily reality. OCE continues with the vision of Dr. Javier Casiraghi, who, as former director and current associate editor, safeguards and enhances a legacy he himself expanded and transferred to me, along with an editorial committee that grows and professionalizes with the incorporation of Dr. Gustavo Galperin this year. My role as director is to maintain and develop the journal, considering the general community and its diverse needs within a world where vision care requires multidisciplinary teamwork.
At OCE, we recognize the emergence of new areas of great interest to the general population related to vision sciences. The ophthalmologist practices in a present of new scientific, technological and bioethical challenges that are becoming reality after they were once fiction. Below, I will mention some examples of new medical-ophthalmological fields that may become future “sub-sub” specialties, creating new job opportunities while a robot identifies retinal lesions, determines the etiology of a uveitic process with certainty, and suggests the most appropriate therapy before performing cataract surgery on the same patient.
Our eyes “feed on light”, which implies a need to learn and research new forms of artificial lighting and the variations in natural lighting in a changing environment. An environment where roads, cities, transportation, housing, and workplaces can enhance or impair vision as well as overall health; where pollution includes a variable we call visual pollution, present, for example, in highway billboards or website designs. It is necessary to redefine how visual information should be presented in public spaces, education, and visual arts, considering psycho-neuro-immuno-endocrinological aspects. We must delve into vision psychophysics, color perception, and contrast sensitivity in the context of new biomaterials for eyeglasses, contact lenses, and intraocular lenses, which, in addition to aiding vision, are now designed to fulfill complementary therapeutic or recreational functions1-3.
Regarding vehicle operation, as physicians, we must understand that visual requirements are evolving alongside changes in modes of transportation4. An ophthalmologist will need to assess visual fitness not only for driving an autonomous car but also for riding an electric scooter, a bicycle, or even operating drones and various aquatic or aerial vehicles. These constant changes lead us to consider, for example, whether any type of intraocular lens can be implanted in a commercial airline pilot or if specific implants are more suitable for this profession5. As physicians first and ophthalmologists second, we understand not only the eye but also how to safeguard vision within the broader context of general health.
Our environment is filled with an increasing number of screens, while sustainably produced paper seeks to resist and reinvent itself, adding value through sensory experiences beyond vision, such as touch and even smell6. Researching the visual experience of reading on paper versus screens still presents numerous questions to explore7. Both paper and screens shape our visual perception, while nutrition and lifestyle have been shown to impact visual health in various ways. However, many myths and misconceptions still need to be debunked. There are no magical foods: only evidence-based medicine.
We seek new studies investigating vision and nature, emphasizing the relationship between plants, animals, and humans. We encourage research into innovative materials that, beyond being introduced into or used in the eye, improve vision simply by being part of our environment. We aim to receive original and groundbreaking studies exploring the various applications of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology. We need to follow the path of the scientific method —applied with agility— to validate ideas of a present that is in metamorphosis.
Finally, at OCE, we recognize unmet needs, particularly in the field of vision sciences and ophthalmology within the Spanish-speaking world. We encourage you to study and investigate by observing your surroundings, as opportunities always exist to create original, practical contributions for the general population. Through this editorial and OCE, we hope to inspire and support you. We eagerly await your next innovative and disruptive study.
References
1. Wu KY, Dave A, Carbonneau M, Tran SD. Smart contact lenses in ophthalmology: innovations, applications, and future prospects. Micromachines (Basel). 2024; 15(7): 856. doi:10.3390/mi15070856
2. Ghavami Hosein Pour B, Karimian Z, Hatami Niya N. A narrative review of advancing medical education through technology: the role of smart glasses in situated learning. BMC Med Educ. 2025; 25(1): 359. doi:10.1186/s12909-025-06949-7
3. Wu KY, Khammar R, Sheikh H, Marchand M. Innovative polymeric biomaterials for intraocular lenses in cataract surgery. J Funct Biomater. 2024; 15(12): 391. doi:10.3390/jfb15120391
4. Blaser F, Schneebeli M, Keller KH et al. National consensus on the assessment of visual function for driving in Switzerland. Nationaler Konsens über die verkehrsmedizinische Beurteilung der Sehfunktion in der Schweiz. Klin Monbl Augenheilkd. 2025. doi:10.1055/a-2479-9305
5. Mendes J, Ribeiro FJ. Cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation in aviation pilots. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2024. doi:10.1097/j.jcrs.0000000000001594
6. Torres RM, Galperin GJ, River JS, Daponte P, Sabella D, Botta MJ et al. ¿El tipo de papel afecta el rendimiento de la lectura? Estudio de concordancia utilizando papel de caña de azúcar. Oftalmol Clin Exp. 2024; 17(2): e241-e254. doi:10.70313/2718.7446.v17.n02.326
7. Peras I, Klemenčič Mirazchiyski E, Japelj Pavešić B, Mekiš Recek Ž. Digital versus paper reading: a systematic literature review on contemporary gaps according to gender, socioeconomic status, and rurality. Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ. 2023; 13(10): 1986-2005. doi:10.3390/ejihpe13100142