Practice Profiles

From High Myope to High Hopes: A New Chapter For Myopia Management

July 15, 2024

By Sami Khaldieh, OD

I started researching myopia management in optometry school, where I was first introduced to it. I had a revelation — I could make a difference. Myopia management became my focus. 

high myope

Dr. Khaldieh works closely with each patient to determine the best myopia management treatment.

“What time is it,” I asked, sitting in the back of my mom’s Lexus. I was 5 years old, and my mom knew right away that something was wrong. “You can’t read that?” she asked. As a child, I didn’t take it too seriously, laughed it off, and told her I couldn’t. She quickly made an appointment with an optometrist. 

I had myopia, and my vision would get progressively worse. I quickly became a regular at my optometrist’s office. What started out with annual visits and a considerably stronger prescription each time, turned into doing the same every six months. Doctor after doctor, my mom asked how to keep my vision from getting worse to no avail. No one could answer that for her. 

In high school, I had a shadowing opportunity with my optometrist. Patient complaints from high myopes were very familiar to me: not wanting to wear thick glasses, feeling unsafe in situations where they couldn’t wear glasses or contact lenses, even the ones who said they swam with their contact lenses (a big no-no). This inspired me to pursue eye care, and eventually myopia management. 

Learning About Myopia Management
I started researching myopia management in optometry school, where I was first introduced to it. While the curriculum on myopia was limited, I found studies that dated back to the early 2000s that showed promising results with orthokeratology and low-dose atropine. This was a revelation to me — I could make a difference. Myopia management became my focus. 

Dr. Khaldieh uses his personal experience as a high myope to educate his patients and their parents on the benefits of myopia management treatment. 

I was able to begin practicing myopia management in the first private practice I worked in. There were multiple cases that I was working with at the time, which gave me tremendous experience. 

Developing a Myopia Management Program
Since opening my optometry practice in Herndon, Virginia in August 2023, I created my Myopia Management Program that allows me to tailor treatment to each patient’s unique needs. I work closely with the patient and their parents to ensure that we create a plan that puts everyone — the patient, parents, and practitioner — on the same team. Our goal is to come up with a plan that fits neatly into the patient’s existing lifestyle and habits and truly improves their quality of life.

In order to do this, I have get to know my patients very well: their hobbies, how much they sleep, if they’re a serial eye-rubber, among other things. One factor that plays a big role for me is what the patient actually wants. I’ve learned over the years that the best treatment is the one that is used consistently. 

Sharing My Story to Help Patients
In my exam room, I keep a pair of glasses from when I was 8 years old along with a photo of me wearing them. I show this to my young patients and their parents, highlighting the thickness, and I’m open about how embarrassed I felt wearing them at the time.

I also share the story about my mom, who sat in the exam room corner chair for years and watched her child’s vision continue to get worse. These stories typically help the patients and parents understand the implications of myopia management and help them get on board with it. 

high myope

At Dr. Khaldieh’s practice, he places a significant emphasis on the benefits of myopia management.

I also send parents home with brochures on what environmental changes they can make to improve their child’s visual health, along with information on the different treatment options used for myopia management. 

The Future Is Bright
Myopia is gaining awareness fast, which means more patients are likely to receive treatment. This also means that more research is being done to take myopia management to the next level — and I’ll be ready for that too. For now, the proof is already in the pudding. We have studies that show myopia is a manageable disease. It is my pleasure to serve my community with the myopia management treatments they deserve.

 

Dr. Sami Khaldieh not only practices optometry as a dedicated professional but also brings a unique perspective as a perpetual patient. Throughout the majority of his life, he has navigated his own journey of vision correction, offering him a profound understanding of the patient experience that goes beyond the realms of traditional clinical knowledge. His passion for eye care lights up the office and examination room. With infectious enthusiasm, he brings a vibrant energy that ensures all his patients feel the warmth of having a compassionate health care ally. Having extended his experience across the nation, he developed focuses on facets of eye care, including pediatrics, myopia control, contact lenses, and an extensive range of ocular diseases.

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