Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41717308›Full record

ArticleAJO international2025

The effects of a 13-year war on the reality of ophthalmology services and education in Syria.

Oase Sbei, Waleed Kojan, Ibrahim Abboud, Lana Kuziez, Asad Loya, Ahmed Amer Zanabli, Fares Alahdab, Ahmad Al-Moujahed

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in AJO international, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Oase SbeiWayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.ORCID 0009-0004-6110-8928
Waleed KojanThe University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA.
Ibrahim AbboudUniversity of California, Riverside School of Medicine, Riverside, CA, USA.ORCID 0009-0001-7014-1760
Lana KuziezMason Eye Clinic-University Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia, MO,USA.
Asad LoyaAssociated Retinal Consultants / Beaumont, Royal Oak, MI, USA.
Ahmed Amer ZanabliDepartment of Ophthalmology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.ORCID 0009-0002-0508-9844
Fares AlahdabDepartment of Cardiology, Houston Methodist Academic Institute, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5481-696X
Ahmad Al-MoujahedByers Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5435-8804

Funding

Stanford Vision Research CoreP30EY026877 · NEI · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI Jeffrey L Goldberg · 2017 to 2026
$8.0M
NEI NIH HHS P30 EY026877
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of the Syrian conflict on ophthalmology services, residency training, and clinical infrastructure, and to identify areas requiring urgent reform in the post-conflict healthcare reconstruction period. Design: A mixed-methods study combining a comprehensive scoping review with two national cross-sectional surveys of ophthalmology residents and public ophthalmology hospitals across Syria. Methods: A scoping review of English-language ophthalmology-related literature concerning Syria (1979-2025) was conducted using five major databases and grey literature. Two structured surveys were administered: one targeting ophthalmology residents to assess training quality and educational structure, and another targeting public hospitals to evaluate equipment, service delivery, and patient volume. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyze survey data. Results: The scoping review included 49 studies categorized into five themes: war-related ocular trauma, disease prevalence, refugee eye health, ophthalmology education, and public awareness. The residency survey ( Conclusion: Ophthalmology services and education in Syria have been severely affected by conflict-related damage, infrastructure collapse, and displacement. This study underscores the urgent need for national reconstruction efforts focused on standardizing residency curricula, upgrading hospital infrastructure, and ensuring equitable access to advanced ophthalmic care. International partnerships, targeted investments, and sustainable reform strategies will be critical in rebuilding Syria's ophthalmic healthcare and education system.

Indexed as

ConflictEye care disparitiesHospital infrastructureMedical educationOphthalmologyPost-conflict reconstructionRefugee healthResidency trainingSyriaWar-related ocular trauma

Identifiers

PMID41717308
PMCPMC12916145

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.