Month: June 2018

Moorfields Dubai highlights concerns about cataracts – the leading cause of blindness – as ageing population and diabetes threaten ‘perfect storm’
20 June 2018 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates): This Cataract Awareness Month (June 2018), consultants at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai are sharing their concerns about the increasing incidence of cataract – the leading cause of blindness in the world – in the region. The GCC has a growing population over the age of 40 and also faces the challenge of diabetes – the two major risk factors for cataract.
The good news is that cataracts can be treated very effectively (95% success), quickly (20 minute procedure), simply (in an outpatient setting) and safely, with intraocular lens implants; even better, the condition does not reoccur after treatment. Moreover, cataract treatment has now become one of the most common procedures performed worldwide.
‘Cataract’ (meaning a large waterfall) describes the gradual clouding of the natural lens of the eye – which is like looking through a waterfall. They can be caused by a wide variety of factors including age, trauma, illness or use of medications. Over time, the lens protein undergoes structural transformation, leading to the clouding effect and to loss of vision.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), cataracts are the leading cause of blindness and visual impairment in the world (47.9%) and their prevalence increases each year as the world’s population ages. In the USA alone, there are 24 million people over the age of 40 who are affected by cataracts.
In the Gulf region, an ageing population combined with the high incidence of diabetes is raising concerns. The over-65 group is forecast to rise from 1.2% of the population in 2015 to 14.2% by 2050. The risk of cataracts is much higher amongst the large community of people with diabetes in the GCC – those with type 2 diabetes statistically face a 60% greater risk of developing cataracts. Research has also shown that people with type 2 diabetes who lower their HbA1c level by just 1% can reduce their risk of cataracts by 19%.
Cataracts can affect people of any age including children and young adults although, in adults, symptoms may not appear until the age of 40. The causes are not clear but could include hereditary factors, illness, eye trauma and smoking. There is no way to prevent age-related cataracts but a healthy lifestyle – including healthy eating and not smoking – can slow their progression.
Dr. Ammar Safar, Consultant Vitreoretinal Surgeon and Medical Director of Moorfields Eye Hospitals in the UAE, said: “Of course, the region’s naturally ageing population will lead to more age-related health issues, including cataracts, but the high incidence of diabetes will amplify this ageing effect significantly. Cataracts generally develop and progress slowly and will lead to significant vision problems and ultimately blindness, if left untreated. The good news is that cataracts can be treated very effectively with modern surgery to remove the cloudy lens and insert a high quality lens implant. Once treated, cataracts do not return.”
For more information on our dedicated and highly qualified team of Dubai based cataract surgeons Dr. Ammar Safar, Dr. Avinash Gurbaxani, Dr. Sohaib Mustafa, Dr. Osama Giledi, Dr. Darakhshanda Khurram and Dr. Irfan Khan, visit https://moorfields.ae/–dubai/cataract-eye-disease-department/

7 June 2018 – Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Uveitis is a complex eye disease that causes around 1 in 6 of all sight loss cases in patients around the world of all ages including children; treatment and management demands a very high level of sub specialist expertise that is rarely found – even in the UAE, with its strong public and private healthcare sectors. As more complex eye diseases become more common in the UAE, Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai is advising patients to seek local specialist advice and treatment as early as possible to delay the onset of any potential vision loss caused by complex eye diseases.
Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai sees on average two new patients with Uveitis every week and it takes the combined specialist skills and experience of the hospital’s consulting team to treat and manage each case. Uveitis is typical of a range of complex diseases, such as Diabetic Retinopathy, that are increasingly seen in the UAE and demand the highest levels of skills – without this local expertise, patients would need to go overseas for management. Patients also need to seek early advice or risk losing their vision.
Moorfields’ Uveitis specialist Dr. Avinash Gurbaxani, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon in Uveitis and Medical Retinal Diseases and Cataract Surgery, describes Uveitis as a chronic disease with complex systemic associations and a high risk of vision loss: “These are rare and complicated diseases and we see patients from across the GCC; they require a team approach with relevant deep sub-specialist skills. These are long-term chronic conditions with no cure and so a close working relationship between patient and consultant is essential for successful treatment and management to ensure against vision loss and maintain long-term vision stability. Without specialists in the UAE, these patients would need to go overseas for management.”
Uveitis is an example of a complex disease that needs a high level of subspecialist skill that is rare in the UAE. Uveitis is a general term describing a group of inflammatory diseases that produces swelling and destroys eye tissues, reducing vision or leading to severe vision loss. These diseases often affect a part of the eye called the uvea – the middle layer of the eye, which contains many of the eye’s blood vessels. Uveitis disrupts vision by primarily causing problems with the lens, retina, optic nerve, and vitreous. It primarily affects people between 20 and 60 years old.
Uveitis patient Manuella Louis, a 42-year old Indian expatriate currently living in Dubai, had consulted eight eye doctors over two years before Moorfields was able to start planned treatment for her Uveitis, which had been poorly managed until she visited Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai. This meant that Manuella’s eyes were in poor condition and her vision limited to silhouettes and she used a magnifying glass to read. She had also undergone unnecessary cataract surgery overseas.
Manuella comments: “It was only when I visited Moorfields that I became aware of other treatment options. I started off with a personalised plan of tests and it was clear that one of my eyes was already badly damaged. Dr Avinash prioritised saving the vision in my good eye, initially with steroids to calm the inflammation, followed by immune-suppressants. I have been following this course of treatment for over two years, with no blurred vision or inflammation. I don’t need a magnifying glass anymore. Meeting Dr. Avinash and experiencing the facility and equipment that Moorfields offer, has been a blessing. I have a normal life again.”
Dr. Avinash adds: “Manuella had lost a significant amount of vision which could have been prevented if she had seen a Uveitis doctor at the early stage of the disease. Treating Uveitis takes a multidisciplinary team approach and this includes a rheumatologist and haematologist and so seeking specialist support is essential. The good news is that – with the right professional support – Uveitis patients in the UAE can lead a normal life and there are now many new treatment options available here, for example with biologic drugs, so they can stay close to home.”