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About Retinal Vein Occlusion
Blocking of the retinal vein which reduces the vision is known as Retinal Vein Occlusion. This results in the accumulation of blood (retinal hemorrhages) and fluid (macular edema) in the retina and leads to a drop in the visual acuity (clarity of vision).
Types of Retinal Vein Occlusion
There are two types of Retinal Vein Occlusion:
- Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO)
- Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion (BRVO)
Causes
A blockage forms in the vein, usually due to a blood clot, and obstructs the blood flow. The exact cause is unknown, but several conditions make the condition more likely. These include:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Glaucoma
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- Certain rare blood disorders
Symptoms
Retinal vein occlusion sometimes may not have any symptoms. However, some symptoms to observe are:
- Blurry or missing vision in part or all of an eye
- Dark spots or lines floating the vision
- Pain and pressure in the eye
Diagnosis
Retinal Vein Occlusion is diagnosed clinically with a dilated eye examination. Additional imaging such as fluorescein angiography and ocular coherence tomography (OCT) may be needed to confirm the diagnosis and monitor the progression of the disease.
Treatment of Retinal Vein Occlusion includes:
Ocular treatment:
- Observation if only a small vein is involved and does not affect the macula (central part of the vision).
- Intravitreal injections of either anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents or steroid injection to treat the macular edema.
- Laser photocoagulation may be administered to the peripheral ischemic retina.
Systemic treatment:
- Management of systemic factors (close control of blood pressure and blood sugar levels).
Retinal Vein Occlusion Specialists
Dr. Ammar Safar
Chief Medical Officer and Consultant Ophthalmologist & Vitreoretinal Surgeon
Dr. Ammar Safar is an American Board-Certified Ophthalmologist specialising in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai in Dubai Healthcare City.
He is currently an adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology at Mohammad Bin Rashed University and the Chief Medical Officer of Moorfields Eye Hospitals in the United Arab Emirates.
Dr. Safar undertook his medical training in Syria before moving to the United States for post-graduate training. He specialised in Ophthalmology at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, where he also served as a Chief Resident. He then acquired an additional 2-year fellowship training in Vitreoretinal Diseases & Surgery at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, USA. Dr. Ammar then went on to hold the position of Assistant and later Associate Professor and Director of Vitreoretinal Surgery at the Department of Ophthalmology, Jones Eye Institute, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, in the United States. He then relocated to the UAE, where he was a Consultant Vitreoretinal Surgeon and President of Medical Staff at a private general hospital in Dubai. In addition to his work in private practice, Dr. Ammar has undertaken research and clinical trials in areas such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related eye diseases and published and presented extensively. His research has also resulted in advances in retinal vascular diseases (discovering new management options for diabetic retinopathy and vascular occlusive disorders) and macular degeneration (new approaches for treating exudative macular degeneration).
Among his many honorary awards, Dr. Ammar was the inaugural recipient of The Martha Wood Bentley endowed Chair of Ophthalmology at the University of Arkansas. He is a member of several professional associations, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Retina Specialists, the European Society of Retina Specialists, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, The Association for Research In Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), Arab-American Medical Association, Research to Prevent Blindness, and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
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Dr. Fahd Quhill
Consultant Ophthalmologist in Medical Retina and Ocular inflammatory disease (Uveitis)
Dr Fahd Quhill is a Consultant Ophthalmologist specialising in Medical Retina and Ocular inflammatory disease at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai in Dubai Healthcare City.
Dr Fahd specialises in the assessment and management of uveitis and inflammatory eye diseases (uveitis, infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases of the eye) as well as medical retinal disease, such as diabetes, macular degeneration, inherited retinal disease and retinal vascular disease.
He has broad experience in the diagnosis and management of complex inflammatory eye diseases, including the use of immunosuppression, as well as in treating retinal disease.
Dr. Fahd trained in Ophthalmology in the United Kingdom at Oxford, Birmingham and London, completing three Medical Retinal Fellowships in Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Moorfields Eye Hospital, London.
He has undertaken research and served as principal investigator in numerous macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion and diabetic macular oedema trials. He has published 27 research papers on retinal and ocular inflammatory disease in leading journal/s such as Ophthalmology, British Journal of Ophthalmology and Eye, among others.
He is a member of several professional bodies, including the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.
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Dr. Luisa M. Sastre
Consultant Ophthalmologist in Medical Retina and Cataract Surgery
Dr. Luisa Sastre is a Consultant Ophthalmologist in Medical Retina and Cataract Surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai in Dubai Healthcare City.
Dr. Luisa holds a Spanish medical degree from the Universidad Autonoma Medical School and completed her ophthalmology residency at Hospital Universitario Gregorio Maranon in Madrid, Spain . She is board certified in Intensive Care medicine and ophthalmology. She also holds a PhD from Universidad Autonoma de Madrid and a Master’s degree in Healthcare Organisation Leadership from ESADE Business School.
She has more than 20 years of combined regional and international experience in countries including Spain and UAE.
She has practised in leading medical institutions such as Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz and Hospital Universitario El Escorial, Madrid, Spain.
She has presented various papers in national and international congresses and journals and organised educational courses on cataract surgery and medical retina for peers and opticians.
She is a member of “Surgical Eye Expeditions International”, a nonprofit humanitarian organisation that hosts clinic sites worldwide. She is also a member of Sociedad Española de Oftalmologia (SEO).
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Luisa volunteers in various charitable campaigns worldwide to treat patients suffering from cataracts who otherwise have difficulty accessing medical care.
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Dr. Ziad Khoueir
Visiting Consultant Ophthalmologist in Adult Glaucoma and Cataract surgery
Dr. Ziad Khoueir is a visiting Consultant ophthalmologist specialising in adult glaucoma and cataract surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai in Dubai Healthcare City.
He holds a medical degree from the Saint-Joseph University in Beirut, Lebanon (2008) and completed his ophthalmology residency at the Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital (2013). He then completed postdoctoral clinical and research fellowships at the Glaucoma Institute, UPMC-Sorbonne University in Paris, France (2014) and at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA (2016). He is also a laureate of the Glaucoma Subspecialty Diploma of the European Board of Ophthalmology.
He has more than seven years of both regional and international experience in glaucoma, one during which he has practised clinical and research work in leading medical institutions such as the Glaucoma Institute at the Paris Saint-Joseph Hospital (France), the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (USA), the Beirut Eye & ENT Specialist Hospital (Lebanon) and the Muscat Eye Laser Center (Oman).
Dr. Ziad currently holds the position of associate director of the Glaucoma division at the Beirut Eye and ENT Specialist Hospital. He is a clinical instructor and lecturer at the Saint-Joseph University Medical School in Beirut, Lebanon.
His research focuses on innovative techniques in managing and diagnosing glaucoma, such as minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), glaucoma lasers and the use of Optical Coherence Tomography imaging in glaucoma. He has published more than 35 research papers and chapters on those topics in leading ophthalmology journals. He has been invited to lecture and present his work in regional and international meetings in more than 20 countries over the last few years. He is currently a research collaborator at the Mayo Clinic Ophthalmology Department in Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
He is the co-chair of the associate advisory board of the World Glaucoma Association and a member of the associate advisory board of the International Society of Glaucoma Surgery.
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Dr. Avinash Gurbaxani
Visiting Consultant Ophthalmologist in Uveitis and Medical Retinal Diseases and Cataract Surgery
Dr. Avinash Gurbaxani is a visiting Consultant Ophthalmologist, specialised in Uveitis, Medical Retina & Cataract surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai in Dubai Healthcare City.
Dr. Avinash specialises in the assessment and management of uveitis and inflammatory eye disease (uveitis, infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases of the eye) as well as medical retinal disease, such as diabetes, macular degeneration and retinal vascular disease. He has broad experience in the diagnosis and management of complex inflammatory eye diseases, including the use of immunosuppression, as well as in treating retinal disease. Dr Gurbaxani is also skilled in managing complex cataract surgery associated with these diseases.
Dr. Avinash trained in ophthalmology in Oxford and London, working at The Oxford Eye Hospital in Oxford, Kings College Hospital, St. Thomas’ Hospital and Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. He has worked at the prestigious Medical Eye Unit in London as well as completing a Uveitis Fellowship and Medical Retina Fellowship at Moorfields London and the Sydney Eye Hospital in Australia, before returning to Moorfields London as a locum consultant.
Dr. Avinash is experienced in initiating research projects and running clinical trials, and has regularly published and presented papers at national and international conferences. He is a member of several professional bodies including the Royal College of Opthalmologists (RCOphth), Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCS) (Ed), American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
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Dr. Wajiha Kheir
Visiting Consultant Ophthalmologist in Medical Retina and Ocular Oncology
Dr. Wajiha Kheir is a visiting Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Consultant Ophthalmologist, specialised in Medical Retina and Ocular Oncology at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai in Dubai Healthcare City.
Dr. Wajiha completed her undergraduate studies and medical education at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. She was awarded the BSc degree in Biology (2009) with high distinction and the Penrose Award, and the MD degree (2013) with induction to the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) – Honor Medical Society. She then completed a year of Internal medicine Internship followed by three years of Ophthalmology residency at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (2017). Her subsequent sub-specialty training includes one year of Medical Retina fellowship and one year of Ocular Oncology with Clinical Pathology Concentration fellowship, both at the Duke Eye Center, Duke University School of Medicine.
She has more than five years of regional and international experience in Medical Retinal and Ocular Oncology in the United States and Lebanon. In her career, she has practiced in leading medical institutions such as Duke University Health System and the American University of Beirut Medical Center.
Dr. Wajiha has eighteen peer-reviewed journal articles and 10 book chapters published. To date, her research work has been presented in over twenty posters and/or paper presentations at regional and international conferences. Her research interests relate to age-related macular degeneration, ophthalmic oncology, radiation retinopathy as well as retinal degenerations and electrophysiology of vision.
She is a member of the AOA Medical Honor Society, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Retinal Specialists and the International Society of Ocular Oncology.
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Dr. Ramzi Ghanem
Consultant Ophthalmologist in Medical Retina, Vitreoretinal and Cataract Surgery
Dr. Ramzi Ghanem is a Consultant Ophthalmologist with extensive experience in cataract surgery as well as medical and surgical retina including the full spectrum of vitreoretinal surgery, intravitreal drug injection and laser treatment.
Dr. Ramzi is a graduate of the University of Leipzig, Germany and completed his 2 doctoral thesis on anti-VEGF isomers in AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) at the University of Leipzig and predictors for short term visual outcome after anti-VEGF therapy of CSME due to CRVO at the University of Bern, Switzerland. He has more than 20 years of experience in Germany, Switzerland and UAE.
He has researched extensively, conducted clinical trials, published and lectured on his areas of expertise. He has been a HAAD consultant and examiner for licensure in ophthalmology.
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