Prof. Ziad Bashshur
MD
Visiting Consultant Ophthalmologist in Medical & Surgical Retina
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Biography
Dr. Ziad Bashshur is a visiting Ophthalmologist specialising in Medical and Surgical Retina at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai in Dubai Healthcare City.
He holds a Doctor of Medicine Diploma from the American University of Beirut (AUB) in 1994. He has also completed an internship in internal medicine at Georgetown/VA medical center (1994-1995) followed by ophthalmology residency training at AUB (1995-1998) and a vitreoretinal fellowship at the University of Virginia, USA.
He has more than 22 years of regional/international experience in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery in countries including United States and Lebanon.
In his career, he has practiced in leading medical institutions such as American University of Beirut in Lebanon and University of Virginia in the US.
He is currently a tenured professor and vice-chairman of Ophthalmology at the American University of Beirut.
Dr. Bashshur has undertaken research in retinal diseases and has published over 50 research papers on macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, vascular diseases of the retina and retinal imaging in leading journals. In addition, he sits on several advisory boards within the medical industry.
He regularly speaks at professional meetings worldwide and serves on the review board of several renowned peer-reviewed ophthalmology journals.
He is a member of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), Retina Society and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society
Services Provided by Prof. Ziad Bashshur
Retina
Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
About Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
The central part of the retina (at the back of the eye) is called the macula and it has an important function as it controls the quality and sharpness of the central part of our vision.
Macular degeneration is a condition that affects the macula resulting in distortion or sometimes loss of central vision (not the peripheral vision) and this can cause problems, when it comes to everyday tasks such as reading and driving.
The good news is that the deterioration of vision usually happens quite slowly.
However, there are two types of macular degeneration – ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ – and what is known as the ‘wet’ form results in a sudden loss of central vision, which is a medical emergency and urgent treatment is needed.
Macula
The macula is a small, extremely important area at the centre of the retina, the light-sensing tissue at the back of the eye and is responsible for seeing fine details clearly. With AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration), you lose the ability to see fine details and lose the ability to distinguish details. AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) affects only the central vision. Side and peripheral vision usually remains normal. For example, people with AMD gradually lose the ability to recognise people’s faces.
Diabetic Retinopathy
About Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of uncontrolled diabetes and consistently high blood sugar over several years, resulting in retinal disease, which can interfere with its ability to transmit images to the brain through the optic nerve.
Blood vessels in the retina play an important role in supplying it with oxygen and nutrients, which keep it healthy and working effectively.
Diabetic Retinopathy can result in damage to the blood vessels; these may then bleed, leak or become blocked leading to cell damage in the retina itself.
There are varying forms and levels of severity of diabetic retinopathy – for example, when the retina becomes damaged, new blood vessels may grow on it and can burst, leading to bleeding and blurred vision. If the macula (the central area of the retina) is affected – this is called Diabetic Maculopathy – the disease has reached a much more advanced and serious stage.
High blood pressure combined with diabetes leads to an even more dangerous condition.
Diabetic Maculopathy
About
Diabetic maculopathy is a condition that occurs when the macula, the part of the eye which provides us with our central vision is damaged. The macula is responsible for fine vision (reading, writing, watching television, and recognising faces). Patients with diabetes may develop macular oedema (swelling of the retina) due to leaking of fluid from blood vessels. This causes the vision to become blurred.
Macular Hole Surgery
About Macular Hole Surgery
If you think of your eye as a camera, the retina is like the photographic film. It is a very thin layer of tissue, which is sensitive to the image focused on it, sending the information to the brain.
At the very centre of the retina is the macula. This is a very special area of the retina, which we use for reading and recognising complex shapes. Sometimes, a hole forms in the macula, which prevents it from working normally. This affects your vision, particularly for reading and other visually demanding tasks, but it does not cause total blindness.
Retinal Detachment Surgery
About Retinal Detachment Surgery
Retinal detachment is a condition when the thin lining at the back of the eye (the retina) begins to come away and separate itself from the underlying wall of the eye which contains blood vessels that supply it with vital oxygen and nutrients.
If not treated promptly, retinal detachment will lead to blindness in the affected eye.
A retinal detachment is usually caused by a tear in the retina and this is termed a Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. There are other types of retinal detachment namely Traction retinal detachment which is usually seen in advanced diabetic retinopathy and Exudative retinal detachment (usually seen in people with inflammation). It is the Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment which needs urgent surgery in most cases.
Retinal Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
About Retinal Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment that uses a combination of a “cold” laser and a special light-sensitive dye (Verteporfin). This is injected into the blood stream to target abnormal leaking blood vessels in the retina (nerve tissue lining at the back of the eye which detects light and allows us to see) or the layer below the retina (choroid). PDT is used in the treatment of some specific forms of wet macular degeneration and a disease called ‘Central Serous Retinopathy’ (CSR).
Posterior Vitreous Detachment
About Posterior Vitreous Detachment
Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD) is a common degenerative change, which affects one or both eyes in many people after middle age. It may present earlier in shortsighted patients or those who have sustained traumas to the eyes.
Thickening of the jelly casts shadows on the retina and are seen as floating shapes. These black “floaters “in your vision move with the eye and then settle as the eye rests. These are often described by patients as a “cobweb” or “insects”.
You may also be aware of flashing lights, like little flickers in the outer periphery. Usually these do not highlight a problem, however, it is important to have the eye thoroughly checked, as occasionally a retinal tear or a retinal detachment may occur.
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