[:en]14 September 2010 (Dubai, UAE): Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai (Moorfields), the Dubai branch of the world renowned London hospital for eye treatment, teaching and research, is offering free eye consultations in support of the health check campaign by Dubai Healthcare City.
Dubai Healthcare City’s Health Check program 2010 will offer free lunchtime consultations with doctors covering a range of health-related matters in different TECOM Business Parks, for a total of eight weeks. The consultations will be by appointment on a first response basis.
Moorfields has committed to providing free eye care checks through the full day on Wednesday 15th September 2010, from 0900-16.30pm, at Dubai Knowledge Village (Block 2A. room 4). Dr Imran Ansari, General Ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, will be conducting the eye checks. All appointments for the day have been booked.
Executive Director of Dubai Healthcare City, Dr. Ayesha Abdullah said: “Dubai Healthcare City is committed to health prevention not just treatment. This is a commitment I know our healthcare partners share and I am delighted that Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai is supporting our initiative today to increase public engagement on health by offering free eye consultations. Every week, for the next eight weeks we will be working with DHCC clinics and hospitals to provide free expert advice and care to the community. We want people to put their health first and are delighted to be launching this initiative with one of the world’s oldest and most admired eye hospitals.”
Dr Chris Canning, Medical Director at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, added: “Moorfields welcomes this initiative by Dubai Healthcare City for the benefit of staff and partners at TECOM. Education and screening are prime objectives of ours and this programme delivers both. Healthcare should be as much about screening and prevention as well as treatment; and a regular health check up – including an eye check – is a vital habit to instil in the community.”
Contact: Jonathan Walsh/Vanessa Payne
WPR Limited
Dubai
050 4588610
[email protected]
Palestine Children’s Relief Fund refers young patient to Moorfields for expert eye treatment
[:en]16 September 2010 (Dubai, UAE): The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) has referred another young patient to Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai (Moorfields) – the Dubai branch of the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London – for treatment. The young man requires the fitting of artificial eye prosthesis – a procedure which is not possible in Gaza. A Moorfields consultant will perform a comprehensive examination of the patient at the Dubai hospital, and then the artificial eye fitting is expected to proceed quickly after this.
The patient is AbdelHadi Al Jedaili, a 15-year old young man from Albureag, Gaza, who was admitted to a Government Hospital in Gaza in January 2009 with a serious facial injury caused by an explosive device, and which led to the loss of his left eye. As there are no facilities in Gaza to treat such a serious eye injury or to fit an eye prosthesis, the PCRF decided to refer AbdelHadi Al Jedaili’s case to Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, which has already treated similar cases for the PCRF.
The PCRF UAE Chapter, an international humanitarian relief and medical charity, managed all the logistics to bring AbdelHadi Al Jedaili to the UAE, including visa processing, travel arrangements, and accommodation.
Dr Andrea Sciscio, Consultant Oculoplastic Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, will conduct the examination of the remaining socket to ensure a comfortable and good fit of the new artificial eye. Paul Geelen, the Ocularist based at Moorfields, will then prepare the artificial eye by carefully moulding and sculpting the prosthesis to fit in the eye socket, and in the final stages by painting the artificial eye, which fits over the remaining eyeball, to match the remaining natural eye perfectly.
Commenting on AbdelHadi Al Jedaili’s case, Dr Andrea Sciscio, Consultant Oculoplastic Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, said: “The prognosis for AbdelHadi Al Jedaili is good because there appears to be little or no bone damage to his eye socket or to the surrounding tissue; this means that the procedure to fit an artificial eye can go ahead much quicker, as there is no repair work to be done to the face or eye socket, beforehand. We expect him to make a good recovery and be able to live a very normal life after treatment.”
The PCRF welcomed Moorfield’s continuing medical support for the work of PCRF and for AbdelHadi Al Jedaili in particular. Steve Sosebee, President and CEO of the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, added: On behalf of the PCRF, the PCRF UAE community and our local volunteers, AbdelHadi Al Jedaili and his family, I would like to thank Moorfields for continuing to help the young people in Palestine who cannot get adequate medical care locally.”
The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund is an international NGO which has sent dozens of injured children to Dubai over the past four years for medical care that is not available to them in Palestine. Most of this work has been in cooperation with The Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment.
www.pcrf.net
Issued on behalf of Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai by WPR.
Media contacts:
Jonathan Walsh/Vanessa Payne
WPR Limited
Dubai
050 4588610
[email protected]
Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai appoints new Medical Director
[:en]1 November 2012 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates): Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, the first overseas branch of the world-renowned London eye hospital, has announced the appointment of Dr Clare Roberts MA (Cantab), BM BCh (Oxon), FRCOphth as the hospital’s new Medical Director. Dr Roberts, who trained at Moorfields London, joined the Dubai hospital in 2010 as Consultant Paediatric Ophthalmologist and Strabismus Surgeon. She assumes the role of Medical Director following the return to Moorfields London of Dr Chris Canning, who held the positions of CEO and Medical Director from the establishment of the hospital in 2006. Many of the hospital’s consultants are Moorfields London trained and all are based permanently in the UAE.
Dr Roberts is an experienced consultant ophthalmologist specialising in the assessment and management of children with eye problems, as well as the management of adults with strabismus (crossed eye). She studied medicine both at Cambridge and Oxford University and trained in the UK, acquiring the Fellowship of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, and completing her subspecialty training in paediatric ophthalmology and strabismus at Moorfields London. Prior to joining Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, Dr Roberts was a consultant at Imperial College NHS Trust in London, where she managed a large paediatric ophthalmology service including screening and treatment for retinopathy of prematurity. Dr Roberts has a research interest in amblyopia (lazy eye) and retinopathy of prematurity and has published work in paediatric ophthalmology and strabismus.
Commenting on the appointment, Mariano Gonzalez, who was recently appointed Managing Director at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, said: “Dr Roberts has been a highly valued member of the team of consultants at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai since 2010 and will provide an important point of continuity in Dubai. Her credentials are outstanding and she has the Moorfields London training that we value so highly, as well as the world class skills that have benefited the community and especially the children that we treat at the hospital. We congratulate her on this new appointment and have every confidence that she will continue to ably demonstrate the leadership qualities that will be important as the hospital expands and develops in the UAE.”
Issued on behalf of MEHD by WPR.
Media Contact:
Jonathan Walsh
WPR
Dubai
Tel: 050 4588610
Email: [email protected]
MOORFIELDS EYE HOSPITAL DUBAI MARKS FIVE SUCCESSFUL YEARS AND CONFIRMS LONG TERM COMMITMENT AS A PARTNER TO DUBAI HEALTHCARE CITY
[:en]15 October 2012 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates): In the presence of Chairperson of Dubai Healthcare City Authority Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai – the first overseas branch of the world famous London eye hospital – celebrated five successful years of treating patients in Dubai at an event hosted at the hospital and attended by VIPs, senior figures from the healthcare sector, and invited guests.
Founded in 1804, Moorfields Eye Hospital in London has pioneered eye care for more than 200 years. Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai is the first overseas branch and was officially inaugurated in Dubai by HRH Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, in 2007. The hospital has since treated more than 20,000 patients, many of them from the UAE, as well as from across the region, and played an active role in supporting the community.
On the occasion of the 5th anniversary, Moorfields expressed its gratitude for the support of DHCC and also outlined its own future plans to expand its clinical services within the UAE from the Dubai hospital, with an increasing emphasis on teaching and research.
Speaking at the celebratory event, Mr John Pelly, Chief Executive of Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust, said: “We are delighted to share this occasion and to showcase these world class facilities in which Moorfields – and Dubai – can take great pride. Moorfields in the United Kingdom has a reputation and heritage developed over more than 200 years. The principal reason we wanted to come to Dubai was to offer our substantial expertise in eye care – through our world class specialists in London and Dubai – to the people of the United Arab Emirates and beyond but also to learn from this experience. Moorfields Dubai has grown steadily over these last five years and established a reputation for being one of the best eye care service providers in the region. We are very grateful for the active support of Dubai Healthcare City throughout this period and we are committed to being here for the long term, and so look forward to this continued successful collaboration.”
Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai was one of the first international healthcare providers with world-renowned credentials to set up at Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), the world’s first healthcare free zone, filling a significant gap with much-needed specialized services in ophthalmology, to cater to the UAE population which has a high incidence of diabetes and is prone to eye disease.
Dr Chris Canning, CEO and Medical Director of Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, added: “Dubai was clearly the best place for our new hospital and DHCC has proved to be the perfect host, attracting some of the world’s leading healthcare service providers and delivering high quality care and services to a growing international patient base. We have also played a role in supporting DHCC’s medical tourism development, treating patients from over 140 countries. DHCC has also allowed and encouraged us to develop research programs looking at genetic conditions that the UAE and the UK share, such as diabetes, which demands further action to prevent, to treat and to understand. We now look to the future and further expansion of our clinical services elsewhere in the UAE, alongside our teaching and research activities.”
Dr. Sehamuddin Galadari, Chairperson of DHCA’s Research & Education Committee, commented “Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai’s presence is testament to DHCC’s ability to attract top providers to Dubai, and we would like to thank the management team and staff for their support and collaboration. We are very proud of the eye hospital’s efforts in the area of research and training and wish them continued success in the region.” Dr Galadari is a member of the DHCA Board of Directors and a renowned advocate of medical education, training and research.
HRH Princess Haya also toured the purpose-designed and built hospital and inspected the world class facilities.
Moorfields has treated more than 20,000 patients since opening in Dubai, in 2007.
Issued on behalf of MEHD by WPR.
Media Contact:
Jonathan Walsh
WPR
Dubai
Tel: 050 4588610
Email: [email protected]
Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai PCRF patient press release
[:en]
Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai treats young Palestinian patient in Dubai
23 December 2012 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) has referred a young patient to Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai (Moorfields) – the Dubai branch of Moorfields Eye Hospital in London – for specialist eye treatment.
Anaghim lost her eye through a tumour when she was just a few months old and has undergone several surgeries as she has grown and the eye socket has developed.
An 11 year old girl, she is one of four children living with their parents in the Beach Refugee Camp in Gaza and needs surgery to replace an orbital implant. This procedure will allow her to have a permanent artificial eye fitted by the Hospital’s ocularist at a later date, after healing following the surgery.
Anaghim will have surgery in December by Dr Andrea Sciscio, an Oculoplastic Surgeon based permanently at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai. Three months following the surgery, once the socket has healed, it will be possible for the Hospital’s ocularist to craft and fit an artificial eye.
The PCRF UAE Chapter managed all the logistics to bring Anaghim to the UAE, including visas and travel arrangements; she is currently staying with her grandparents in the UAE.
Dr Andrea Sciscio, Consultant Oculoplastic Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, comments: “The objective of this surgery is to allow Anaghim’s eye socket for the fitting of a new orbital ball implant, which fills the eye socket and maintains its shape and volume like a natural eyeball, over which we can fit a very natural looking Artificial Eye which can be produced to match precisely Anaghim’s real eye. It is important that we are able to provide this continuity of patient care here at the hospital, which is so critical to the outcome of the procedure and so will be monitoring her after the surgery and before the fitting of the artificial eye.”
Moorfields has already treated several serious eye cases for the PCRF patients since opening 5 years ago and the PCRF welcomed Moorfield’s continuing medical support for its work. Steve Sosebee, President and CEO of the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, commented: “On behalf of the PCRF, I would like to thank Moorfields for continuing to help the young people in Palestine who cannot get adequate medical care locally, and which makes such a difference to the quality of life for the patients and their families.”
The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund is a US based charity with chapters in several countries and has sent more than 60 injured and sick children to the UAE over the past five years, including twelve in 2012, for medical care that was not available to them in Palestine. PCRF has also worked with a number of national and international foundations including Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, The Little Wings Foundation and Slam Ya Sighar.
www.pcrf.net
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Notes to editors:
About the PCRF
The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund is a non-political, non-profit entity established in 1991 by concerned people in the United States to address the medical and humanitarian crisis facing Palestinian youths in the Middle East. The PCRF is registered as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization in the U.S., and in the U.A.E. it operates solely as an unincorporated network of committed supporters. PCRF – U.A.E. does not engage in any fund-raising activities without the formal approval of properly licensed local entities based in the U.A.E. www.pcrf.net
About Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai
Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai (MEHD) is the first overseas branch of Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the oldest and one of the largest centres for ophthalmic treatment, teaching and research in the world. Located at the Al Razi Medical Complex in Dubai Health Care City, the facility provides day case surgery and outpatient diagnostic and treatment services, for a variety of surgical and non-surgical eye conditions. MEHD will also raise standards for research and teaching in the region. MEHD is owned and managed by the NHS Foundation Trust, and maintains close links with London, to ensure that patients in the GCC receive the best eye care treatment in the world.
Issued on behalf of Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai by WPR.
Media contacts:
PCRF: Mazen Aloul, Media Coordinator, PCRF, M:+971 50 4626593, E: [email protected], W: http://community.pcrf.net/
http://pcrf.net/
Moorfields: Jonathan Walsh, WPR Limited, Dubai, +971 50 4588610, [email protected]
Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai signs network agreement with MedNet UAE to extend access to world class specialist eye care and services across 17 additional insurance affiliates
[:en]14 May 2013 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates): Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai (Moorfields), the first overseas branch of the world renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, and MedNet UAE FZ LLC (MedNet) – the managed care service provider which creates access to high quality healthcare – have reached an agreement under which Moorfields will join the network of healthcare providers accessible to 17 insurance partners of MedNet. As a result, Moorfields increases the number of its insurance affiliates and intermediaries to 35, and MedNet members will enjoy cashless access to Moorfields services at the point of treatment through the direct billing arrangement between Moorfields and MedNet.
As a result of the new agreement, more insured patients will now be able to access world class eye care services, consultations and treatment provided by Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, which opened in Dubai in 2007 and has since treated more than 26,000 patients, with the added benefit and convenience of pre-approved cover and direct billing. Moorfields has a growing team of eight specialist consultants based permanently in Dubai.
Commenting on the new agreement, Mariano Gonzalez, Managing Director of Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, said: “Moorfields is very pleased to sign this new agreement with MedNet, as it will help us extend access to our specialist services across a wider range of insurance company members in the UAE – an additional 17 health insurers, added to the 18 with whom we already work – and allow more patients to have easier access to services at the point of treatment. So, we can all focus on the medical care – consultation, diagnosis, treatment and follow up – rather than the administration. This can be a great reassurance to patients at what can be a stressful time for them and their families.”
Dr. Sukumara Prakash, General Manager of MedNet UAE, added “We are glad to welcome Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai to MedNet’s accredited list of healthcare providers and look forward to enhancing cashless access to specialized ophthalmic care for our members across this region. This is in line with MedNet’s strategy to continue to expand access to high-quality care for our members while making it affordable to the community we serve.”
Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai unlocks the secrets to younger eyes this summer
[:en]2 June 2013 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates): Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and when it comes to anti-aging, cosmetic facial surgery around the eyes (‘periorbital rejuvenation’ as it is known to the experts) is the most common procedure. But results can be erratic with low patient satisfaction. The best results are achieved when patients are operated on by Oculoplastic Surgeons who regularly operate on the eyelid and periorbital region, say the Consultant Oculoplastic Surgeons at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, the first overseas branch of the world renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.
The most common procedure in facial cosmetic surgery is performed on the upper and lower eyelids – ‘blepharoplasty’. Around 250,000 procedures are performed every year around the world. However, whilst it is a common procedure, the results can vary significantly from patient expectations. “Traditional Blepharoplasty has an enormous potential for disaster,” says Dr Andrea Sciscio, Consultant Oculoplastic Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai. “There is no perfect aesthetic procedure and it is very much a case of understanding each patient’s exact problem and address it accordingly.”
Blepharoplasty has evolved enormously since it was first developed 70 years ago. Over the decades, the techniques have developed to yield the best aesthetic outcome for each patient individually. The eyelids have to be evaluated in the context of the eyebrow and the mid-face appearance – its overall ‘height’ and structure, adds Dr Qasiem Nasser, Consultant Oculoplastic Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai: “An analysis of the soft tissues from the eyebrows to the mid-face, and from the surface to the deeper structures up to the orbital rim (eye socket and surrounding structure), allows the surgeon to establish the aging changes that have occurred with the patient and helps direct the blepharoplasty surgery to deliver the optimal aesthetic outcome.”
From June-August 2013, Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai is offering a special summer rate on consultations for aesthetic eye surgery.
Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai first colour vision study of the UAE’s diabetic population shows that ‘colour blindness’ is not a black and white issue
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10 June 2013 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates): Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai has revealed some of the findings of its first UAE colour vison study, undertaken by specialists from the hospital amongst people with diabetes in the UAE population. One of the unexpected findings was that significant colour vision defects were revealed in the vast majority of the tested Emirati population, which includes local people with and without diabetes. The general causes of ‘colour blindness’ (colour vision defects) are well known but the Moorfields study findings need more research to asses whether this UAE revelation is due to genetic or acquired factors (such as excessive exposure to sunlight or Vitamin D deficiency), according to the team at Moorfields.
What is commonly referred to as ‘colour blindness’ is not blindness at all but rather a colour vision deficiency – an inability or decreased ability to see colour or perceive colour differences under normal lighting conditions.
The first scientific paper on colour ‘blindness’ was published by an English chemist – John Dalton – in 1798, when he realised that he was colour blind. The paper was titled ‘Extraordinary facts relating to the vision of colours’.
Color blindness affects a significant number of people and especially isolated communities with a restricted gene pool. More than 95 percent of all variations in human colour vision involve the red and green receptors in male eyes and it is very rare for males or females to be ‘blind’ to the blue end of the spectrum.
An Ishihara colour test consisting of a series of pictures of coloured spots, is the test most often used to diagnose red–green colour deficiencies, with a shape or number embedded in the picture and which can be seen with normal colour vision but not with a colour defect.
The cause of colour blindness is now well known and understood and is related to a fault in the development of one or more sets of retinal ‘cones’ that perceive colour in light and transmit that information to the optic nerve. It is more common amongst men than women because it is linked to the genes, although eye or brain damage can also produce similar symptoms.
‘Colour blindness’ can be stationary or progressive in nature and can be linked to other eye conditions such as age related macular degeneration. It can be total (much less common) or partial and there are two major types of colour blindness: difficulty distinguishing between red and green, difficulty distinguishing between blue and yellow. Around 8 percent of males but only 0.5 percent of females are colour blind in some way or another.
One of the Moorfields researchers, Dr Imran Ansari – an Ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai – comments: “There are different forms of ‘colour blindness’ which may have a variety of long term lifestyle implications as there is no cure. The condition may be acquired or inherited (congenital). It is usually classed as a mild disability and whilst it can be debilitating to some degree, there are also some situations where it can actually be an advantage, such as penetrating certain colour camouflages. Of course, there are some occupations in which ‘colour blindness’ is a distinct disadvantage, where recognising colour codes could be an important safety factor, such as when driving cars or flying aircraft, for example.”
Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai supports 15th Emirates Ophthalmology Congress in Dubai (12-14 December 2013) with the participation of leading consultants
[:en]10 December 2013 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates): Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai (Moorfields) will support the 15th Emirates Ophthalmology Congress in Dubai, with the active participation of some of its leading consultants who will moderate and present at the event. The annual congress will focus on updates and innovations in ophthalmology and will attract the leading practitioners in the field from the UAE, Middle East and other countries, including the full 10-strong team of ophthalmology consultants and other members of the clinical team at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai.
The 2013 Emirates Ophthalmology Congress meeting will be a forum for the latest advances, reviews of current theory and practice, and hands-on problem-based learning. Participants will gain insights into the most effective advances in the diagnosis and management of eye disease and prevention of blindness. Subspecialty sessions will cover the topics of Retina, Glaucoma, Cataract and Refractive surgery. A comprehensive poster program will be featured and will be digitally available at all times.
Dr Avinash Gurbaxani, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon in Uveitis and Medical Retinal Diseases at Moorfields, will speak at the symposium on ‘the micro biome and auto immune disease’ – a relatively new concept which explores the complex relationship between the vast amount of bacteria that inhabit the human body and their interaction with our genes and immune system.
Dr Edoardo Zinicola, Consultant Ophthalmologist at Moorfields, will moderate the Retina session and also present on Central Retinal Vein Occlusion.
Dr Qasiem Nasser, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon and Oculoplastics Specialist at Moorfields, will speak about the oculoplastic surgical evaluation of the upper eyelid.
According to Dr Nasser, the most common procedure in facial cosmetic surgery is performed on the upper and lower eyelids – ‘blepharoplasty’. Around 250,000 procedures are performed every year around the world. However, whilst it is a common procedure, the results can vary significantly from patient expectations. “Traditional Blepharoplasty has an enormous potential for disaster. There is no perfect aesthetic procedure and it is very much a case of understanding each patient’s exact problem and addressing it accordingly.”
Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai and THE VISION CARE INSTITUTE® of Johnson & Johnson collaborate on a professional seminar for the region’s opticians
[:en]9 February 2014 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates): Leadingeye experts from Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai (Moorfields) presented a professional seminar recently for 26 eye care professionals from across the GCC, organised and hosted by THE VISION CARE INSTITUTE® (The Institute) at Dubai Health Care City. The seminar focused on common conditions and patient questions and concerns around glaucoma – the second leading cause of blindness in the world – and oculoplastics (cosmetic surgery around the eyes).
During the seminar, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon and Oculoplastics Specialist at Moorfields Dubai, Dr Qasiem Nasser, discussed the evaluation of the upper eyelid from an oculoplastic perspective in response to the common patient complaint of ‘droopy eyelids’. Eye specialists especially are well equipped to undertake cosmetic procedures around the eyes because of their background knowledge in the specific area of the eye solely and exclusively.
Dr Sohaib Mustafa, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon and Glaucoma Specialist at Moorfields Dubai, then covered Glaucoma,discussing the detection, referral and management of the disease. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide and the number one cause of irreversible blindness. However, the disease is treatable and blindness can be prevented through early diagnosis. Although children and young adults can be affected by Glaucoma, high risk groups include older` people (with an increasing risk over 40 years ofage), uncontrolled diabetics and those with a family history of glaucoma. The World Health Authority estimates that Glaucoma affects around 60 million people globally. Glaucoma is called “the sneak thief of sight” because there are no symptoms and once vision is lost, it is permanent. As much as 40 percent of vision can be lost without a person noticing.
Commenting on the seminar, Dr Clare Roberts, Medical Director at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, said: “Training – alongside research and treatment – is an integral part of the Moorfields mission in the region and we are delighted to be working alongside THE VISION CARE INSTITUTE® which shares inour commitment to a patient-led approach to continual medical education. The Institute provides world class training facilities and resources, dedicated to improving the professional standards of eye care professionals in the region. By focusing on frontline eye care professionals, we can make a real difference to theirpatients by helping them identify potential problems even before there are any symptoms. Glaucoma is a great example – screening for the disease and then compliance with the treatment regime are two importantmessages for the professional community to share with their patients.”
THE VISION CARE INSTITUTE® in Dubai Health Care City, Dubai, offers continual education to eye care professionals all over the Middle East, with the aim of fostering a more confident and proactive approach to eye care. The Institute has state of the art facilities and technology to deliver innovative eye care education and has welcomed over 5,000 delegates since opening in the Middle East in 2008.Type your content here…
Eye experts raise concerns about cataracts as age and diabetes raise threat levels in the region
[:en]30 June 2014 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates): 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. Eye experts at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai are warning about the rising incidence of cataracts in the GCC’s young but ageing population (over 65 segment growing from 1.2% in 2015 to 14.2% of the GCC population by 2050) and especially amongst the large diabetic community in the GCC, where the risk of cataracts is much higher. Age and diabetes are the two main risk factors for cataracts.
Cataracts cause gradual blurring of the vision. In 2002, cataracts caused reversible blindness in more than 17 million of the 37 million blind individuals worldwide; this figure is projected to reach 40 million by 2020. In the Gulf region, an ageing population and high incidence of diabetes is raising concerns among eye experts.
‘Cataract’ is an English word for a large waterfall and is also a very apt term used to describe a gradual loss of vision as the lens of the eye becomes opaque and so is like looking through a waterfall. Cataracts are cloudy opacifications of the lens of the eye that interfere with vision. Cataracts can be caused by a wide variety of factors. The lens of the eye is made up of cells that contain protein and with increasing age and after damage to the lens cells by trauma, illness or certain medications over time the protein becomes denser and the lens may start to cloud over.Age is the single most important risk factor for cataracts, which are rare before the age of 40 – although babies can also be born with cataracts. Diabetes is one of the other key factors that result in the development of cataracts; people with diabetes mellitus statistically face a 60% greater risk of developing cataracts.
As with most complications of diabetes, maintaining good control of blood sugar levels will help to reduce risk. Research has shown that people with type 2 diabetes who lower their HbA1c level by just 1% can reduce their risk of cataracts by 19%.Dr Edoardo Zinicola, Consultant Vitreoretinal Surgeon and Medical Retina Specialist at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, the first overseas branch of the world’s largest eye hospital, comments: “We cannot turn back time and even the young population of the Middle East will eventually age, potentially creating a wave of chronic disease – principally diabetes, which will create this perfect storm for cataracts and other serious eye complications. Cataracts generally develop and progress slowly and can eventually lead to significant vision problems. 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.”
Moorfields is inviting the community and people with diabetes for cataract screening, diagnosis and assessment, as well as surgery where appropriate, and is offering special rates during the summer months.
Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai organizes Glaucoma Symposium to brief UAE specialists on latest advances and risks to people with diabetes
[:en]17 November 2014 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates): Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, supported by the Emirates Medical Association Ophthalmic Society, has organized a Glaucoma Symposium for specialists from across the UAE to brief them on the latest developments in the diagnosis and treatment of the eye disease. Glaucoma generally affects older people but uncontrolled diabetes is also a major risk factor, making Glaucoma a health issue even for the relatively young population of the UAE.
The World Health Authority estimates that Glaucoma affects around 60 million people globally. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide and the number one cause of irreversible blindness. There is no cure, however, the disease is treatable and blindness can be prevented through early diagnosis, highlighting the importance of screening.
At the Glaucoma Symposium, expert speakers from four leading eye hospitals and clinics in Abu Dhabi and Dubai took the group of UAE ophthalmologists through the various forms of the disease and the latest in medications and surgical techniques, during the half-day session at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel in Dubai on Friday 7th November. The symposium attracted more than 100 delegates to the CME (Continuing Medical Education) accredited event.
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that cause progressive damage of the optic nerve. If left untreated, most types of glaucoma result (without warning or obvious symptoms to the patient) in increasing visual damage and may lead to blindness. Once this has happened, the visual damage is permanent, which is why glaucoma is described as the “silent blinding disease” or the “sneak thief of sight”.
According to the World Health Organization, the number of people estimated to be blind as a result of primary glaucoma is 4.5 million, accounting for slightly more than 12 per cent of all global blindness. The incidence of some types of Glaucoma rises with age and its progression is more frequent in people of African origin. Although children and young adults can be affected by Glaucoma, high risk groups include older people (with an increasing risk over 40 years of age), uncontrolled diabetics and those with a family history of Glaucoma.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Glaucoma Symposium, where he was a principal speaker, Dr Mohammed Sohaib Mustafa, Consultant Glaucoma Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, commented: “Glaucoma has no symptoms in its early stages and up to 40 per cent loss of sight can occur before any problem is noticed by the sufferer. This is why we wanted to bring together eye care professionals in the UAE for this Glaucoma Symposium. We are advising the community in Dubai – and especially people with diabetes and anyone over the age of 40 – to undertake regular screening every year. It really could save your eyesight. We have a relatively young population in the UAE but with a high incidence of diabetes and so, as the population ages, there is the risk of an increase of Glaucoma.”
Glaucoma is treated with eye drops or surgery (conventional or laser) which can halt or slow-down the disease and further vision loss. Research aims to uncover the mechanisms for the improper levels of intra-ocular pressure, nerve damage and the role of genes. Early detection is essential to limiting visual impairment and preventing the progression towards severe visual handicap or blindness. Screening for Glaucoma involves a mandatory eye pressure check, evaluation of the optic nerve at the back of the eye by a specialist doctor and visualfields test if any changes are seen at the previous exams. All tests are pain free and easy to assess the disease when performed in proper ophthalmic hospitals or clinics. Screening should be done every 12 months.