[: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 supports Dubai Healthcare City’s ‘World Diabetes Day campaign’, a public health screening event offering more than 10 tests for children and adults
[:en]Vision experts will provide complimentary consultations to explain some of the most common and serious complications of diabetes
12 November 2014 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates): To mark World Diabetes Day 2014, Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai will support Dubai Healthcare City’s public health screening campaign aimed to educate the community about diabetes through consultations and health checks.
The event, organized by DHCC, the world’s largest healthcare free zone, will take place on Thursday, November 13, 4pm-8pm, at The Executive Towers, Business Bay, Dubai. A team from the hospital will provide residents seeking consultations with medical history review, intra-ocular pressure tests, visual acuity checks, and retinal imaging. The vision tests will use state-of-the-art technology.
Retinal diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy, are some of the most common complications caused by diabetes and can lead to permanent loss of vision if not treated. To help the UAE’s large population of people with diabetes manage the disease, Moorfields has established a specialist team of three retinal consultant surgeons and ophthalmologists in Dubai focusing on medical retinal diseases, such as diabetes. Dr. Avinash Gurbaxani, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, comments: “Vision-related problems are some of the most common and serious complications of diabetes. Of course, the single most effective treatment for diabetic eye disease is prevention – good control of diabetes and any associated high blood pressure can delay or avoid significant eye problems. Prevention of diabetic eye disease starts with regular eye examinations which can so often provide an indicator of the diabetes or blood pressure control. Regular screening should begin from an early age, regardless of whether there are vision symptoms or not.”
Diabetic retinopathy
Every cell in the eye (and, indeed, the body) is affected by the biochemical changes of diabetes. In practice, however, retinopathy is a disease of blood vessels – sometimes they wither away, sometimes they leak fluids when they shouldn’t and sometimes they grow where they do not belong. The blood vessels in the retina are uniquely prone to going wrong in this way, although the same changes can be found elsewhere in the body.
Treating diabetic retinopathy
According to Dr Edoardo Zinicola, Consultant Vitreoretinal Surgeon and Medical Retina Specialist at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, once retinopathy is present, direct eye treatment may be needed and the type of treatment depends on the problem. “There is no effective treatment for the parts of the retina where blood vessels have disappeared,” he comments. “Laser photocoagulation remains the first line of treatment for both new and leaking vessels. Injections of steroids and medicines known as VEGF blocking agents also have a role and where the eye disease is advanced then surgery can help.”
Prevention tips for patients at risk of diabetic retinopathy
- Control the diabetes as well as you can
- Control high blood pressure
- Do not smoke
- Get regular eye checks
- Take charge of your own health
The Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai specialist team of retinal consultant surgeons and ophthalmologists comprises: Dr Avinash Gurbaxani; Dr Edoardo Zinicola; Dr Jana Sheqem.
Paediatric Strabismus
Facts
A squint is a condition where your eyes look in different directions. One eye turns inwards, outwards, upwards or downwards while the other eye looks forwards. The medical name for a squint is strabismus.
The misalignment of the eyes can be caused by different factors. It can be an early developmental problem where the brain struggles to identify that the two eyes should work as a pair. It can be caused by an abnormality with the eye muscles or an uncorrected vision problem, such as myopia (shortsighted), hypermetropia (longsighted) or Astigmatism.
When to see a doctor?
Squints in children are relatively common. They usually develop before a child is five years of age, but they can appear later.
Up to around three months of age, many babies occasionally squint as their vision develops. This is normal and nothing to worry about. If your child still has a squint after this age, you should visit your Doctor. It is very important that a squint is picked up and treated as early as possible to avoid vision problems developing. If a squint is identified when a child is young, there is a good chance that it will be successfully treated.
Can adults get a squint?
Occasionally, squints that have been corrected during childhood reappear in adulthood. New squints in adults, without any history of a squint in childhood, can be caused by problems with the ocular muscles and/or the eye movement system. You should visit your Doctor as soon as possible if you develop a new squint. They should refer you to an ophthalmologist who will carry out an examination to identify the cause.
Squints that affect adults may cause double vision because the brain has been trained to collect images from both eyes. Squints may also cause a cosmetic problem in adults; in such cases, the appearance of a squint can lead to low self-esteem
What is Amblyopia?
Amblyopia is also known as a ‘lazy eye’. Amblyopia is an early childhood condition where a child’s eyesight in one eye does not develop as it should. The problem is usually in just one eye, but can sometimes affect both of them. Amblyopia affects approximately 2% of children.
When a patient has amblyopia the brain focuses on one eye more than the other, virtually ignoring the ‘lazy eye’. If that eye is not stimulated properly the visual brain cells do not mature normally.
What causes a ‘lazy eye’?
Anything that interferes with clear vision in either eye during the critical period (birth to 6 years of age) can cause amblyopia. The most common causes of amblyopia are constant strabismus (constant turn of one eye), anisometropia (different vision/prescriptions in each eye), and/or obstruction of an eye due to cataract, trauma, lid droop, etc.
Why does my child need to wear a patch?
Occlusion (patching) is used to make a lazy eye work on its own and so improve the vision by encouraging the development of the nerve pathways from that eye to the brain. The patch is worn over the good eye and the amount of time the patch must be worn is decided by the Orthoptist/Ophthalmologist and relates to the extent of the visual problem. If patching is implemented early on, a good level of vision can be achieved. When patching is started in an older child, it is more difficult to achieve good vision.
What is an Orthoptist?
An Orthoptist specialises in diagnosing and treating visual problems involving eye movement and alignment.
The Orthoptist at Moorfields Dubai provides clinical support to all the specialist services at the hospital. She sees both adults and children who have strabismus (a squint), disorders of eye movements, or binocular vision.
What is an Optician?
An Optician will see adults and children for refraction; with this assessment, an optometrist can determine the optical power of the eye, the presence of any “refractive” error that requires spectacle correction, and the best vision that an eye can achieve with an appropriate correction. Younger children have drops to make the pupil (the dark center of the eye) larger and this makes the test more accurate.
What is an Ophthalmologist?
An Ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems. Since ophthalmologists perform operations on eyes, they are considered to be both surgical and medical specialists. They will check both the structure and health of the eye. They will make the final decision on the management and will do any surgical procedures required.
Lacrimal Probing in Children
The tear duct is a channel/passage which runs from a tiny opening in the medial lids through the bone to the inside of the nose, and drains the tears and mucus the eye produces. It should open just before or just after birth but sometimes remains blocked for a considerable time after that, causing watering and discharge from the eye. It is harmless, and does not affect the health of the eye or the vision, although it can make the eyelids red and sore and slightly increases the frequency of infective conjunctivitis.
Keratoconus
Keratoconus is a progressive thinning of the cornea. The cornea is the clear front window of the eye, which, along with the intra-ocular lens, focuses light on to the retina. The cornea normally is a smooth, round dome-shaped structure; however in keratoconus it becomes very thin and irregular and it starts to protrude from the centre or below the centre like a cone. This causes blurry vision that is often not completely correctable with glasses.
The disease is multifactorial in origin but there is a strong genetic component which makes it more frequent in certain parts of the world or within certain families.
Intravitreal Injection
The macula is the central part of the retina at the back of the eye. It 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.
A course of three injections is recommended with each injection administered one month apart. The procedure is carried out in a clean environment using sterile technique. The eye is cleaned and local anaesthetic drops are given to numb the eye.
The eye may or may not be covered after the injection. If a pad is applied, this may be removed when you reach home.
Hypermetropia
A refractive condition of the eye in which vision is better for distant objects than for near objects. It can be called far sightedness or hypermetropia. Symptoms of Hypermetropia can include; blurred vision, asthenopia (eye strain), accommodative dysfunction, binocular dysfunction, amblyopia and strabismus. It results from the eyeball being smaller than average, causing images to be focused behind the retina. Hypermetropia should be diagnosed by a qualified Optometrist, Ophthalmic Surgeon or Eye Specialist.
A full Optometric Examination should be performed to assess the degree and extent of the problem. Eyeglasses and contact lenses are the treatment of choice for most people with far sightedness but refractive surgery can also cure some cases of hyperopia.
High Precision Refractive Surgery
When you decide on an eye laser treatment, you expect the best possible results. The more fully developed the methods are, the better the outcome will be. The SCHWIND AMARIS 750S offers you the leading technology for your laser treatment – superior in all important aspects: Speed, precision, safety and comfort.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Introduction
- Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes and leads to high blood sugar, 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 very 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.
Types of Diabetic Retinopathy
Non Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy
Generally, this type of diabetic retinopathy does not affect vision because at the initial stage there are just a few enlarged blood vessels, with very minimal bleeding and leaking in the retina.
An examination of the retina by an ophthalmologist will reveal some marks indicating the presence of the condition.
Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy
This condition can lead to seriously impaired vision as blood vessels grow in the retina and the threat is bleeding from these vessels which can lead to retinal damage, and even to retinal detachment at the back of the eye. Laser treatment is essential to avoid serious long term damage.
Diabetic Maculopathy
Diabetic maculopathy occurs when blood vessels leak into the central area of the retina, which can lead to it swelling and affecting the quality of vision. Laser procedures, injections or surgery are the main treatment options.
Exudates are deposits in the retina from leaky vessels. Haemorrhages in the retina of varying sizes.
Microaneurysms.
Optic Nerve with abnormal new vessels that have bled. Scars from previous laser treatment.
Vitreous haemorrhage in front of the retina.
End stage proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy with fibrousbands.
Retinal Detachment.
Cross sectional scan showing thickening of the macula and exudates.
Exudates (yellow) and haemorrhages in the central retina
Can it be prevented?
Compliance with treatment for diabetes helps control blood sugar levels and blood pressure and so the serious complications of diabetes, including diabetic retinopathy.
Treatment compliance along with regular check ups to monitor blood pressure will help avoid the serious long term effects of diabetes; positive lifestyle choices from balanced diet to regular exercise and not smoking all have a beneficial effect.
What can I do?
Early diagnosis and treatment of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy will generally help prevent serious vision loss for most patients and regular visits to the doctor and ophthalmologist are an essential part of the monitoring process.
Dacryocystorhinostomy
[:en]Blocked Tear Duct. The tear ducts start at the inner corner of the eye with two small holes in the corner of the eyelids. Each hole is known as a punctum, they lead into small tubes known as canaliculi, which in turn drains into the lacrinal sac. This lies between the corner of your eye and your nose which has a duct at the bottom, which drains into your nose, which drains nasolacrimal duct. They continue into small channels that join up and reach the lacrimal sac, which leads into the nasolacrimal duct. The tear ducts do not have much spare capacity and this is why we cry. The channels tend to become narrower with age, especially if there has been nose or sinus disease. An obstruction of the tear ducts will give you a watery eye. Syringing of the lacrimal system with a blunt cannula will determine the type and the site of the blockage. Occasionally a special radiograph is necessary. Called a dacrocystogram, which visualizes the locrimal duct at the eye following the injection of an x-ray dye into the duct.
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Return to Educational Leaflets Homepage[:ar]الوقائع:
- تنطلق الأقنية الدمعية من ثقبين صغيرين في الزاوية الداخلية للعينين ثم تنضم إلى الكيس الدمعي لتبلغ بعده القناة الأنفية الدمعية.
- إنّ القنوات الدمعية قليلة السعة وهذا ما يجعلنا نبكي. كما أنها تضيق مع التقدم في السن.
- خاصّة لدى الإصابة بإلتهاب الجيوب الأنفية.
- يؤدي انسداد الأقنية الدمعية إلى تدمع العينين.
- إن إدخال قُنَيّة (أنبوب) كليلة (غير حادة) إلى الجهاز الدمعي من شأنه تحديد موقع الإنسداد.
- في بعض الحالات يتم اللجوء للتصوير الشعاعي الخاص.
Amblyopia therapy information leaflet
What is Amblyopia?
Lazy eye – the medical term is Amblyopia – is a common eye condition amongst younger children. It means that one eye is not developing properly and becomes ‘lazy’ because the brain is working harder with the good eye to compensate. The problem is that if the brain ignores the lazy eye, the cells in the brain that create vision do not develop properly. Generally, Amblyopia affects just one eye but sometimes both eyes can have a problem.
What causes a ‘lazy eye’?
For children, the most important period for the development of vision is from birth to the age of 6 and if there is any interference with development during this period, then this can lead to amblyopia which is commonly caused by a squint (strabismus) in one eye, anisometropia (different vision/prescriptions in each eye), and/ or obstruction of an eye due to cataract, trauma, lid droop, etc.
Why does my child need to wear a patch?
The best and simplest way to treat lazy eye is to cover or patch (known as occluding) the other eye so the vision in the lazy eye can improve and develop the pathways to the brain.
The patch is worn over the good eye and the amount of time the patch must be worn is decided by the Orthoptist/Ophthalmologist and relates to the extent of the visual problem.
With early treatment by patching, vision can develop successfully but this becomes more difficult with older children and the level of vision achieved may not be as good.