OCULOPLASTICS INITIATIVE

Sight For All’s Oculoplastic Initiative is focused on providing specialised, high quality care, for conditions that impact the area around the eye itself; the eyelid, forehead, cheek and orbit.

Training the next generation of experienced oculoplastic surgeons- ophthalmologists who are also skilled plastic surgeons..

What do oculoplastic surgeons do?

Oculoplastic surgeons are trained to treat droopy eyelids, trauma, tumour removal and infectious diseases including trachoma, amongst other conditions.

Oculoplastic surgery can be used to deal with many medical conditions that arise from aging, injuries, disfiguring birth defects, and even conditions caused by the thyroid

The global need for specialised care

In high income countries, oculoplastics surgeries are well recognised as a rapidly evolving and expanding subspecialty.

The demand for plastic, reconstructive, orbital and cosmetic surgery by the increasing aging populations in middle- and low-income countries has also increased.

Eyelid related conditions such as ptosis, entropion, trichiasis, ectropion, blepharochalasis and tumours, are common in Asian populations.

In addition, lacrimal and orbital pathologies are cause of significant morbidity. There is no Oculoplastics specialists available in most of the middle- and low-income countries and the equipment available for the diagnosis and treatment of oculoplastic patients is minimal.

THE REACH OF OUR TRAINING, EQUIPMENT & SUPPORT

Collaborative Research

Prevalence studies in trachoma and diabetic retinopathy have been undertaken in Australia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

Sustainable Education

Oculoplastics Fellowships have been conducted for Fellows from Myanmar, Singapore, Nepal, India, Vietnam, Lao and Cambodia.

Infrastructure Support

Oculoplastics and orbital sets for NOC, Vientiane, 2014
Oculoplastics and orbital sets for KSFH, Phnom Penh, 2018.

Eye Health Awareness

Initially our focus is on increasing awareness of oculoplastics conditions and service provided by the trained fellows, among general ophthalmologists in partner countries.

TRAINING FELLOWS IN FIVE COUNTRIES

Sight For All has trained oculoplastics specialists as part of our sub-specialty fellowships that have been conducted in Australia, with the newly-skilled fellows returning to India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Nepal to treat in local communities.

We have also trained oculoplastics fellowships in-country through our reverse fellowship projects.

This included Drs Nguyen Thanh Thuy and Bui Dao Quan from the Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology (VNIO), Hanoi, in 2013 and Drs Siphett and Phompanya at the National Ophthalmology Centre, Vientiane, in 2015.

This training was made possible with support from Geok Wong Trust.

TRAINING IN 2020

Sight For All trained Drs Theary and Vecchey in oculoplastics at Cambodia’s Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh, made possible through the valuable support of the Geok Hua Wong Charitable Trust.

Sight For All has ensured that each of the participating hospitals and trained doctors have the necessary clinical and surgical equipment to practice this ophthalmology sub-specialty.