Research & Training

Seeing Without Sight

Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai and Foresight Promote White Canes for Visually Impaired

Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai (MEHD) has teamed together with Foresight, a charity that raises funds to fight Retinitis Pigmentosa, to supply white canes and training on how to use them to a group of visually impaired people in the UAE. The canes are used to detect curbs, steps, uneven pavement and other potential obstacles in the path of the user. MEHD purchased the canes for the group, and training was provided by Hala Bana, a mobility trainer with over 20 years of experience in the Middle East.

Dr. Chris Canning, CEO and Medical Director of MEHD, said: “We were eager to help with this initiative, because white canes allow visually impaired people to participate more fully in the lives of their communities. The independence and security that they bring is incredible—adept users are able to walk at above-average speeds along familiar walkways, and the way that the cane becomes a second set of eyes for some people is remarkable to see.”

White canes are currently not in wide use in the UAE, but are standard for partially-sighted and visually-impaired people in other parts of the world. In the United States, there is even a ‘White Cane Safety Awareness' day on October 15 of every year, dedicated to honouring the many achievements of the blind and visually impaired, and to recognizing the white cane's significance in advancing independence.

Improvements to sight shown in results of world's first gene therapy for inherited blindness

UK researchers from the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital NIHR Biomedical Research Centre have announced results from the world's first clinical trial to test a revolutionary gene therapy treatment for a type of inherited blindness. The results, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, show that the experimental treatment is safe and can improve sight. The findings are a landmark for gene therapy technology and could have a significant impact on future treatments for eye disease.

The trial's purpose was firstly to find out whether gene therapy for retinal disease is safe, and secondly to find out if it can benefit vision in young adults who already have advanced retinal disease.

Crucially, the experimental treatment was found to cause no side effects in this trial. Following the treatment, the three patients involved underwent a series of tests designed to establish the effects of the therapy on vision. They all achieved levels of vision at least equivalent to before the operation, but one patient (Steven Howarth, 18) benefited from significantly improved night vision. This was demonstrated by his ability to negotiate a specially constructed simulation of a night-time street scene. Before the operation he completed the task slowly and made several mistakes, but following the surgery he was able to navigate quickly and without mistakes.

Under the auspices of the Middle East African Council of Opththalmology

MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA OCULOPLASTIC SOCIETY

Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai (MEHD) will host the inaugural meeting of the Middle East & North Africa Oculoplastic Society (MENOPS) in Dubai on October 21st 2008, as a founding member of the new regional society. The inaugural meeting will be held under the auspices of the Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) which represents all the national ophthalmology societies in the Arab world, Africa, Iran and Turkey. MEHD is taking this initiative as part of the professional program designed to mark the hospital's first anniversary in Dubai. It is hoped that this will become an annual meeting, hosted by members around the region.

The aim of the inaugural meeting in Dubai is to lay the foundations of MENOPS with the purpose of promoting Oculoplastics as a sub-specialty in the Middle East and North Africa, and to advance the knowledge and education in the field of eyelid, facial, orbit and lachrymal surgery, through research and training.

For the inaugural meeting, fellow professionals are being invited whose expertise lies in the areas of reconstructive Oculoplastics, as well as Aesthetic Facial Surgery, independently of their specialization. This includes, but is not limited to, plastic surgeons, ENT surgeons, neurosurgeons, endocrinologists and eye surgeons who are actively involved in the clinical management of such patients.

The inaugural meeting will include the first MENOPS Medal Lecture by Mr Richard Collin, from Moorfields Eye Hospital London, an eminent and globally recognised expert in the field of Oculoplastics.

Moorfields highlights medical training and education as a central part of the hospital's mission in Dubai

9 June 2008 (Dubai, UAE): Dr Bill Aylward, Medical Director of Moorfields Eye Hospital London, hosted a professional teaching session for ophthalmologists from Dubai and the Northern Emirates as well as eye care professionals from the Dubai branch of the hospital, during his recent visit to Dubai, on which he was accompanied by the new Chief Executive of Moorfields London, Mr John Pelly. The hospital holds a weekly teaching session for all staff in Dubai and also invites external professionals working in the local sector to join these training events.

Dr Aylward's session covered developments in surgery for retinal detachment, which is a relatively rare condition (150 cases per million of population per year) but one for which eye surgeons cannot agree on the most effective treatment, despite the research work that has been done on the effectiveness of various treatment options. The training session formed part of the weekly training commitment that Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai hosts for its own staff and other professionals. It was the first session in Dubai to be hosted by the London Medical Director.