Eminent ophthalmic surgeon and glaucoma expert Professor Sir Peng Tee Khaw to lead Moorfields conference, supported by the Emirates Society of Ophthalmology and Alcon
Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai with the support of the Emirates Society of Ophthalmology and Alcon, will deliver a conference and practical workshop on the latest treatments for glaucoma on Wednesday December 9th, in Dubai. The conference is expected to attract more than 20 specialists from public and private hospitals across the region.
The CME-accredited conference will be led by Professor Sir Peng Tee Khaw, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon and Director of Research & Development at Moorfields Eye Hospital London; he is also the Director of the National Institute of Health’s Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields. Sir Peng has a special interest in glaucoma in children and has developed treatments to prevent blindness among these vulnerable patients and his famous Moorfields Safer Surgery System is used throughout the world. 
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that cause progressive tunnel vision and, if untreated it eventually leads to blindness through damage to the optic nerve because of a high pressure within the eye. Glaucoma is usually painless and insidiously progressive, but once the vision is lost, the damage is permanent, which is why glaucoma is described as the “silent blinding disease” or the “sneak-thief of sight”. As much as 40 per cent of the field of vision can be lost without a person noticing. The World Health Organisation 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.
Dr Mohammed Sohaib Mustafa, Consultant Glaucoma Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai, and a faculty member of the glaucoma conference, said: “Unfortunately, many people with glaucoma are unaware that they have it until there is irreversible visual loss. We have a relatively young population in the Gulf region, with a high incidence of diabetes and so, as the population ages, there is a higher risk of Glaucoma. It is important to share the latest advances in a new era in the treatment of glaucoma and Moorfields is doing this for our fellow professionals across the region, as part of our hospital’s mission to support best practice.”
There is no simple cure for glaucoma yet, but it can be treated and blindness can be prevented through early diagnosis and prompt treatment. Treatment with eye drops or surgery (conventional or laser) can halt or slow-down the disease and prevent further vision loss. Research aims to uncover the various mechanisms for the abnormal levels of intra-ocular pressure, nerve damage and the role of genes.
