Ophthalmologist lasik surgery, eye care, eye surgeon, eye disease, cornea, cataract surgery, corneal transplant, ocular burns

1. 52 citypageskuwait.com
Setting a global standard for excellence and innovation in eye care
Please introduce yourself to our
readers:
I am the most experienced LASIK,
cataract and corneal surgeon in
Kuwait. I have performed over 40,000
operations.
I had been in practice in Washington
DC for the last fifteen years growing
from a one doctor office to a residency
program staffed full time by fifteen
doctors per year from Waterloo
University in Ontario, Canada. I had the
largest private residency program in the
USA as well as being the largest donator
of private eye charity in the USA.
I am a corneal consultant at DarAl Shifa
Hospital and I believe I am the only
surgeon performing corneal transplants
in Kuwait.
I was an organizer of the first and
largest United States LASIK Course.
I have performed over 30,000 LASIK
operations. I wrote the first textbook
chapters on myopic and hyperopic
LASIK surgery published worldwide.
I am highly skilled in all types of laser
surgery. My LASIK record is 100
patients in one day.
DarAl Shifa is the first hospital in Kuwait
to perform Femtosecond LASIK SMILE
surgery.
I performed one of the first corneal
lamellar surgeries in the USA and
was chosen to write one of the first
textbook chapters on lamellar corneal
transplantation; Dar Al Shifa is one of
the few eye centers in the world to offer
femtosecond lamellar transplants.
I have performed over 10,000 cataract
surgeries.
I have a considerable experience in
diseases of the cornea and external eye.
I am an expert in ocular burns and was
featured on Voice of America for my
treatment of Iranian patients blinded by
acid.
I am one of the few ophthalmologists
in the world to have completed three
fellowships {National Eye Institute,
National Institute of Health; Duke
University Eye Center and University of
South Florida}.
Who or what encouraged you to
become a doctor, specifically an eye
surgeon?
I had always wanted to become a doctor
since I was a small child. My original
research interests were in central
nervous system regeneration; I had
always hoped to perform the first eye
transplant. Central nervous system
regeneration has made great strides but
needs more funding and time.
My favorite professor in medical school
was a corneal specialist, so I became
one.
Tell us about your education:
I went to the University of Notre Dame,
USA. I graduated from the medical
school at the Royal College of Surgeons
in Ireland and completed residency and
fellowship training in the USA.
I am one of the few, and probably the
only ophthalmologist in the world to
have completed three fellowships
{National Eye Institute, National Institute
of Health; Duke University Eye Center
and University of South Florida}.
How long have you been working at
Dar Al Shifa Hospital and how would
you describe the ophthalmology
department at the hospital?
It has been 6 months since I have started
to work at Dar Al Shifa Hospital. The
ophthalmology department has all the
sub-specialties with the most advanced
equipment available.
Describe the type of patients who
might be referred to you?
Patients for:
• LASIK surgery or who need their
LASIK surgery fixed
• Cataract surgery
• Corneal Transplants
• Any corneal disease
• Chronic red or dry eyes
• Acid Burns
• Patients who have been told they have
untreatable corneal disease or who are
blind due to corneal problems.
What do you tell people regarding

2. 53September, 2014

3. 54 citypageskuwait.com
care of their eyes?
Wear sunglasses and eat green leafy
vegetables.
Do you see quite a bit of UV damage
on patients' eyes from years of
overexposure to sunlight without the
appropriate protection?
Yes. I have performed thousands of
surgeries to repair eyes damaged by UV
light, such surgeries include pterygium,
pinguecula, and eyelid and eyeball
cancers from UV damage.
What treatments are available, if
any, for this type of damage?
Surgery for severe damage, scar tissue
removal, tumor removal and even
corneal transplantation.
What symptoms might a person
notice if they have got glaucoma or
cataracts?
A decline in vision. Both tend to have a
painless decline in vision. Be concerned
if your vision is getting worse.
Do you have a favorite line of
sunglasses that you recommend to
your patients so that they can look
good while still protecting their eyes?
Any pair of sunglasses that blocks 90%
of UVA and UVB light. Black or blue
green lenses. Get a pair that fits your
face, and is comfortable.
How do you improve vision in
someone with glasses/spectacles?
People are nearsighted or farsighted
because their eyes are too short or long.
Glasses focus the image on the retina
which is the part of the eye we see with.
If a young person has not made it a
habit to wear sunglasses outside, but
wishes to start now, is the damage to
their eyes reversible?
Sadly no, but wearing sunglasses
prevents future damage. It is never too
late to start.
Does eating carrots really help to
stop vision from getting bad?
No, but carrots are good for the eye.
Research has suggested green leafy
vegetables are even better.
What specific food items do you
recommend giving children in order
to prevent myopic conditions?
Unfortunately nothing works. It is
mostly genetic.
What is your greatest challenge/
reward?
My greatest challenge is trying to be
perfect. People expect their vision to be
perfect. I have performed over 40,000
operations and while I am the most
experienced Lasik, cataract and corneal
surgeon in Kuwait, I am always trying to
be better.
My greatest reward is curing a patient
who is blind.
What do you like to do in your leisure
time?
What is leisure time?
If I am not working I am almost always
studying ophthalmology. These days I
am working on some research papers
that should make Dar Al Shifa one of the
top eye centers in the world.
Otherwise I like to read mystery novels.
Your message for us at CityPages
magazine:
Thank you for taking the time to ask
about the wonderful work we are
performing at Dar Al Shifa Hospital.