Allon Barsam

Last updated

Allon Barsam
Born (1977-05-05) May 5, 1977 (age 45)
London, England
NationalityBritish
Education University of Cambridge, University College London Medical School
Years active10
Known forSurgical innovations, Training in Ophthalmology co-author
Medical career
ProfessionOphthalmologist
FieldCataract Surgery
Institutions Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island, L&D University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UCL Partners, Ophthalmic Consultants of London
Sub-specialtiesCornea, Cataract and Refractive Treatment of High Myopia
Research Keratoconus, Prevention of Iatrogenic Ectasia
AwardsAlcon Prize for Poster, UK and Ireland Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (UKISCRS) Annual Congress

Allon Barsam (born May 5, 1977) is a London-based ophthalmologist specializing in cataract surgery, refractive surgery and corneal and external eye disease. [1] Barsam carried out the first human treatments of microwave keratoplasty. [2]

Contents

Education

Barsam attended Cambridge University [3] and University College London Medical School, graduating with Honours and a Distinction in Surgery. After finishing his residency training at Moorfields Eye Hospital, he then completed a yearlong fellowship at the Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island in New York [4] and worked closely with US experts in modern cornea and refractive surgery, Eric Donnenfeld and A. John Kanellopoulos, with whom he continued to work and perform research. [5] Barsam followed this with an additional Cornea, Cataract and Refractive Surgery Fellowship at the Western Eye Hospital in London.

He has published over 30 peer review publications, 8 book chapters and a textbook of Ophthalmology. [6]

Career

Barsam is a member of the Microsurgical Skills Teaching Faculty with the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. He has been a clinical examiner and lecturer for City University, School of Optometry and holds an NHS Consultant post at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital as well as an Honorary Consultant post at the Western Eye Hospital.

A member of the Executive Board of the London Deanery, Barsam has led a video-based instructional course in refractive anterior segment surgery as an instructor at the European and American Societies of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. He speaks, chairs and moderates research sessions internationally and co-authored the textbook Training in Ophthalmology ISBN   9780199237593.

Barsam also led a comprehensive review of research leading into the benefits of phakic intraocular lenses over laser surgery. [7]

In 2012, Barsam was featured in a specially commissioned programme by the Discovery Channel where experts discuss their most challenging surgical cases. [8] [9]

In December 2018, Barsam along with consultant surgeons Ali Mearza and Romesh Angunawela co-founded Ophthalmic Consultant of London, [10] a partnership of UK consultants specialising in laser and lens vision correction surgery. [11]

The new clinic based in New Cavendish Street opened its doors in January 2019 and offers some of the most technologically advanced treatments available. [12]

Operations

In 2010 Allon Barsam led research into the success of implantable lenses versus laser eye surgery. [13]

Allon Barsam was the first British surgeon to use laser vision correction technology for cataract surgery with the use of intraoperative aberrometry. [14]

Related Research Articles

Ophthalmology Field of medicine treating eye disorders

Ophthalmology is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. They hold either a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree. The credentials include a four year college degree, a degree in medicine, followed by additional four to five years of residency training in ophthalmology. Residency training programs for ophthalmology include a one-year integrated internship that involves more general medical training in fields such as internal medicine or general surgery. Following residency, additional specialty training may be sought in a particular aspect of eye pathology. Ophthalmologists prescribe medications to treat eye diseases, implement laser therapy, and perform surgery when needed. Ophthalmologists provide both primary and specialty eye care - medical and surgical. Most ophthalmologists participate in academic research on eye diseases at some point in their training and many include research as part of their career. Ophthalmology has always been at the forefront of medical research with a long history of advancement and innovation in eye care.

Far-sightedness Eye condition in which light is focused behind instead of on the retina

Far-sightedness, also known as long-sightedness, hypermetropia, or hyperopia, is a condition of the eye where distant objects are seen clearly but near objects appear blurred. This blurred effect is due to incoming light being focused behind, instead of on, the retina wall due to insufficient accommodation by the lens. Minor hypermetropia in young patients is usually corrected by their accommodation, without any defects in vision. But, due to this accommodative effort for distant vision, people may complain of asthenopic symptoms during prolonged reading. Some hypermetropes can see clear at distance, but near vision may be blurred due to insufficient accommodation. For this reason, this defect is referred as far-sightedness. If the hypermetropia is high, there will be defective vision for both distance and near. People may also experience accommodative dysfunction, binocular dysfunction, amblyopia, and strabismus. Newborns are almost invariably hypermetropic, but it gradually decreases as the newborn gets older.

LASIK Corrective ophthalmological surgery

LASIK or Lasik, commonly referred to as laser eye surgery or laser vision correction, is a type of refractive surgery for the correction of myopia, hyperopia, and an actual cure for astigmatism, since it is in the cornea. LASIK surgery is performed by an ophthalmologist who uses a laser or microkeratome to reshape the eye's cornea in order to improve visual acuity. For most people, LASIK provides a long-lasting alternative to eyeglasses or contact lenses.

Eye surgery Surgery performed on the eye or its adnexa

Eye surgery, also known as ophthalmic or ocular surgery, is surgery performed on the eye or its adnexa, by an ophthalmologist. Eye surgery is synonymous with ophthalmology. The eye is a very fragile organ, and requires extreme care before, during, and after a surgical procedure to minimize or prevent further damage. An expert eye surgeon is responsible for selecting the appropriate surgical procedure for the patient, and for taking the necessary safety precautions. Mentions of eye surgery can be found in several ancient texts dating back as early as 1800 BC, with cataract treatment starting in the fifth century BC. Today it continues to be a widely practiced type of surgery, with various techniques having been developed for treating eye problems.

Refractive surgery Medical specialty

Refractive eye surgery is optional eye surgery used to improve the refractive state of the eye and decrease or eliminate dependency on glasses or contact lenses. This can include various methods of surgical remodeling of the cornea (keratomileusis), lens implantation or lens replacement. The most common methods today use excimer lasers to reshape the curvature of the cornea. Refractive eye surgeries are used to treat common vision disorders such as myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia and astigmatism.

Intraocular lens Lens implanted in the eye to treat cataracts or myopia

Intraocular lens (IOL) is a lens implanted in the eye as part of a treatment for cataracts or myopia. If the natural lens is left in the eye, the IOL is known as phakic, otherwise it is a pseudophakic, or false lens. Such a lens is typically implanted during cataract surgery, after the eye's cloudy natural lens (cataract) has been removed. The pseudophakic IOL provides the same light-focusing function as the natural crystalline lens. The phakic type of IOL is placed over the existing natural lens and is used in refractive surgery to change the eye's optical power as a treatment for myopia (nearsightedness). This is an alternative to LASIK.

Cataract surgery Surgery for the eye

Cataract surgery, also called lens replacement surgery, is the removal of the natural lens of the eye that has developed an opacification, which is referred to as a cataract, and its replacement with an intraocular lens. Metabolic changes of the crystalline lens fibers over time lead to the development of the cataract, causing impairment or loss of vision. Some infants are born with congenital cataracts, and certain environmental factors may also lead to cataract formation. Early symptoms may include strong glare from lights and small light sources at night, and reduced acuity at low light levels.

Pellucid marginal degeneration Degenerative corneal condition

Pellucid marginal degeneration (PMD) is a degenerative corneal condition, often confused with keratoconus. It typically presents with painless vision loss affecting both eyes. Rarely, it may cause acute vision loss with severe pain due to perforation of the cornea. It is typically characterized by a clear, bilateral thinning (ectasia) in the inferior and peripheral region of the cornea, although some cases affect only one eye. The cause of the disease remains unclear.

Jeff Machat MD, FRCSC, DABO is an ophthalmologist in the United States and Canada specializing in surgical vision correction better known as refractive eye surgery.

Eric Arnott

Eric John Arnott, MA, FRCS, FRCOphth was a British ophthalmologist and surgeon who specialized in cataracts, a condition which in many parts of the world still remains the principal cause of blindness. He is known for inventing new surgical techniques for treatment of various ophthalmological disorders, and received professional awards for his contributions.

The Alpins Method, developed by Australian ophthalmologist Noel Alpins, is a system to plan and analyze the results of refractive surgical procedures, such as laser in-situ keratomileus (LASIK). The Alpins Method is also used to plan cataract/toric intraocular lens (IOL) surgical procedures.

Peter S. Hersh is an American ophthalmologist and specialist in LASIK eye surgery, keratoconus, and diseases of the cornea. He co-authored the article in the journal Ophthalmology that presented the results of the study that led to the first approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the excimer laser for the correction of nearsightedness in the United States. Hersh was also medical monitor of the study that led to approval of corneal collagen crosslinking for the treatment of keratoconus.

The eye, like any other optical system, suffers from a number of specific optical aberrations. The optical quality of the eye is limited by optical aberrations, diffraction and scatter. Correction of spherocylindrical refractive errors has been possible for nearly two centuries following Airy's development of methods to measure and correct ocular astigmatism. It has only recently become possible to measure the aberrations of the eye and with the advent of refractive surgery it might be possible to correct certain types of irregular astigmatism.

Sheraz Daya is a British ophthalmologist. Daya founded the Centre for Sight in 1996, and works in stem-cell research and sight recovery surgery.

Gerard Sutton is an Australian ophthalmic surgeon and ophthalmologist in Australia and New Zealand. His specialty is laser vision correction, cataract and lens surgery, and corneal transplantation.

Jeewan Singh Titiyal is an Indian ophthalmologist, credited with the first live cornea transplant surgery by an Indian doctor. He was honoured by the Government of India, in 2014, by bestowing on him the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for his services to the field of medicine.

Post-LASIK ectasia is a condition similar to keratoconus where the cornea starts to bulge forwards at a variable time after LASIK, PRK, or SMILE corneal laser eye surgery. However, the physiological processes of Post-Lasik ectasia seem to be different from Keratoconus. The visible changes in the basal epithelial cell and anterior and posterior keratocytes linked with keratoconus were not observed in post-LASIK ectasia.

Noel Alpins Australian ophthalmologist

Noel Alpins is an Australian ophthalmologist who developed the Alpins method of astigmatism analysis used in refractive, corneal, and cataract surgery, used in the research of LASIK.

Burkhard Dick is a German ophthalmologist who has specialized in refractive and cataract surgery. With his many contributions to the scientific literature on this topic, he is considered one of the pioneers of employing the femtosecond laser in cataract surgery. In the "Power List 2018" ranking of the world's most influential ophthalmologists by the publication The Ophthalmologist, Burkhard Dick was listed among the Top 20.

Anastasios John Kanellopoulos is a Greek-American eye surgeon specializing in corneal transplantation, cornea crosslinking for keratoconus, complicated cataract surgery and complicated glaucoma. Widely known for research and clinical contributions in micro-incision cataract, customized laser refractive surgery and corneal cross-linking propagation and most innovations, reducing corneal transplants for advanced keratoconus.

References

  1. ↑ NHS Biography, Accessed 2016-09-19 http://www.ldh.nhs.uk/gps-professionals/consultants-and-services/?entryid1=2355.
  2. ↑ Marshall, John; Muller, David; Patmore, Anne; Barsam, Allon (1 March 2010). "Keratorefractive effect of microwave keratoplasty on human corneas". Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery. 36 (3): 472–476. doi:10.1016/j.jcrs.2009.10.032. ISSN   0886-3350. PMID   20202547.
  3. ↑ "Allon Barsam, Spire Healthcare". Spire Healthcare. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  4. ↑ "5 Questions with Allon Barsam, MD, MA, FRCOphth". CRST Europe. June 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  5. ↑ Ziaei, Mohammed; Barsam, Allon; Shamie, Neda; Vroman, David; Kim, Terry; Donnenfeld, Eric D.; Holland, Edward J.; Kanellopoulos, John; Mah, Francis S. (1 April 2015). "Reshaping procedures for the surgical management of corneal ectasia". Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery. 41 (4): 842–872. doi:10.1016/j.jcrs.2015.03.010. ISSN   0886-3350. PMID   25840308.
  6. ↑ Barsam, Allon. "Staff Directory". Luton and Dunstable University Hospital. NHS Foundation Trust. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  7. ↑ Devlin, Kate (12 May 2010). "Clipping lenses to the eye 'gives better results than laser surgery'". ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  8. ↑ Barsam, Allon (2012). Body Invaders, I Was Impaled (Television Programme). The Discovery Channel. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  9. ↑ Barsam, Allon. "IMDB, Allon Barsam". IMDB. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  10. ↑ "Ophthalmic Consultants of London". Ophthalmic Consultants of London. Retrieved 11 February 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ↑ Wickens, Zoe (7 February 2019). "UK eye surgeons launch new vision correction clinic". Optician Online. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  12. ↑ Shepherd, Viv (5 February 2019). "Leading eye surgeons join forces to launch innovative new clinic". Healthcare Business. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  13. ↑ Joelving, Frederick (12 May 2010). "Are implantable lenses safer than laser surgery?". Reuters. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  14. ↑ Donnenfeld, Eric D.; Perry, Henry D.; Barsam, Allon (22 April 2011). "Real Time Intraoperative Wavefront Aberrometry To Refine Outcomes In Patients With Long Or Short Axial Lengths Undergoing Cataract Surgery". Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 52 (14): 5699. ISSN   1552-5783.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.