Best eye specialist/hospital in the country?

[Lilyuq]

Does anybody know the best hospital/Doctor who can do the squint eye correction surgery for the children? NHS or private is ok. Many thanks!

If I were you I'd look at Moorfields. NHS and private.

www.moorfields.nhs.uk/

www.moorfields-private.co.uk/

I'm a Moorfields patient & they are bloody brilliant

I believe Moorfields do clinics within other NHS trusts so you may be able to access it that way. Most regions will have a centre of excellence for specialist treatments such as Queens Medical Centre, Notts or Stoke Mandeville . You could ask for a referral then decide if you go NHS or private.

Thanks a lot all! I will speak to our GP. As squint eye correction is a common operation, but if it cannot do correctly at the first time, it may need more operation. Is there any chance that GP declines to refer? Our local NHS's overall ranking is improvement required. I really don't want to get this operation done in local.

An optician could also refer. Don't be misled by an overall rating, there may still be excellent specialist facilities within. You should be given choice of where the NHS can fund treatment.

There is a brilliant Surgeon in NI. Dd's is absolutely perfect. PM if anyone wants the details. However I would seriously urge anyone considering to look into it and only get it done if medically advised.

The child won't have binocular vision afterwards and will have poor co-ordination, find sport difficult and need extra time in exams.

Ds had his corrected by glasses originally now by contact lenses and while it is not as good cosmetically it better for him.

DD had two squint correction operations on the NHS for an extremely bad squint that was way beyond cosmetic. We were very pleased with the results but with a couple of caveats that you should probably know about.

One is what Ineverpromised said - it is much harder to establish binocular vision, although DD has some now, which is great.

However, this required some work from us, which is my caveat two. All the NHS does is operate. They did this very well, but we then organised the vision exercises which have helped the 3D vision (they said it would not help, it did; fwiw I also think it has prevented the squint recurring).

Caveat three: they were very clear with us that things can change again as a child grows and so DD may need another operation as a teenager to tighten things up.

DD's squint was so severe (think one eye permanently inturned by her nose) that we had no choice, I don't think. But in the case of a less severe squint, I would definitely go down the glasses and exercises route first.

Pretty much everyone though, will do patching first, to make sure that both eyes are working equally - without this there is a risk of functional blindness in one eye, so that's the priority, quite rightly.

Thanks for sharing. My son's eyes are alternatively crossed, sometimes obvious, sometimes not. We have been wearing glasses and did eye exercise for one year, but less improvement, no worse either. I was told by the doctor that Squint eye operation can help build 3D vision and help eye coordination, also moorfield website said too. My son always tile his head and I guess it is due to his crossed eyes. But it seems operation create more difficulty for eye operations. Now I am getting confused...

I had my squint corrected by surgery aged 7 which is considered to be very late. Had I not had it done I would have lost the sight in my left eye. It was not for cosmetic reasons. However my eyes don't work together, I have very little 3D vision. I'm not good at sport that rely on hand/eye coordination. However I am very good at art and work as a dressmaker specialising in ice skating dresses.

However, my DD2 also has a severe squint but sadly hers can not be corrected with surgery. If she had surgery she would still need glasses for her long vision and that would turn her eye out (the squint turns her eye inward). From a cosmetic point of view she looks fine with glasses the eyes are straight. Unlike me she sees in 3D. I'm hoping one day she can wear contact lenses.

OP have you had it confirmed that your DC squint can be corrected by surgery?

I agree you should look for a surgeon with a proven track record for successful surgeries. My surgeon will be dead by now it was so long ago but I still get compliments about my surgery every time I see a new optician.

Moorfields. They offer a very good service- I had cataracts and very bad sight- they did the first op, and gave me the follow up appointments and drops and medicines all in the price. The surgeon was on call should I have any questions afterwards. Then I needed a follow up second surgery just to tweak the original alteration (quite common) and any follow ups/appointments in the first year of surgery are 'free' (as in, included in the original price, so you don't have to pay again). The level of expertise, the confidence I had in the surgeon, and the total care package is worth it. My Dad had a similar procedure on the NHS this past few months, and they ballsed it up, so now he's going to Moorfields for them to fix it.

DD's squint was corrected at Evelina Children's hospital (St Thomas's) and they were excellent - she now has pretty much full binocular vision (but her squint was late onset, so a slightly unusual situation).

However, there's no doubt that Moorfields are the experts if you have the choice to go to them.

The purpose of operation is to build binocular vision as children with squint eyes usually do not have binocular or poor binocular vision. Can I understand more why it is getting harder to build binocular visions after operation? I know there is different methods for this operation, not sure if it is the latest methods used in the u.k

My ex had very good treatment at Birmingham Eye Hospital a few years ago as did my brother over 40 years ago.

anybody recommend a surgeon who can do children's squint eyes operation? there are many surgeon who can do in their website.

We just talked to GP to let him give a referral to moorfield NHS, but he said he cannot and it is very difficult to refer because this type of surgery is available in local hospital. He suggested us to speak to a consultant/surgeon in local hospital and see if any chance they can do referral, but he said the chance is little but we can try. Is this whole NHS working in this way? If local can provide service, you cannot go to NHS in another region? Is there any way I can convince local surgeon to make a referral? Thanks!

We use Anthony Vivian who is one of the top paediatric eye surgeons in he UK.

Your GP is not telling the truth. Legally, you can request a hospital of your choice, but the local CCG may not be best pleased (nothing they can do).

There are sometimes issues with hospitals that are tertiary referral only (places like GOSH or the RNOH in Stanmore), but afaik, Moorfields is not tertiary only.

I had a recent row with my GP over this - I work in London and it is a total PITA to have to go to the local hospital as I don't drive, have to take DD to school in London and pick up etc and so I asked for any hospital referrals to always be sent to a London hospital. She whinged, but did it. The only time they won't for a normal hospital is if it is a cancer query and you need to be seen within 2 weeks, then they can insist that you attend locally if a request would put you over the 2 weeks.

My NHS eye man in Swindon hospital also works at Moorfield.
Swindon eye clinic is one of the best unlike the rest of Swindon

The child won't have binocular vision afterwards and will have poor co-ordination, find sport difficult and need extra time in exams

This isn't true. My DS has binocular vision, great coordination and plays county cricket. He doesn't need extra time in exams either. His squint was awful, and is now only visible when he's very tired. He had two operations, both before he was 4 and he's now 17.

Done at local private hospital through NHS.

Spire Norwich Hospital > Facilities and Treatments > Our Consultants > Here
Consultant Profile

Name:
Mr Bijan Beigi MD, FRCS, FRCOphth., DO
Practicing at:
Spire Norwich Hospital
Specialties:
Cosmetic Surgery
Eyes
Ophthalmology
Lacrimal disorders
Oculoplastic surgery
Paediatric ophthalmology
Squint surgery
Special clinical interests:
Reconstructive and cosmetic eyelid, eyebrow and mid-face surgery
Facial skin cancer
Eyelid cancer
Orbital surgery
Thyroid eye disease
Strabismus management and surgery
Research interests:
Lower eyelid anatomy
Aetiology of lower eyelid entropion
Invented Radiowave entropion surgery
Infra orbital nerve neuralgia in orbital fractures
Current NHS and /or university posts:
Consultant Ophthalmic, Complex Oculoplastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust
Lead of Ophthalmology, University of East Anglia
Year of first medical qualification:
1980
Current membership(s) of professional, national and regional bodies:
Fellow, tutor, lead trainer and external clinical advisor to The Royal College of Ophthalmologists UK
Member of American & European Society of Oculoplastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Advisor to NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence)

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Background Information
Professional profile:
Mr Beigi is an Ophthalmic, Complex Oculoplastic and Reconstructive Surgeon. He is lead of Ophthalmology in the University of East Anglia. He runs the Ocular Adnexal Service in the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. He is also the educational supervisor of his department.

He obtained his first medical degree in 1980. He had extensive ophthalmic, oculoplastic and paediatric ophthalmology training in the UK (Bristol Eye Hospital and Moorfields Eye Hospital).

He has set up a modern Oculoplastic unit in Norwich since 1999. He has introduced an international Oculoplastic fellowship programme to Norwich. He performs more than 600 eyelid, mid face, cosmetic and reconstructive operations per year.

Mr Beigi is the founder of the East Anglian Oculoplastic and Lacrimal Group for regional audit and clinical governance (1999). He is a external clinical advisor for the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and microsurgical course lead trainer since 2002. He is also a special clinical advisor to NICE for new surgical procedures.

He has been a visiting professor to various international congresses since 2000, organising cataract and Oculoplastic workshops.

He has regularly contributed to scientific journals and is a member of the editorial board of international journals such as for Orbit. In total he has produced over 60 publications and delivered over 100 lectures nationally and internationally in his field.
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Dr Beigi did my nieces surgery on her eye squint. Hope the info helps - you can email him some Q's.

My DD has just had this done - privately but within the NHS as non of the private places here will touch children. A very successful operation and though it is early days she may well be regaining some binocular vision. We only went private as there is a long waiting list here and we were advised that time could be a factor for us. Part of it depends on the type of squint - DD's was convergent (so exercises do no work), and across both eyes. We patched to get the vision working and following success with that she has just had the surgery.
I might suggest having a private appointment with a paediatric opthalmologist near you (you don't need a gp to refer you for that). All of our orthoptics stuff has been via the NHS and has been excellent