Clinical Research

Retinal Vein Occlusion

Our Deputy Director - Clinical, Associate Professor Ian McAllister continues with co-workers to study laser bypass of blocked retinal veins. Central retinal vein occlusion is the most common cause of sudden loss of vision second only to Diabetic Retinopathy. No treatment currently exists for this condition. Recent follow-up after seven years of experience with laser induced bypass surgery has been accepted for publication. Multicentre control clinical trials have now been arranged in Australia subject to funding.

Diabetic Retinopathy in the Aboriginal population

A population of rural Aborigines were screened during the year for Diabetic Retinopathy and a training programme has been developed for Aboriginal health workers who take the photographs. It has been found that over 80% of the photographs taken are of a high quality and as a result this method of screening will be continued.

LASIK Surgery

Associate Professors, Dr's Geoffrey Crawford and Graham Barrett and Dr Steven Wiffen are collaborating on a major data collection exercise for excimer laser surgery carried out on patients at the LEI. With over 2000 procedures having been completed at the LEI and a further 15,000 or more in the United States, India, Korea, Indonesia and New Zealand, as well as Melbourne, we now know that our technology is equal or superior to any other in the world. The clinical trials of new solid state lasers to treat myopia are scheduled to begin this year.  Associate Professor Barrett has presented at a number of international meetings a comparison of LASIK surgery with surface PRK for myopia and other refractive errors.

New drugs for treating glaucoma

Contract research on new drugs under clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies has been carried out by the McCusker Glaucoma Centre ophthalmologists led by Dr Bill Morgan. Clinical research with this group also involves collating extensive data on the glaucoma population of Western Australia. They also provide invaluable professional input to the Lions glaucoma screenings throughout the State.

Rural Eye Health

Ophthalmologists in the LEI continue to provide extensive trachoma screening services to remote communities in Western Australia and search for cataract and scarred trachoma lid disease which require surgery. This ongoing programme is carried out in collaboration with the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists and the State Health Department.

Cataract Surgery

The LEI has been at the forefront of development of new ultrasonic phacomulsification instruments for removing cataracts and the development of intraocular lenses. Recent multicentre trials have included the hydrogel lens invented by Associate ProfessorGraham Barrett and a new shape of ultrasonic probe. Numerous instruments have been widely disseminated around the world from this LEI surgeon's inventive work.

Ocular inflammatory disease

Dr Mei-Ling Tay-Kearney has provided a whole new level of clinical expertise at the LEI and Royal Perth hospital in ocular inflammatory disease. Inflammation in the eye, called Uveitis, is rather like arthritis in the joint in that obvious infective causes are usually not present. It causes progressive loss of vision or severe recurrent attacks in a large number of people who require expert management. Dr Tay-Kearney is collecting extensive experience which will result in widespread research publications.

Ocular reconstructive and plastic surgery

Associate Professor Geoffrey Crawford continues to carry out studies on extensive plastic surgery techniques for the eyelid tissues damaged by injury or tumours. The LEI is also doing preliminary studies on new types of lasers likely to be useful for plastic surgery, and clinical trials will be carried out in the future.