Moorfields Eye Hospitals UAE are first in Dubai to successfully perform advanced glaucoma treatment utilising latest innovations in technology

Glaucoma affects a significant percentage of the population worldwide, and the risk increases with age. The non-surgical treatment options available for most patients are medications to reduce pressure in the eye and laser trabeculoplasty, which targets the drainage angle of the eye.

However, for many patients with advanced glaucoma or complex secondary glaucoma, medications and laser treatments alone are not sufficient to control eye pressure and preserve vision.

In these circumstances, aqueous tube shunts (also known as aqueous shunt devices or glaucoma drainage devices) have a much broader range of efficacy even in patients with the highest risk.

The devices in common use are the Ahmed Valve and the Baerveldt Tube.

The latest device however, is the PAUL implant, and the Glaucoma surgeons at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai were the first in Dubai to successfully perform several of these surgeries recently, for both children and adults.

The PAUL implant is the latest generation of aqueous shunt devices. It has been designed to optimize efficacy with a higher safety profile. It is composed of a soft tube that is inserted into the eye and drains away excess fluid thereby controlling the eye pressure. The diameter of this tube is less than half a millimetre and this prevents complications such as low pressure or corneal damage. The tube is connected to a thin and soft end-plate which is placed under the skin of the eye. This end-plate is very comfortable and causes no erosion or discomfort. It also does not degrade and lasts for the duration of the patient’s lifetime.

In terms of benefits, the PAUL implant will lower your eye pressure and prevent further damage to the optic nerve caused by eye pressure (intraocular pressure). Its design ensures less chance of complications such as low IOP (hypotony), corneal damage and tube erosion, and a more predictable eye pressure control from the very first day after the surgery.

The closest alternatives to the PAUL implant are the traditional aqueous shunt implants such as the Baerveldt or Ahmed Implants, which Moorfields Eye Hospitals UAE also offer. The Glaucoma department at Moorfields individualises treatment options to patient’s unique needs and will suggest the PAUL implant only if it offers the best chance of controlling eye pressure compared to other techniques.

Dr. Ammar Safar, Medical Director, Moorfields Eye Hospitals UAE, commented: We are very proud to provide our patients the most advanced technology that can successfully control this blinding disease. Moorfields will continue to lead in advancing medical and surgical therapies in the UAE and beyond.