Ophthalmologists are typically only several inches away from patients during eye examination: this is thought to place them at a higher risk of catching illnesses such as COVID-19 from patients than most other specialists.

However, the current pandemic has not stopped the flow of emergency presentations to Sydney Eye Hospital, and the team remains committed to saving sight. Minimising the risks to both patients, their families and medical staff has been a key focus.

Your support of Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation has helped fund a clinical study by Professor Mark Gillies that could help save the sight of millions. Diabetic macular edema, or DME, can be a devastating condition for people with diabetes around the world, causing complete loss of sight if it’s left untreated. It’s caused when fluid builds up because of leaking blood vessels in the macula – a small but very important area at the back of the eyeball.

With your support, ophthalmologist Dr Greg Moloney is pioneering a new technique at the Sydney Eye Hospital that could restore sight to millions.

Greg’s ground-breaking work is tribute to you and other generous supporters who help make Sydney Eye Hospital an internationally renowned institution.

Almost 10 million people around the world are waiting for a corneal transplant. But only one in 70 will get the treatment they need to save their sight.

Greg knew there had to be a better way.

Through his work at Sydney Eye Hospital, he developed a new technique that restores sight without the enormous costs, logistics and ongoing medication involved with a corneal transplant.

Many people waiting for corneal transplant suffer from Fuchs Dystrophy, a disease that causes protein to build up on the inner surface of the cornea, causing it to swell and eventually leading to severe vision impairment.

In the past, the only option would have been a complex procedure involving a corneal graft. That would require life-long anti-rejection medication and the use of precious donated eye tissue.

Greg set out to change this. As he explains:

“The goal is to remove that protein causing the problem, and stimulate the patient’s own cells to heal. The procedure itself takes only six or seven minutes.”

“If we can find any way to give patients with Fuchs Dystrophy a non-transplant option the potential effect on our specialty could be enormous. Patients will be taken off the waiting list, and valuable transplant tissue will go to someone else who needs it more.”

Greg’s work at Sydney Eye Hospital has already been recognised internationally – but Greg is no stranger to pushing the boundaries.

He was the first surgeon in Australia to perform a Boston Keratoprosthesis implantation (artificial cornea) and Osteo-odonto Keratoprosthesis procedure (tooth in eye).

It’s a long way from country Wagga Wagga, where Greg grew up before graduating with honours from the University of NSW, and training as an ophthalmologist here at Sydney Eye Hospital.

The Sydney Eye Hospital is proud to call Greg one of our own, and we can’t thank you enough for helping make sure his talents benefit people around the world.