Conditions treated by the Ophthalmology department

The Ophthalmology department offers the full scope of services for paediatric patients with ophthalmological conditions.

Mr Will Moore is one of the few surgeons in the UK that performs corneal graft surgery in infants.

Conditions treated:

• Peters Anomoly
• Sclerocornea
• Mucopolysaccharidoses
• Genetic disorders of the cornea and anterior segment including Axenfeld-Rieger and PAX6 related disease 

Paediatric glaucoma and surgeries related to its management including Baerveldt and Ahmed valve tube shunt surgery, goniotomy, trabeculectomy, trabeculotomy and diode laser are performed by Mr John Brookes who is also head of the glaucoma service at Moorfields Eye Hospital.

The paediatric cataract service at Great Ormond Street Hospital treats the largest number of children with cataract in the UK. We particularly specialise in infants (children under two years). Surgery is performed by Mr Will Moore, Mr Richard Bowman, and Mr Robert Henderson. We work closely with our partners at Moorfields Eye Hospital and have a dedicated contact lens service run by Miss Lynne Speedwell.

See our cataract condition information page.

Mr Richard Bowman provides care for children with neurological conditions that affect the eye and performs surgery for complex strabismus (squint). He also works closely with the Neuro-developmental vision clinics based at the Wolfson Centre.

Conditions treated:

• Nystagmus (Kestenbaum surgery is performed)
• Cerebral Visual Impairment
• 3rd, 4th, 6th Nerve palsies
• Optic neuritis
• Optic neuropathies including Lebers Hereditary Optic Neuropathy and Dominant Optic Atrophy
• Ophthalmic monitoring for brain tumors including Craniopharyngioma, optic pathway gliomas etc

Inflammation inside the eye is known as uveitis. Mr Clive Edelston runs this service jointly between Ophthalmology and the Rheumatology department - as many inflammatory eye diseases in children often affect the joints. Ms Ameenat Lola Solebo and Mr Harry Petrushkin are also consultants in this service. Mr Petrushkin also provides Uveitis care at Moorfields Eye Hospital, where we transfer many of the young people with uveitis once they become old enough for an adult hospital.

Mr Robert Henderson looks after patients with inherited eye diseases such as retinal dystrophies, and metabolic conditions that have associated eye findings. He works closely with the electrophysiology service and the genetics service at Great Ormond Street Hospital and the research laboratories at the Institute of Child Health and Institute of Ophthalmology. The aim is to create a centre for the treatment of paediatric retinal dystrophies working with our partners at the Institute of Ophthalmology.

Conditions treated:

• Early Onset Retinal dystrophies including Lebers congenital amaurosis, retinitis pigmentosa and cone dystrophy/dysfunction syndromes.
• Usher Syndrome
• Albinism
• Metabolic syndromes 

Mr Robert Henderson works at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Moorfields and is one of the few VR surgeons in the world to specialise in vitreo-retinal disorders affecting infants. He works with colleagues Mr Chien Wong (Royal Free and GOSH), and Mr CK Patel (John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford), both of whom also have surgical expertise in the area, as well as Miss Gill Adams (Moorfields and GOSH) who runs the ROP screening service at GOSH, in order to create a specialist centre for the UK based at GOSH for the treatment of infants with vitreo-retinal disorders.

Conditions treated:

• Retinopathy of Prematurity (laser, anti-VEGF, and surgery)
• Familial Exudative Vitreo-Retinopathy
• Stickler Syndrome and other collagenopathies eg Knobloch, Marshall, Wagner
• Coats Disease
• Persistent Fetal Vasculature (PHPV)
• Paediatric retinal detachment
• Coloboma related retinal detachment 

Mr Yassir Abou-Rayyah, who works jointly between GOSH and Moorfields, has a world-renowned expertise in the surgical management of paediatric Oculoplastic disorders.

Conditions treated:

• Lid Malposition – Ptosis, ectropion, entropion
• Micophthalmia/Anophtalmia
• Lacrimal disorders
• Craniofacial deformity (operating together with the Craniofacial team) 

Amblyopia, also known as ‘lazy eye’ occurs when the vision does not develop fully in early childhood. Amblyopia is one of the most common visual problems of childhood, occurring in 1 to 4 percent of children. It is often found in children who have another eye disorder. At GOSH, Amblyopia care is provided by our team of Orthoptists, led by the Head Orthoptist Gurpreet Saini.

Our team of optometrists, led by Lynne Speedwell, have built an international reputation for supporting contact lens wear in infants and young children. GOSH Optometrists fit contact lenses for a wide variety of eye conditions. This is a specialist service for patients who have a medical need or a 'clinical necessity' for contact lenses.

Visual impairment in children can influence their general development as well as their school, academic and career opportunities. Access to low vision services has been shown to minimise the impact of reduced vision and improve the efficacy of low vision aids (LVAs) which in turn, can improve daily performance. The Low Vision Service within the GOSH Ophthalmology department, led by our Optometrists, runs alongside consultant led clinics ensuring patients receive regular eye checks and support to help the children make the best of their vision.

Read our information sheets on resources for children and young people with visual impairment.

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