NIMS ​

NIMS Department of Ophthalmology & Cornea Transplant is at the forefront of utilizing modern technology in the treatment of eye disease. The department conceived of, organized, and continues to operate the first and only Tele-ophthalmology clinic in India, where digitized eye examination images that are captured from across the NIMS health network - in India and abroad – are relayed electronically to the Eye Center and interpreted by experts of each eye sub-specialty. This innovation has changed lives of many people across the globe.

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The department is fully committed to the training of tomorrow’s top Ophthalmic doctors. Currently, it has on its roster six to eight residents and one clinical fellow each year, all of whom are groomed to pursue their careers in the field of Ophthalmology.

NIMS Department of Ophthalmology is active in providing continuing medical education opportunities, staging yearly multiple post-graduate scientific courses in Cataract surgery, Vitreoretinal diseases, Glaucoma and others. The department is a frequent host of the Lifelong Education for Physicians program of the Indian Academy of Ophthalmology. It is the only eye department that maintains a permanent facility, the COMSSA (Center for Microsurgical Skills Advancement), which undertakes modern surgical skills-transfer to practicing ophthalmologists as well as residents-in-training. The department also acts as collaborators in numerous clinical trial investigations of cutting-edge medications and devices. Below are the main divisions:

Cataract

Nims Superspecialty Hospital's Cataract section has the highest volume of cataract surgeries of any top-tier tertiary private medical center in the region. It maintains the region's only permanent cataract surgery training wet lab facility, for residents and practicing ophthalmologists who want to hone their skills in the treatment of cataract, one of the most common eye problems of the aging population. The section also pioneered a highly successful socialized multiple-tier payment system for cataract surgery, based on the patients’ ability to pay, a first of its kind in any private hospital.
 

Retina and vitreous
 

The section’s doctors are highly skilled in performing the most advanced vitreoretinal surgical procedures aided by the most advanced diagnostic equipment. It has recorded the highest volume of vitreoretinal surgical procedures in the region. The NIMS Retina section pioneered the use of the Pascal® multi-spot retinal photocoagulator and the Optos® ultra-wide field retinal camera. It is one of the handful of centers which utilize the Clarity Medical® Retcam for retinal fundus screening of children and for bedside assessments of adults. It is the only section that operates a tele-ophthalmology program where retina test results, particularly of diabetic retinopathy, from remote locations in the TMC network can be interpreted, thus improving the quality and cost-efficiency of care. TMC retina section is the only service that compounds anti-VEGF intravitreal medication according to US-FDA standards, thus providing safe, effective and cost-saving treatment. Lastly, it is also actively involved in several international multi-center pharmaceutical trials for the medical treatment of retinal diseases.

 

Refractive surgery/LASIK Center
 

The TMC LASIK Center is one of the leading corneal refractive centers in the country. It is equipped with state-of-the art laser refractive surgery technology such as the Alcon Wavelight® Refractive Suite which is the most popular laser machine worldwide for LASIK. The TMC LASIK Center is one of the first centers to shift to the exclusively bladeless LASIK procedure, a vast improvement in terms of safety and accuracy of results compared to the older microkeratome or blade-based LASIK. The LASIK Center is also home to the Dry Eye Clinic, the first state-of-the-art facility in the Philippines, for the management of dry eye, currently considered a major eye problem, especially for patients who have had refractive surgery.

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Cornea, Cornea Transplant and External Diseases

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The TMC Cornea-ED section is one of the more active sections in the hospital. It organized the Dry Eye Clinic, which is a direct and high-tech solution to the ever-growing problem of dry eye disease. It standardized the use of autologous serum, and popularized the use of Meibomian gland expression and probing, as advanced solutions to severe dry eye. TMC Cornea-ED is the leader in the field of corneal transplantation, from the traditional penetrating keratoplasty to pioneering the cutting-edge Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK). In collaboration with the Refractive surgery section, it checks patients with keratoconus or an eye condition where the cornea, which is supposed to be dome shaped, is not structured enough to hold this round shape thus the cornea bulges outward like a cone. This condition has been alleviated by the revolutionary Collagen Cross-Linking procedure, where TMC is one of only a handful of centers in the country that perform this procedure.

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Glaucoma

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Among the more feared eye diseases is glaucoma, which usually present itself with increased eye pressure resulting in damage to the optic nerve, and blindness. For this reason TMC Ophthalmology is staffed with glaucoma sub-specialists who are fully equipped for the management of this dreaded disease. From diagnosis utilizing methods as visual field testing, optic disc photography and optical coherence tomography (OCT), anterior chamber angle imaging, and corneal thickness-adjusted intraocular pressure, to therapeutic procedures such as selective laser trabeculoplasty, laser iridotomy, glaucoma filtering surgery and glaucoma valve implants, the section is fully equipped to handle the most difficult and complex cases.

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Orbit and Plastic-Lacrimal

The Orbit, Plastic-Lacrimal section deals with repairing damage to the orbit and lacrimal system such as those caused by trauma, tumor, and infection. The TMC Orbit-PL section has experts ranging from oculoplastic to aesthetic to orbital surgeons, as well as an orbit oncologist and orbit pathologist. TMC Orbit-PL also forms the backbone of the Eye Trauma Team, which works with the TMC Trauma and Emergent Care section.

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Pediatric Ophthalmology

Aside from the usual work in strabismus (squint) and other common eye diseases of childhood, the consultant staff of TMC’s Pediatric Ophthalmology Section is deeply involved in trying to eradicate Retinopathy of Prematurity, a blinding disease commonly seen in pre-term babies. TMC Pedia-ophtha has worked with the TMC Department of Pediatrics to raise the standards by instituting Vision Screening for all newborn babies, not just those at risk. With the aid of high technology like the Clarity Medical® Retcam they have prevented blindness in those babies that would otherwise have been overlooked.

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Uveitis Section

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The Uveitis section provides comprehensive medical and surgical management for all ocular inflammatory diseases, and provides multidisciplinary care for patients with complex inflammatory diseases of the eye. The section is manned by graduates of the most respected centers in the US for the study of ocular inflammation.

 

Neuro-Ophthalmology Section
 

This section is a subspecialty that combines the disciplines of Neurology and Ophthalmology in dealing with the ocular manifestations of diseases of the brain and the nervous system, as well as the toxic effects of various medications/substances on the optic nerve. TMC Neuro-ophtha makes full use of the sophisticated neuro-imaging facilities like the CT scan and MRI, and the various eye imaging equipment like ocular Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and optic nerve photography to manage conditions from headache to tumors compressing the optic pathway. Motivated by the high prevalence of tuberculosis in the Philippines, a special advocacy of the section is the prevention and treatment of the blinding, toxic effects of the common anti-TB medication ethambutol on the optic nerve.

 

Low Vision Section

The Low Vision section is dedicated to providing functional vision to patients who have suffered vision loss that is uncorrectable by further medication or surgery. The section aims to maximize the remaining vision of the patient by optical and non-optical means in order to make them more self-reliant and functional, both at home and in the community. The section offers consultation with the Low Vision Specialist, and if needed, a Rehabilitation Medicine Specialist, and a Psychiatrist. The ultimate goal is to enable patient adjustment and understanding of the disability in order to create good mental, social and physical equilibrium, and eventually, achieve good quality of life.

Comprehensive Ophthalmology Section

Comprehensive ophthalmology services include screenings for eye disease and disorders, visual acuity exams, prescriptions for eyeglasses or contact lenses, and surgical evaluations. Comprehensive ophthalmologists specialize in medical and surgical first-line treatments for disorders such as macular degeneration, tumors of the eye, uveitis, cataracts, dry eye, conjunctivitis, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, inherited retinal diseases and other retinal problems. If the patient is suspected to have an eye condition, the patient will be referred to the care of an appropriate ophthalmology specialist.

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