Cornea and External Eye Diseases

Program Description:

During Recent years, there have been undeniable dramatic developments in ophthalmology. Invention and application of modern equipment for surgical procedures that were inconceivable in the 1980s have become commonplace. Furthermore, the patients' expectations of new medical and surgical treatments mandated establishment of new fellowship courses. In the field of ophthalmology, the fellowship of cornea and external eye diseases is one of the most accepted courses by the international ophthalmology societies.

In 2009, the Secretariat of the Medical and Specialized education Council intended to prepare a national curriculum for fellowship courses. Accordingly, the curriculum for cornea and external eye diseases was formulated. Thus, a committee was organized to study and figure out a plan for the curriculum. This committee studied the credible international curricula, used the experts' opinions and then mapped out the present curriculum. The curriculum was discussed in the commission for educational formulation and planning and was reported to the permanent commission of the council. We will welcome the experts' valuable comments for using in upcoming revisions.

Definition

This training program is one of the fields of ophthalmology subspecialty that will increase knowledge and competencies of the graduates in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of ocular diseases pertaining to cornea, anterior segment, crystalline lens, ocular surface diseases and surgeries for correction of refractive errors.

Objectives:

1 -To train up-to-date, competent, committed liable specialists who will serve  the society with their knowledge and skills to provide preventive, educational, and therapeutic-diagnostic medical services in the field of cornea and external eye diseases .

2 -To raise the standards in the field of cornea and external eye diseases and to become one of the top ranking in the Middle East for next 10 years to the level of developed countries.

Expected Competencies at the End of the Program

General Competencies*

Specific Competencies and Skills

       a. Lens related surgical Procedures:

1. Phaco surgery in complicated cases
2. Lensectomy with or without intraocular lens implantation in neonates and children
3. Aphakic secondary IOL implantation
4. Phakic IOL implantation (Artisan and Artiflex) 
5. Lens surgery in complicated cases (subluxated crystalline lenses, subluxated intraocular lenses)
6. Different types of repair and replacement of iris 
7. Intracapsular and extracapsular cataract surgery 
8. YAG laser capsulotomy

2. The corneal transplantations techniques 

1. Full thickness corneal transplantation
2. Deep anterior lamellar corneal transplantation (Melles, Pre-Descemet, Big Bubble)
3. Posterior lamellar corneal transplantation (DSAEK, DMEK)
4. Different types of transplantation repair

3. The transplantation of limbal stem cells and ocular surface reconstruction

1. The amniotic membrane transplantation and related surgeries, including reconstruction of the ocular surface and fornices
2. Different types of stem cell transplantation (CLAU, KLAL)
3. Conjunctival flap
4. Tarsorrhaphy and blepharorrhaphy mucous membrane graft
5. Removal of the ocular surface neoplasms
6. Different techniques of pterygium removal surgery

4. Refractive surgeries

1. Laser refractive surgery 
2. Intra-corneal ring segment implantation (optional)
3. Lenticular refractive surgery 
4. Incisional surgeries for corneal astigmatism