Educational Grant Report – Yevgeniya Ilyina – Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK

 

YEVGENIYA ILYINA

Thank you very much the SOE Educational Committee and Professor Marko Hawlina for this opportunity.

I applied at Moorfields Eye Hospital for one month.  They confirmed my observership  programme at Strabismus, Cornea and Retina services. So I attended Strabismus and Pediatrics service for the first two weeks, Cornea and Retina services both for one week. There I had a great time.

There are a lot of different services at Moorfields Eye Hospital. On my first day I got a timetable  and then followed it. With the Pediatrics team I observed the children with the different kinds of squint, amblyopia, ametropia, astigmatism. There were Mr. Roberts and Ms. Adams. These two people showed me strabismus surgery that included of rectus muscles recession and resection. They used Anchor method and it was something new for me. Also I was happy to introduce the Botulin injections in squint. I was surprised because it is the same that we use only for the wrinkles reducing in my country. There were two days when I attended the department with the newborns and got the chance to observe the children with ROP.

At my third week I was attached to Cornea team with the Mr. Brown. And it was great opportunity to have a look at DSAEK, DMEK PK and DALK in complicated eyes with the Stevens-Johns syndrome, keratoconus, hereditary transmitted dystrophic corneal diseases, in Fuchs syndrome, chemical burns, injuries. The colleagues were very kind to answer all my questions for my clear understanding and to make my observership more fruitful. Every day from 6 pm I had the opportunity to watch the private clinic and the Femtosecond laser procedures such as the intrastromal corneal rings insertion in keratoconus.

The last my week I spent time at the Vitreoretinal Service and I watched many different and rare cases of the retina detachment and high level retinal surgery with the laser coagulation, silicon oil or gas insertion. The high level macula pilling performance. There were a lot of patients with the diabetes mellitus. Unfortunately there are huge amount of diabetic patients in Ukraine that is why this experience was essential for me.

There was great opportunity for me to attend the lectures the tutors gave us every morning. There were a lot of modern information about recent research conclusions, findings and directions in ophthalmology. All speakers were highly skilled professionals and the perfect surgeons.  There was the library in the hospital. I read recent books about strabismus, corneal topography, femtosecond laser and all topics I was interested in.  These books are the best books in ophthalmology I have ever read. I used the local (library) internet connection and could read the newest articles.

The staff at the clinic was friendly and made my observership very pleasant. So I have spent a great time there and have been obtained profound knowledge.  Finally I have been introduced to a lot of young ophthalmologists from Poland, Serbia, Spain and Australia. It was perfect time to exchange the experience and to improve our skills. So my visit was excellent.

On my last day I received the certificate of attendance to absolutely ensure this experience will be useful for me in Ukraine.   When I returned home I gave a presentation to my colleagues and told them about modern surgery techniques, medication, research directions and about everything I saw in Moorfields.  We are introducing some methods I have been seen at Moorfields in my hospital such as botulin injections and Anchor method of rectus muscles recession in squint surgery.

Many thanks for this great opportunity.

Respectfully yours YEVGENIYA ILYINA.