CATARACT SURGEONS THEIR PEERS RATE
BRIAN LITTLE
‘He’s what is known in the medical profession as a very safe pair of hands, attentive to the smallest detail,’ says one eye surgeon.
‘He did my mother’s cataracts,’ reveals another. ‘I’ve seen him operate — he’s very thoughtful, well-prepared and he’s an approachable, plain-talking man, who understands what people need.’ PRIVATE: Moorfields Private Eye Hospital, Claremont Clinic, King Edward VII’s Hospital, all in London.
JULIAN STEVENS
‘He is someone with excellent surgical skills and also possesses the great technical and mathematical skills to compute the countless complex measurements taken from each eye to accurately plot the right strength lens,’ according to one of his peers.
‘But, most importantly, he knows how to avoid trouble, whereas your average cataract surgeon might not have a clue until there is a problem.’ PRIVATE: Moorfields Private Eye Hospital in London.
LARRY BENJAMIN
WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT HIM: ‘A very slick, switched-on surgeon with vast experience who is conscientious, caring and also quite humble,’ is the verdict of one of his peers.
Another surgeon says: ‘He is known for having brought cataract surgery well into the 21st century, particularly thanks to the highly regarded microsurgical skills courses he has developed to train others.’ PRIVATE: BMI The Chiltern Hospital.
BRUCE ALLAN
‘A meticulous and gifted surgeon with a great pair of hands, who has an extremely long track record in his field,’ says one of his peers. ‘He was one of the first people in the country to carry out phacoemulsification [where the old lens is broken up with ultrasound to remove it], which is now a routine procedure.
‘He knows what to do and exactly when to do it.’ PRIVATE: Moorfields Private Eye Hospital in London.
SHERAZ DAYA
London WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT HIM: ‘A fantastic eye surgeon. He is at the cutting-edge — very ethical, compassionate and straightforward. He has a great understanding of what he does.’ PRIVATE: Works privately only. Centre for Sight in London.
MILIND PANDE
(pictured left) Hull and East Yorkshire
WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT HIM: ‘A virtuoso with eye surgery — he is superb and understands cataract surgery inside out,’ according to one of his peers.
‘He is conscientious and cares very much about his results.
‘He has always been in the forefront in his use of technology, but he wants to deliver an excellent result every time.’ PRIVATE: Works privately only. Spire Hesslewood Clinic, Spire Hull and East Riding Hospital, Vision Surgery and Research Centre in Hull.
SATHISH SRINIVASAN University Hospital, Ayr WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT HIM: According to oneempathetic surgeon with excellent communication skills.
‘He’s not based at a hub of medical innovation, but he is creating one in this region.’ PRIVATE: Ayrshire Eye Clinic and Laser Centre,BMI Carrick Glen Hospital.
JAMES BALL
St James’s University Hospital in Leeds WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT HIM: ‘Young, innovative, fast and skilled, with very good outcomes for his patients,’ says one eye surgeon. ‘A great communicator who’s knowledgeable and has been very well trained.’
PRIVATE: St James’s Laser Vision, Nuffield Hospital Leeds, Custom Vision Clinic in Bramham in West Yorkshire.
PAUL ROSEN
John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford
WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT
HIM: ‘He is leading edge, calm and considered with great hand skills,’ according to one of the surgeons we canvassed. Another says: ‘Flexibility is one of the hallmarks of a good eye surgeon, someone who can change tactics if necessary without breaking sweat, and this is his quality.’
PRIVATE: Nuffield Health The Manor Hospital Oxford, The Wellington Hospital in London, The Foscote Private Hospital in Banbury.
PROFESSOR DAVID GARTRY
Moorfields Eye Hospital in London WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT HIM: ‘Dependable, approachable and gifted, he would be high on my list,’ says one of his peers. ‘He is someone who can always be relied upon to do the best for his patients.’ PRIVATE: Moorfields Private Eye Hospital, The Wimpole Street Eye Clinic.
VINCENZO MAURINO
Moorfields Eye Hospital in London WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT
HIM: ‘He is a natural surgeon, effortless and very slick. The hallmark of an excellent cataract surgeon is someone who manages to do a very good job every time. That’s him.’ PRIVATE: Moorfields Private Eye Hospital, Claremont Clinic. ALSO HIGHLY THOUGHT OF . . .
ROMESH ANGUNAWELA
Moorfields Eye Hospital in London WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT HIM: ‘Very good and kind with a strong interest in cataract surgery,’ according to one of his peers. PRIVATE: Moorfields Private Eye Hospital in London.
ALLON BARSAM
Luton and Dunstable University Hospital WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT
HIM: ‘Very good at marketing himself on social media, but that should not detract from the fact that he is a very talented eye surgeon, comfortable with all lenses,’ says one of his peers. PRIVATE: Spire Bushey Hospital, Spire Harpenden, Focus Laser Vision and The Wellington Hospital in London.
HOSAM KASABY
Southend University Hospital WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT
HIM: According to one surgeon, ‘he is a meticulous and gifted surgeon who is very honest and extremely nice, with a long track record. Able to comfortably operate with all lenses and techniques to get good results for his patients.’ PRIVATE: BMI Southend Hospital.
ALI MEARZA
Charing Cross Hospital and Western Eye Hospital in London WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT HIM: ‘He did my mother’s cataracts — he’s a fantastic surgeon,’ says one. ‘The hallmark of a really good cataract surgeon is avoiding trouble and he is expert at that.’ PRIVATE: The London Clinic, Optegra Eye Hospital, HCA UK Chiswick Outpatients and Diagnostic Centre, The Wellington Hospital in London.
JONATHAN JAGGER
London WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT
HIM: ‘The Queen’s eye surgeon, he is exceptional and a lovely man who plans his surgery meticulously,’ says one surgeon. PRIVATE: Works privately only. The London Clinic, King Edward VII’s Hospital.