PROCEDURES

A pterygium is a wedge-shaped area of thickened tissue that grows from the white of the eye towards the coloured part. A pterygium typically starts growing near the inside corner of the eye, and extends onto the cornea, toward the pupil. Both eyes can be affected.

A pterygium may grow large enough to interfere with sight and can cause other annoying symptoms such as redness, irritation or pain. In these cases, it may need to be surgically removed. Alternatively, it can be monitored. A pterygium is not a type of cancer and they typically grow very slowly.

The effect of drooping upper eyelids may be both cosmetic and functional, with the common complaint that the eyelid is obstructing the vision. The term ‘ptosis’ comes from the Greek ‘to fall’ – and represents an eyelid that has fallen down and can’t be lifted. Ptosis can cause visual obstruction, which can limit activities such as driving and reading. The most common cause of this is when the muscle that lifts the upper eyelid becomes stretched or weak. Often patients will try to lift the lids using the forehead muscles, which can lead to frontal headaches and strain. In some cases ptosis may be present at birth, or it can arise after other eye surgery, injury or a nerve palsy / stroke.

Entropion is the turning inwards of the lower (or upper) eyelid causing lashes to rub against the eye. This condition can not only cause irritation, but also carries a risk of corneal ulceration, infection and loss of vision. Entropion typically affects the lower eyelid due to age-related stretching or detachment of the retractor muscles. It can also be caused by scarring of the inside of the eyelid from previous surgery or trauma.

The upper and lower eyelids protect your eye. They do this by distributing tears to moisturise the surface of the eye, cleaning the front ‘window’ of the eye – the cornea, keeping out dust and dirt and by protecting your eye while you sleep. A tumour growing on your eyelids may change the shape of your eyelid or affect the surrounding tissue. This can cause irritation to the eye. If left untreated, tumours can grow and affect other structures such as your eyeball, or your eye socket.

Tumours of the skin can be removed by relatively minor surgery while you are awake. When a surgeon removes a skin tumour, they also need to remove a clear margin of healthy skin around the growth to make sure there are no cancer cells left behind. The piece of skin which is removed is sent to a laboratory for examination by a specialist pathologist using a microscope.

Facial injections such as Botox are local muscle relaxants adapted from botulinum toxin type-A. As we age, collagen in our skin reduces, which can cause creases in the skin resulting in crows feet, frown lines and forehead creases. They work by relaxing the facial muscles responsible for wrinkles and are the most performed non-surgical procedures in the world.

Ocular Oncology refers to the diagnosis and treatment of a range of eye cancers that occur in the eye, behind the eye and around the eye. Ocular oncology involves not just the ophthalmologist but a team of highly specialised physicians including radiologists, surgeons, medical, and radiation oncologists. Often times, ocular tumours require treatment in the form of radical surgeries which later require cosmetic rehabilitation; thus, requiring the expertise of ocularists as well.

Treatment of ocular tumours has evolved to become not only more effective but also have minimal collateral damage and side-effects. This evolution in the surgical and medical management of ocular tumours and their metastases is ongoing and Dr McGrath and her colleagues Drs Glasson and Warrier at the Qld Ocular Oncology Service work in collaboration with the melanoma research team at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) and interstate groups, to offer a modern treatment approach, with access to national and international clinical trials.