Eyehope funds research into all causes of sight loss. Currently, the
main projects receiving Eyehope funding are Cataract Surgery and
Macular Degeneration.

Cataract Surgery Research

Cataract surgery is the most common operation in the western world. This is partly due to the growing elderly population and partly to the operation’s high success rate. Therefore, patients can be operated on much earlier.

Eyehope supports one of the biggest and most productive research teams in the UK and Europe. The team is internationally renowned for its research on the design of the intraocular lens implanted during surgery.

The research is focused on improving the safety of the procedure and the quality of the patient’s vision afterwards.

Current projects are:

  • Prevention of posterior capsule opacification after surgery
  • Improved quality of vision with aspheric lenses
  • Evaluation of a new generation of ultra small lenses for micro surgery
  • Accommodating intraocular lenses which will give the patient good distance and

    near vision without glasses

No funding is received from the NHS, so the team relies on funding from Eyehope and other charitable or industrial sources.

For more information on the team’s work, please contact:

David Spalton, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Ophthalmology, St Thomas’ Hospital,
Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7EH.

Email: info@eyehope.co.uk


An estimated 2 million people in the UK
suffer from significant sight loss.

(source RNIB)

Macular Degeneration Research

Eyehope supports a team of researchers at St Thomas’ Hospital. In collaboration with the University of Kingston and City University, they are testing the use of computers in the early detection of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

AMD is the number one cause of blindness in the developed world. Early detection has become even more critical in recent years. This is due to the availability of new treatments such as vitamin supplements and intraocular injections of Anti VEGF. The earlier the treatment can start, the greater the chance of success.

If you’d like to find out more about this project, please contact:

Tom Williamson, Consultant Vitreoretinal Surgeon, Ophthalmology, St Thomas’ Hospital,
Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7EH.

Email: tom@retinasurgery.co.uk