The Universitäts-Augenklinik Düsseldorf is the department of

Ophthalmology Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a medic ...

of the University Hospital of Düsseldorf in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It is an internationally renown centre for corneal transplantation, ocular surface disease and management of associated disorders ranging from

Glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye rem ...

to oculoplastic surgery. Further subspecialist expertise is established for the diagnosis and surgical and medical treatment of vitreoretinal and macular disorders as well as

strabismus Strabismus is a vision disorder in which the eyes do not properly align with each other when looking at an object. The eye that is focused on an object can alternate. The condition may be present occasionally or constantly. If present during a ...

History

Albert Mooren was the first well known ophthalmologist in Düsseldorf, whose name today is reflected in the postal address of the University Hospital. He trained with the famous founder of the German Ophthalmological Society,

Albrecht von Graefe Albrecht von Graefe may refer to: * Albrecht von Graefe (ophthalmologist) (1828-1870), Prussian opthalmologist * Albrecht von Graefe (politician) Albrecht von Graefe (1 January 1868 – 18 April 1933) was a German landowner and right-wing ...

(1828–1870), before becoming chairman of the newly established Eye Hospital of Düsseldorf in 1862. The hospital was promoted to medical school in 1919. Ernst Custodis, Professor and chairman of the department from 1946 to 1967, introduced scleral buckling to ophthalmology in 1949 as a revolutionary new concept to treat retinal detachment. In 1973 the medical school was transferred into and renamed the University Hospital Düsseldorf. Rainer Sundmacher, Professor and chairman from 1986 to 2006 founded in 1995 the Lions Eye Bank of

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inha ...

. Since then diagnosis and management of corneal disease has been the focus of the department. Since 2011, the Universitäts-Augenklinik Düsseldorf is managed by Gerd Geerling.

Subspecialty areas

Anterior Segment

Corneal transplantations are the major focus of the department. * Penetrating keratoplasty * Anterior and posterior lamellar keratoplasty (DSAEK; DMEK, DALK) Other areas with subspecialist experience are * Collagen crosslinking for keratectasias such as keratoconus * Keratoprosthesis *

Cataract surgery Cataract surgery, also called lens replacement surgery, is the removal of the natural lens of the eye (also called "crystalline lens") that has developed an opacification, which is referred to as a cataract, and its replacement with an intra ...

Glaucoma surgery Glaucoma is a group of diseases affecting the optic nerve that results in vision loss and is frequently characterized by raised intraocular pressure (IOP). There are many glaucoma surgeries, and variations or combinations of those surgeries, that ...

Other subspecialist clinics

Macular degeneration Macular degeneration, also known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD), is a medical condition which may result in blurred or no vision in the center of the visual field. Early on there are often no symptoms. Over time, however, som ...

diabetic retinopathy Diabetic retinopathy (also known as diabetic eye disease), is a medical condition in which damage occurs to the retina due to diabetes mellitus. It is a leading cause of blindness in developed countries. Diabetic retinopathy affects up to 80 perc ...

and

maculopathy A maculopathy is any pathological condition of the macula, an area at the centre of the retina that is associated with highly sensitive, accurate vision. Forms of maculopathies * Age-Related Macular Degeneration is a degenerative maculopathy ass ...

and other retinal vascular disorders as well as infectious and inflammatory vitreoretinal disorders are treated in the medical and surgical retina clinic. In the oculoplastic clinic all forms of lid, lacrimal and orbital disorders are treated, including ptosis,

entropion Entropion is a medical condition in which the eyelid (usually the lower lid) folds inward. It is very uncomfortable, as the eyelashes continuously rub against the cornea causing irritation. Entropion is usually caused by genetic factors. This is d ...

ectropion Ectropion is a medical condition in which the lower eyelid turns outwards. It is one of the notable aspects of newborns exhibiting congenital Harlequin-type ichthyosis, but ectropion can occur due to any weakening of tissue of the lower eyelid ...

, dermatochalasis as well reconstructive lacrimal and orbital surgery (e. g. orbital decompression). In the orthoptics and paediatric ophthalmology department

(squint) as well as all forms of neuroophthalmological problems are treated. A school of

orthoptics Orthoptics is a profession allied to the eye care profession. Orthoptists are the experts in diagnosing and treating defects in eye movements and problems with how the eyes work together, called binocular vision. These can be caused by issues with ...

is also run by the eye department. Lions Hornhautbank NRW

Lions Eye Bank North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW)

The Lions Eye Bank NRW is part of the department and is one of the largest eyebanks in Germany.

Scientific focus

The basic research of the department focusses on translational projects which are carried out at the laboratory for experimental ophthalmology. A number of projects are centered around

regenerative medicine Regenerative medicine deals with the "process of replacing, engineering or regenerating human or animal cells, tissues or organs to restore or establish normal function". This field holds the promise of engineering damaged tissues and organs by st ...

of the eye trying to establish tissue constructs for the treatment of corneal and conjunctival disorders, including severe

dry eye Dry or dryness most often refers to: * Lack of rainfall, which may refer to **Arid regions **Drought * Dry or dry area, relating to legal prohibition of selling, serving, or imbibing alcoholic beverages * Dry humor, deadpan * Dryness (medical) * ...

. The eye department also has a certified clinical trials unit and as such is member of the EVICR.net (European Vision Clinical Research). It participates in a number of international multicentre trials on * Dry eye and tear substitutes * Corneal transplantation *

Vascular disease Vascular disease is a class of diseases of the blood vessels – the arteries and veins of the circulatory system of the body. Vascular disease is a subgroup of cardiovascular disease. Disorders in this vast network of blood vessels can cause ...

s of the macula

Scientific Publications

The Universitäts-Augenklinik Düsseldorf has published numerous scientific publications.

Literature

* Hans Joachim Küchle: ''Augenkliniken deutschsprachiger Hochschulen und ihre Lehrstuhlinhaber im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert''. Biermann Verlag, Köln 2005, . * Thorsten Halling, Jörg Vögele: ''100 Jahre Hochschulmedizin in Düsseldorf 1907-2007''. düsseldorf university press, Düsseldorf 2007, .

Notes

External links

Official Website
(German and English version available) {{DEFAULTSORT:Universitats-Augenklinik Dusseldorf Teaching hospitals in Germany Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Hospitals established in 1862 Medical and health organisations based in North Rhine-Westphalia Eye hospitals in Germany