Dr Caroline MacEwen, head of the Ophthalmology Department at the University of Dundee has been awarded a very prestigious medal in New Zealand for her work on watery and sticky eyes in children making her the first ever Scot to be awarded this prize.
Caroline has been investigating this problem for a number of years in Tayside studying 5,000 children, 20% of whom she found were affected by the condition. Previously all children with watery and sticky eye underwent surgery but Caroline has discovered that 96% of children who are affected recover after a year, negating the need for surgery.
To improve success rates for the children who do need operations, Caroline has developed a new surgical technique. Entry is now made through the nose with a nasal endoscope. The new technique has seen a high success rate in the children who need the operation.
Dr Caroline MacEwen attended the Royal Australian and New Zealand Congress of Ophthalmologists in Auckland to give a prestigious lecture on watery and sticky eyes in memory of Sir Norman McAllister Gregg. This lecture has been given annually since 1958 in memory of Norman Gregg, who discovered that German measles in a mother causes defects in her unborn child, particularly blindness, deafness and other abnormalities.
By Jenny Marra, Head of Press 01382 344910 j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk