Prima Saigon Eyes Latest Advances in Eye Treatment

Ho Chi Minh City, 16 December 2023 – Amidst rising eye disease cases in Vietnam, Prima Medical Center Saigon, a Hoan My Medical Corporation member and an Associate Member of World Association of Eye Hospitals (WAEH), has recently held the Scientific Conference on “Updated Advances in Ophthalmology Care and Treatments”. 

With two million Vietnamese suffering from blindness and visual impairment, advances in treatments were the focus. Eye specialists discussed the latest methods for myopia control, refractive surgeries, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy.  

Current situation of refractive errors and eye diseases in Vietnam

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, as of October 2023, about two million people in Vietnam were experiencing blindness. The leading causes include cataracts (66%), fundus disease, glaucoma, and refractive error. Meanwhile, with the rising popularity of information technology, the eyes are exposed to electronic devices or affected by sunlight and environmental pollution, causing eye diseases to increase and rejuvenate. Notably, refractive errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism) are increasingly common among adolescents, with an incidence of 15-20% in rural students and 30-40% in cities.

Prima Medical Center Saigon’s strategic orientation

Meeting increasing and diverse treatment needs, minimizing patient complications, sharing advances in ophthalmology care and treatment, and improving professional capacity for doctors, technicians, and nurses are becoming increasingly important and urgent. 

Speaking at the Conference, Dr. Dilshaad Ali Bin Abas Ali, Group CEO of Hoan My Medical Corporation, said: “Our vision to 2030 is to transition from being an industry leader to a role model shaping healthcare culture to contribute towards the goal of improving the health and well-being of all Vietnamese people. To fulfill this ambition, Hoan My has been developing a multi-brand strategy with many specialties to serve the people. Ophthalmology is one of our key areas of investment, sharing medical advances and strengthening the capacity of our medical team through research and training alongside professional exchange. In doing so, we aim to improve the quality of examination and treatment of eye diseases for patients.“

Mr. Tran Quoc Bao, CEO of Prima Saigon Medical Center, added: “The Scientific Conference 2023 represents the ambition of the Prima Saigon Board of Directors to create a forum for our medical team and ophthalmology experts in general to share new medical advances in the field. It contributes towards building a modern medical system by applying advanced techniques and technologies in ophthalmology. On top of that, the Prima Saigon Medical Center team will continue to improve their expertise and implement new techniques so that patients can receive the best possible ophthalmology care and treatment.”

More than 20 renowned eye specialists with more than 20 in-depth papers

The Conference included more than 20 in-depth topics, divided into two sessions: An allied health Session and a doctor session, fully updated with information on examinations, diagnosis, treatment, and surgery in many specialties of ophthalmology such as glaucoma, cataracts, fundus diseases, refractive errors, and myopia control.

More than 20 experts in the field of ophthalmology attended this year’s Conference, including many doctors, nurses, and medical staff specializing in ophthalmology from prestigious universities and hospitals, such as Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy; Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine; Ho Chi Minh City Public Eye Hospital; Cao Thang Eye Hospital; City International Hospital; Saigon-Tien Giang Eye Hospital and Orient International Eye Center.

In addition, the Conference gathered more than 100 guests from Hoan My Medical Corporation, Hoan My Saigon Hospital, Hoan My Tan Binh Clinic, Hoan My ITO Dong Nai Hospital, Hoan My Thu Duc Hospital, Hoan My Cuu Long Hospital, Hanh Phuc International Hospital, Cho Ray Hospital, Gia Dinh Hospital, District 1 Hospital, 7A Hospital, Mat Viet Hospital, Le Van Thinh Hospital, Vimec Central Park Hospital, FV Hospital and American Eye Center. 

New advances in ophthalmology care and treatment

At the Conference, speakers discussed a broad spectrum of new knowledge related to eye care in various specialties, including infection control in ophthalmology, new treatments for refractive errors using the Phakic intraocular lens placement technique, and research results from treating glaucoma using pseudo-exfoliation and laser raft image filtering.

Notably, the Conference heard two reports on advances in treating dangerous eye diseases being successfully applied at Prima Saigon Medical Center. Specifically, the report “Residual refraction after Phaco surgery – causes and solutions” by Dr. Vo Thi Thu Thao, Chief Medical Officer of Prima Saigon, gave an overview of the quality of cataract surgery with a variety of methods to limit and definitively solve post-operative refractive residues, bringing the best visual quality to patients. 

Meanwhile, the report “Evaluation of the effectiveness of anti-VEGF intraocular injection treatment in diabetic retinopathy patients in Prima Saigon” by Dr. Trinh Ngoc Thuy An, Head of the General Ophthalmology Department of Prima Saigon, highlighted the outstanding efficacy of Anti-VEGF intraocular injection therapy in the treatment of fundus diseases caused by diabetes mellitus, such as macular edema and retinal hemorrhage, in restoring good vision.

In addition, there are other outstanding reports: 

● “Aberration correcting with Intraocular Lenses” by PhD. Dr Nguyen Chi Trung The Truyen, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh Eye Hospital; 

● “Research on selective laser trabeculoplasty in treating pseudo exfoliation glaucoma” by Ph.D. Dr. Doan Kim Thanh is the Dean of the Ophthalmology Faculty at the Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine. 

● “Increased intraocular pressure after refractive surgery” by Dr. Ha Nhu Quynh, Doctor of the Outpatient Department at Prima Medical Center Saigon. 

● “Preventing complications of cataract surgery” by Dr. Nguyen Thi Tu Uyen, Deputy Head of Phaco Department at Ho Chi Minh Public Eye Hospital. 

● “Outcome of refractive error treatment by Femto Lasik and Smile procedure at IEH Hospital” by Dr. Nguyen Duc Trong, Phuong Dong International Eye Medical Center. 

● “An overview of Glaucoma” by Dr. Trinh Bach Tuyet, Head of the Ophthalmology Department – City International Hospital. 

● “Overview of the current myopia control strategies worldwide” by Ph.D. Dr Tran Dinh Minh Huy is a Ho Chi Minh City Medicine and Pharmacy University Lecturer. 

● “Comparison of four formulas for the intraocular lens power prediction in short eye” by Dr. Nguyen Thanh Long, Chief Executive Officer of Saigon – Tien Giang Eye Hospital. 

● “Correlation between central corneal thickness and optic nerve head image on OCT in eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma” by Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Tran, Doctor of Outpatient Department at Prima Medical Center Saigon.

This year’s Scientific Conference marks the intensive development of Prima Saigon as an eye hospital that has created the ophthalmology think tank for doctors and medical staff inside and outside to learn and exchange ophthalmic knowledge with leading experts. Through this, Prima Saigon is committed to learning new techniques to provide the best possible eye care.