Dr Hugo Holden (Ophthalmologist)

Name

Dr Hugo Holden

Qualifications

Bachelor of Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery 1990

FRANZCO 2000

Occupation

Ophthalmologist

Gender

Male

Medical Specialties

Ophthalmology

http://eyespecialists.com.au/

07 5443 6666

Dr Hugo Holden is an ophthalmologist trained in New Zealand who came to Maroochydore in 1997 to undertake a fellowship in refractive surgery at Laser Sight Centre Australasia. Dr Holden’s general practice at the main eye clinic in Maroochydore became busy very quickly and he is no longer performing LASIK surgery. Instead, he is now dealing with general ophthalmology with a special interest in the anterior segment of the eye and cataract surgery.

Prior to becoming a doctor and ophthalmologist, Dr Holden was an electronics engineer involved in the fields of video, digital and analog image processing with interests in many other areas of electronics. Dr Holden’s current area of research includes the design and development of phacoemulsification machines. These are the machines used to extract cataracts from the human eye through small surgical incisions. He has built a prototype peristaltic phaco machine for this application and this has been trialed at the Eye Clinic in Maroochydore.

Currently, Dr Holden’s research interests also include the fluidic management systems within these machines and mathematical modeling systems, which describe the properties of the machine fluidics. Dr Holden’s primary goal directive is integrating his knowledge of electronics and ophthalmology to use technology to fight disease. Specifically in this case, addressing the major worldwide problem of untreated cataract blindness. A number of efforts have been made to provide treatment for people in developing nations with cataract blindness, though currently the cost of the phacoemulsification machines is prohibitive, along with the cost of the disposables.

Typically these machines can cost between $30,000 and $70,000 each and the disposables used on each cataract case can run in the order of $20 to $100 per case, putting the technology out of reach for many people. As a result, without the phacoemulsification machine, surgical techniques have to be used. It would be desirable if the cost of the phacoemulsification equipment could be reduced down to a practical value of less than $5,000 per machine. More importantly, the costs of the disposables should be reduced to $1 per case to make this technology affordable for people in less well-funded environments.

Dr Holden believes there is plenty of scope for improving the economy of phacoemulsification cataract surgery wherever it is performed, as the costs of the technology is currently being handed onto the patient. Anything that can be done to reduce the burden of these costs is desirable.

Affiliated Clinics

Eye Care Specialists- Sunshine Coast

Practice Locations

Sunshine Coast

Eye Care Specialists- Sunshine Coast

Address

S-Coast Day Surgery Bldg
Maroochydore QLD Australia