Ophthalmology

I. Overview The Department of Ophthalmology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University is located on the second floor of the Comprehensive Building at No. 33 Longhua Road, Haikou City. It is a large ophthalmic disease prevention and treatment center integrating the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases, blindness prevention, teaching, and scientific research. Through the efforts of several generations, the Department of Ophthalmology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University has developed into an academically well-structured team and become a modern ophthalmology department in Hainan Province with comprehensive specialties, strong faculty, excellent medical technology, advanced diagnostic and treatment equipment, and formidable scientific research capabilities. It holds a pivotal position in the ophthalmology community within the province, and the "Department of Ophthalmology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University" has gradually become an ophthalmology brand enjoying an excellent reputation in the hearts of the people of Hainan. In 2021, it ranked eighth in South China and first in Hainan Province in terms of industry influence. In the 2019 China Hospital Science and Technology Evaluation for ophthalmology, it ranked 85th, making it the only ophthalmology department in Hainan Province selected among the top 100 ophthalmology departments in the China Hospital Science and Technology Evaluation. Over the past 5 years, it has applied for a total of 13 scientific research projects at various levels, including 2 National Natural Science Foundation of China projects, 6 key provincial-ministerial and provincial-level projects, and 5 department-level, hospital-level, and other projects. Over the past 5 years, it has published 55 papers in academic journals, including 15 SCI papers.

II. Technical Strength The department currently has 25 ophthalmologists, including 6 professors (chief physicians), 6 associate professors (deputy chief physicians), 5 lecturers (attending physicians), 4 resident physicians, and 4 technicians. There are 30 ophthalmic nurses, including 5 deputy chief nurses, 13 nurse supervisors, and 12 nurses. Among the current ophthalmologists, 4 hold doctoral degrees and 12 hold master’s degrees, making this the ophthalmology team with the highest educational and professional-title structure among tertiary general hospitals in Hainan Province. The department has 1 doctoral supervisor and 1 master’s supervisor. The Department of Ophthalmology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University is currently the only doctoral and master’s training institution in ophthalmology at Hainan Medical University. It currently has 18 enrolled master’s students, with 6 graduates. Personnel at the level of deputy chief physician or above each have their own professional expertise, and the following advantageous subspecialties have been established: 1. Excimer laser refractive surgery 2. Cataract and glaucoma 3. Retinal detachment and fundus diseases 4. Ocular trauma and oculoplastic surgery 5. Refraction, amblyopia, and ocular motility disorders 6. Ocular surface and lacrimal drainage disorders. The development of multiple subspecialties is at the leading level within the province.

III. First-Class Equipment 1. Excimer laser correction of refractive errors: The department currently has internationally recognized first-class equipment, including the German Eagle Vision excimer laser treatment system, femtosecond laser treatment system, Moria corneal lamellar knife, German anterior segment measurement and evaluation system, German Zeiss corneal topographer, and other supporting equipment; 2. Phacoemulsification treatment for cataracts: the American AMO phacoemulsification system, German Zeiss advanced operating microscope, Swiss optical biometer, and others; 3. Vitreoretinal surgery: the American Alcon vitrectomy system and German non-contact wide-angle fundus viewing system; 4. Diagnosis and treatment of fundus diseases: Japanese Topcon fundus camera, non-mydriatic fundus camera, German Zeiss 532 fundus laser, German Zeiss optical coherence tomography retinal scanner (OCT); 5. Treatment of lacrimal drainage disorders: German intraocular endoscope and lacrimal laser; 6. Others: German Zeiss YAG anterior segment laser, anterior segment photography slit lamp, computerized perimeter, visual electrophysiology instrument, Japanese Topcon non-contact computerized tonometer, multifunctional computerized refractometer, comprehensive refractometer, and other first-class equipment in the province.

IV. Specialty Features 1. Features of the diagnosis and treatment of fundus diseases: In 1992, the department was the first in the province to carry out fundus fluorescein angiography, enabling the timely and accurate diagnosis of various fundus diseases; in 2005, it introduced a 532 laser for retinal photocoagulation to treat retinal vascular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, raising the treatment of fundus diseases to a new level. The German Zeiss optical coherence tomography retinal scanner (OCT), introduced in 2010, has further advanced the diagnostic technology for fundus diseases, as well as the early diagnosis of glaucoma and evaluation of optic nerve damage, and is particularly unique within the province. The German Zeiss OCT angiography system, introduced in 2019, is a new fundus disease detection technology in the ophthalmology field in recent years. It enables the noninvasive and rapid acquisition and analysis of retinal blood-flow images and allows more in-depth examination and diagnosis of choroidal and retinal neovascularization. Since 2012, the department has taken the lead in the province in carrying out minimally invasive vitrectomy for complex fundus diseases, including retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage, diabetic retinopathy, macular hole, epiretinal membrane, and severe ocular trauma, enabling patients with complex fundus diseases who previously had to travel overseas for treatment to receive effective treatment and rehabilitation within the province, making an important contribution to achieving the goal of keeping "severe and major" ophthalmic diseases from requiring patients to leave the island. At the beginning of 2014, the department was the first in Hainan Province to apply anti-VEGF therapy to pathological intraocular neovascular diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, macular edema due to retinal vein occlusion, macular edema due to diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, and neovascularization due to pathological myopia, achieving satisfactory clinical treatment results. 2. Laser treatment of myopia: Since 1996, our hospital has taken the lead in Hainan Province in introducing excimer laser technology for the treatment of myopia, making it one of the earliest institutions in China to use lasers to treat myopia and accumulating extensive clinical experience. It has helped countless patients with myopia, astigmatism, and hyperopia remove their glasses and created opportunities for numerous students taking the national college entrance examination to pursue higher education, choose careers, and undertake further study at military and police academies. In particular, after the equipment was upgraded to the German Eagle Vision 500 excimer laser system in 2016, treatment outcomes became more reliable and stable. "One laser treatment, and the glasses come off" has become widely accepted and deeply rooted in the public consciousness, earning praise from all sectors of society. 3. Phacoemulsification treatment for cataracts: Since 1997, the department has taken the lead in the province in introducing and performing the preferred minimally invasive cataract treatment technique—phacoemulsification cataract extraction combined with foldable intraocular lens implantation. It has successfully treated nearly 60,000 cases of cataract, enabling cataract patients in our province to truly enjoy the surgical outcomes of "less trauma, faster recovery, and better vision." Having phacoemulsification performed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University is the wisest choice for cataract patients. 4. Comprehensive treatment of lacrimal drainage obstruction: Beginning in 2016, the department introduced the German lacrimal drainage endoscopy system and began providing comprehensive treatment for various lacrimal drainage obstructive diseases under lacrimal endoscopy, achieving good treatment results. 5. Others: The department has unique expertise in the early diagnosis and surgical treatment of glaucoma, emergency treatment and repair of ocular trauma, surgical removal of orbital tumors, oculoplastic surgery, prosthetic eye fitting and cosmetic surgery, surgical correction of strabismus, and the treatment and rehabilitation training of childhood amblyopia.