What We Do

Oculoplastics, also known as oculoplastic surgery and ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery, is a subspecialty within ophthalmology. The Oculoplastic Department manages conditions arising from the ocular adnexa (including eyebrows, upper and lower eyelids, midface, ocular surface, lacrimal apparatus and orbital structures) of both congenital and acquired nature.

The department comprises seven trained specialists led by Dr Sunny Shen (Head and Senior Consultant). As a subspecialty/tertiary department, our services are categorised into general oculoplastic service and specialised sub-subspecialty services.

General oculoplastic service

General oculoplastic service encompasses eyebrow ptosis, upper eyelid ptosis and dermatochalasis (droopy eyelids), eyelid ectropion and entropion, eyelid oncology and periocular reconstruction, facial nerve palsy and facial spasms, nasolacrimal duct obstruction (blocked tear ducts), periorbital trauma and oculoplastic emergencies.

Specialised sub-subspecialty services

• The Aesthetic Eyeplastic Service, led by Clinical Director Dr Choo Chai Teck, caters to the aesthetic demands for surgery to the periocular region (endoscopic eyebrow lift, small-incision Asian blepharoplasty, cosmetic blepharoplasty, lower eyelid blepharoplasty [eye bags surgery], midface lift, cosmetic Botox and filler injections).

• The Thyroid Eye Disease Service, led by Clinical Director Adjunct Associate Professor Seah Lay Leng, provides one-stop comprehensive care for patients with thyroid eye disease (combined specialist clinic for orbital decompression, strabismus surgery, rehabilitative surgery and medical management).

• The Cranio-Orbit Service, led by Adjunct Associate Professor Audrey Looi, manages complex orbital tumours, vascular malformations, post-ablative surgery and trauma reconstruction in collaboration with Singapore General Hospital Neurosurgery department.

• The Lacrimal Service, led by Dr Sunny Shen, manages complex nasolacrimal and paranasal conditions together with Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department. 

• The Paediatric Oculoplastic Service, in SNEC and KK Eye Centre, caters to congenital ptosis, epiblepharon, congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction, periocular congenital tumours and congenital anophthalmia.

• The Ocular Prosthetics Service, led by Dr Teoh Khim Hean, a collaboration with the National Dental Centre Singapore, provides care for patients with anophthalmia (e.g. socket reconstruction).

Key facts and figures

• The Oculoplastic Department was set up in 1990.

• Our team attends to more than 11,000 specialist outpatient visits and performs more than 1,200 oculoplastic procedures annually at SNEC, Singapore General Hospital and SNEC satellite clinics (SNEC Eye Clinic @ Changi General Hospital, KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) Eye Centre, SNEC Eye Clinic @ Bedok, SNEC Eye Clinic @ Sengkang General Hospital).

• Our faculty regularly teaches courses on advanced microsurgical skills, essential oculoplastic procedures and cadaveric dissections, and performs live surgery demonstrations both locally and internationally.

• Our department has successfully trained more than a dozen international eye specialists in the region through the SNEC Oculoplastic Fellowship Programme.

  Our team actively participates in local, regional and international collaborations on medical education and research (Singapore Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Asia Pacific Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Asean Ophthalmology Society, Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology, International Thyroid Eye Disease Society, European Group on Graves’ Orbitopathy and Orbit Society).         

  
  

Recent breakthroughs and future developments

Our department is actively collaborating with the National University of Singapore Bioengineering Department to develop bioresorbable osteoconductive implant materials for the repair of orbital fractures.

In the future, our department will continue to expand and provide more dedicated sub- subspecialty services.

The Paediatric Oculoplastic Service will be expanded as part of the KKH Eye Centre redevelopment programme in 2018.  Fully functional general oculoplastic service will also be set up at the new SNEC satellite at Sengkang General Hospital, in 2018. 

New multispecialty services, including the SingHealth Skin Cancer Service and Integrated Facial Reconstruction Service, are in the pipeline and will provide more comprehensive and holistic patient care for our population.