Dr christopher liu, OBE

Multi-award winning Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon of world renown. Over thirty years experience in Ophthalmology including over twenty three years at Consultant Surgeon level. Recognised world opinion leader in corneal surgery. Innovative surgeon with some twenty inventions. UK pioneer in DMEK corneal transplantation surgery, and immediately sequential bilateral cataract surgery. Multiple honorary academic appointments at home and abroad. Born in Hong Kong to a medical family, Christopher studied for O and A levels in England and went on to train at the Charing Cross Hospital, University of London, graduating with BScHons and obtaining his MBBS qualification in 1985. Christopher then specialized in ophthalmology, training at Charing Cross, Western Ophthalmic, and Moorfields Eye Hospitals. He completed higher ophthalmic surgical training at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and West Norwich Hospital and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. Professor Liu is renowned for his interest in OOKP (osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis) surgery, a revolutionary form of artificial corneal implant for patients with end-stage corneal blindness. OOKP was originally being practised only in Italy by Professor Giancarlo Falcinelli. Christopher learnt Italian and then spent frequent periods in Rome between ‘93 and ‘96 studying the technique which uses one of the patient’s own teeth to create the corneal implant. Christopher’s work came to the nation’s attention in 2004 with UK media coverage of a very successful OOKP operation on a 42 year old woman from Teeside. Judith Smith, who had been blind for 15 years prior to the surgery, was overwhelmed with joy at seeing her grandchildren’s faces for the very first time. (Link to www.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3576152.stm) Christopher has established a centre of excellence for OOKP surgery at The Sussex Eye Hospital in Brighton, serving the UK and beyond, where he leads a multi-disciplinary team for which he has secured central government funding. He has travelled widely to raise awareness of and teach OOKP surgery, with Visiting Professorships across the globe: Kinki University Medical School in Osaka, Japan and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi, India. He has received the Spanish ‘Member of Merit’ award from the Barraquer Institute in Barcelona and is a visiting Senior Consultant to the Singapore National Eye Centre. Professor Liu has a national and international profile for cataract surgery, having taken on particularly challenging cases such as patients with small pupil cataracts, iris defects and loose zonules with excellent clinical outcomes. He has published research into risk stratification for safe cataract surgery and has pioneered safe techniques for operating on cataracts in both eyes in one theatre slot, minimizing risk of infection. An experienced laser and lens refractive surgeon, Professor Liu uses both LASIK and surface treatment procedures (such as PRK). He was President of the British Society for Refractive Surgery (BSRS) from 2005 to 2008 and was President of the Medical Contact Lens & Ocular Surface Association from 1998 to 2000. He also specializes in the treatment of corneal and external eye disease and in looking after patients with glaucoma. Widely published, with over 200 academic papers, Christopher has been the Research Lead in Ophthalmology at Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust and is Honorary Clinical Professor at Brighton & Sussex Medical School.