Brachytherapy of retinoblastoma in University Hospital Saarland Homburg

About the department

The Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology at the University Hospital Saarland Homburg provides the full range of modern diagnostics and treatment for eye diseases. Of particular interest is the treatment of cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, retinal detachment, retinopathy, and refractive errors, including myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, presbyopia, and strabismus. The department admits young patients under the age of 16. Children can undergo eye exams, including vision screening for premature babies and treatment of various pathologies. As a maximum care medical facility, the department has a modern infrastructure for providing highly effective medical care, namely operating rooms with state-of-the-art equipment, laser therapy rooms, a specialized outpatient clinic for neuro-ophthalmic diseases and visual impairment in children, and an Intravitreal Injection Therapy Center. A feature of the department is the presence of the in-house LIONS Cornea Bank, which is responsible for corneal removal, cultivation, and transplant. The Cornea Bank was opened in 2020 and is currently one of the leading medical facilities of this kind in Europe. In 2021, the specialists performed 676 corneal transplant procedures. The department's ophthalmologists thus have everything necessary to restore the vision of their patients. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Berthold Seitz.

The department specializes in the surgical treatment of eye diseases. Surgical interventions are most often performed on an outpatient basis, which is an undoubted advantage for patients. The department's specialists have vast experience in the fields of refractive lens exchange for severe refractive errors, cataract surgery, anti-glaucoma surgery, surgical removal of tumors of the orbita, conjunctiva, and eyelids, and surgery to correct strabismus in adults and children. Prior to the surgical intervention, a patient undergoes comprehensive diagnostics, based on the results of which the attending physician determines the advisability of surgical treatment. During a preoperative consultation, the specialist tells the patient in detail about the upcoming surgical procedure, the technique of its performance, and anesthesia. Operations for eye pathologies are performed using microsurgical techniques under a surgical microscope. Upon the completion of surgical manipulations, the doctor puts a bandage on the eye, and the patient remains under medical supervision for some time.

Since 2016, a highly-specialized Intravitreal Injection Therapy Center has been operating in the department. Intravitreal injections involve the administration of drugs directly into the pathological focus, when treatment with eye drops or ointments does not give the desired result. This type of treatment is indicated for patients with retinal and macular pathologies. The method has been most widely used in the treatment of patients with macular edema, which is often caused by age-related macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion, diabetes mellitus, or vascular neoplasms. Before the injection procedure, patients are given special antiseptic and anesthetic drops. Injections are performed under sterile conditions. After the procedure, the patient must return to the center for an eye exam within 2-5 days. 

The KiOLoN Section admits young patients with eye diseases. Diagnostic procedures are available here to assess the visual acuity and structure of the baby's eyes, including screening of vision in premature babies to exclude retinopathy of prematurity. Pediatric ophthalmologists most often treat congenital cataracts and glaucoma, ptosis, and refractive errors (strabismus, amblyopia, myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism). The main treatment for congenital cataracts and glaucoma is surgery. Surgery is also required to repair ptosis. Laser techniques (excimer lasers) are commonly used to treat refractive errors.

An integral part of the department's clinical practice is a corneal transplant. In many cases, a corneal transplant is the only method that can save a person's vision. During the operation, doctors take material from the LIONS Eye Bank, which was opened in July 2020. In 2021, the department's ophthalmologists performed 676 corneal transplant procedures. Patients from all over Germany, as well as France, Luxembourg, and other countries, regularly seek medical attention at the LIONS Eye Bank.

The department's key clinical focuses include the following:

• Inpatient medical care
  • Full range of corneal surgical procedures at one of the most advanced LIONS Eye Bank in Europe, including corneal refractive surgery and keratoplasties
  • Glaucoma surgery in children, as well as primary, secondary, and complicated forms of glaucoma in adults (including fistulizing and cyclodestructive interventions)
  • Refractive cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation in adults and children (including implantation of multifocal artificial lenses, also in combination with corneal surgery, antiglaucoma surgery, and lens interventions)
  • Vitreous and retinal surgery
  • Organ-preserving cancer surgery: lamellar resection and resection of malignant tumors of the anterior and posterior segments of the eye
  • Eye muscle surgery in adults and children
  • Plastic surgery on the eyelids and external parts of the eye, reconstructive surgery on the external and endonasal lacrimal ducts
  • Combined orbital surgery (in cooperation with the Departments of Otolaryngology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Neurosurgery)
• Outpatient medical care
  • Individual selection of contact lenses, including special lenses
  • Treatment of eye diseases using argon lasers, Nd-YAG lasers, and diode laser cyclophotocoagulation
  • Intravitreal drug injections (Macugen, Lucentis, Avastin) for macular edema
  • Photodynamic therapy for age-related macular degeneration and concomitant pathological processes
  • Outpatient surgical treatment: laser interventions, phacoemulsification, and uncomplicated interventions on the vitreous body and retina
• Other therapeutic services