Ophthalmology

• Our specialists have an excellent track record and a huge amount of experience in diagnosing not only highly complex vision problems, but also more common ones.
• The Paediatric Ophthalmology Department at SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital is one of the busiest in the country, handling on average more than 120 visits a day and approximately 4-5 surgeries a day. This huge volume of patients, as well as the complexity of many of the cases, makes us a leading centre of national and international recognition.
• We have a team of 12 ophthalmologists sub-specialising in the 8 branches of the different conditions that affect children's eyes. We also rely on a group of 6 paediatric optometrists. Because of this, our Ophthalmology Department has more accreditations than any other leading centre in Spain .
• Examining children's eyes is not always easy. As paediatric specialists,  we have the experience and technology to adjust to a specific patient's characteristics.

We have cutting-edge rapid diagnostic tools. In certain circumstances, we are able to activate an express rapid-diagnostic protocol (a few days) in which each of our sub-specialists, by using the appropriate technologies, study all parts of the eye in order to reach a diagnostic consensus.

Standard equipment adapted for children

• Paediatric autorefractor.
• Various types of portable tonometer (to measure eye pressure in children).
• Photographic biomicroscope: provides serial images to track conditions affecting the anterior pole of the eye.
• Portable biomicroscope: helping to examine young children or disabled persons.
• Portable corneal pachymeter.
• Non-mydriatic retinal camera: obtains images of the fundus of the eye in children over 4 years of age, with no need for drops to dilate the pupil.
• Standardised automated perimetry.

Complex exploratory equipment

• Contact retinal camera: takes serial photographs of the fundus of the eye in small children and even premature babies. This is a video camera with a wide-angle lens that is placed on the eye and takes images of the retina and optic nerve. It used to diagnose and monitor retinopathy of prematurity and retinoblastoma. We have a second hand-held camera to use in examinations outside our hospital setting.
• High-resolution ocular ultrasounds and biometry. These take ultrasound images of all areas of the eye when they are not visible.
• OCT (optical coherence tomography): device able to take sectional images of most anatomical structures of the eye through a photon beam.
• Electrophysiology: next-generation device that allows for visual evoked potentials, electroretinography and electrooculography, with no need for anaesthesia in many children.

Complex surgical equipment

• Cross-linking for the treatment of keratoconus.
• High-end ophthalmologic surgical microscope.
• Integrated phaco-vitrectomy for cataract and vitreoretinal surgery.
• Endolaser: used to treat the retina from inside the eye.
• Diode-laser indirect ophthalmoscope to treat retinopathy of prematurity.
• Laser for transpupillary thermotherapy to treat retinoblastoma.
• Laser for dacryocystorhinostomy.
• Nasal endoscope with televised control for tear-duct surgery.
• Centrifugation of fats and platelets for orbital micro-filling.
• Cryotherapy for tumours and other retinal lesions and to destroy ectopic cilia.