ABOUT MR EDMUNDS

I am a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Oculoplastic Surgeon and carry out my NHS work at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Alexandra Hospital, Redditch and Kidderminster Treatment Centre).

I graduated from the University of Birmingham with Honours in 2002, gaining the 'Queen's Scholarship' for overall joint first place in my medical school graduation year. I also gained an intercalated First Class Honours medical science degree in Pharmacology.

I trained in general and emergency medicine in Auckland, New Zealand and at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (2003 - 2006) and in Ophthalmology on the West Midlands Deanery Ophthalmic Specialist Training Programme (2007 - 2017).

During this time I published numerous research abstracts and articles in peer-reviewed journals. I regularly presented my work at national and international academic meetings. A regularly updated list of my publications can be found here.

I gained a prestigious Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Fellowship and undertook cutting-edge laboratory-based research (2010 - 2013) into Thyroid Eye Disease (also known as Graves' Orbitopathy) at the University of Birmingham, gaining my doctorate (PhD) in 2015.

I undertook advanced sub-specialty training in Oculoplastics at the Birmingham & Midland Eye Centre, followed by Oculoplastic surgery fellowships at University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff and at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London. I also undertook a period as an international visiting scholar at the world-renowned Kellogg Eye Center at the University of Michigan, USA.

I am a Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (FRCOphth) and European Board of Ophthalmology (FEBO) as well as a Member of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP). I am a member of the British Oculoplastics Surgical Society (BOPSS) and European Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (ESOPRS).

I gained a range of prestigious regional, national and international awards during my training, including the Richard Collin European Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Junior Award (2013), the Midland Ophthalmological Society Junior Award (2013 & 2014), the Royal College of Ophthalmologists John Lee Award (2014), the Roper-Hall Prize Medal (2014) and the Ian Fraser Cup of the Oxford Ophthalmological Congress (2016).

I am married with three young children. My wife is a Consultant Community Paediatrician in Worcestershire. I am a keen runner, often to be found doing a Saturday morning Birmingham or Worcestershire parkrun. I am close to achieving an elusive sub-20 minute 5 km and regularly take part in 10 km races and half-marathons.

MY PRACTICE

CATARACT SURGERY

I am fully-trained in modern 'keyhole', micro-incisional cataract surgery (phacoemulsification), and provide a bespoke service to each individual patient.

I have undertaken more than 2,000 cataract surgeries, with extremely low complication rates.

I perform cataract surgery in my NHS practice in Worcestershire on a weekly basis, alongside my regular oculoplastic clinic and surgery commitments.

I will always endeavour to tailor a treatment plan to your individual needs depending on your lifestyle, work and hobbies.

OCULOPLASTIC SURGERY

I have gained extensive training from national centres of excellence in the assessment and non-surgical and surgical management of the full range of oculoplastic (eyelid), lacrimal (tear system) and orbit (eye socket) conditions.

Common procedures undertaken include ptosis (droopy upper eyelid) and blepharoplasty (removal of excess eyelid skin) surgery, eyebrow lifts, ectropion (out-turning lower eyelid) and entropion (in-turning lower eyelid) surgery and removal of all manner of benign eyelid lumps, cysts, skin tags and xanthelasmata (yellow deposits around the eyes).

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor of Medical Science (BMedSci) with 1st Class Honours - University of Birmingham 1999
Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) with Honours - University of Birmingham 2002
Member of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP UK) 2006
Member of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (MRCOphth) 2008
Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (FRCOphth) 2015
Fellow of the European Board of Ophthalmology (FEBO) 2015
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - University of Birmingham 2015

MY EXPERIENCE

CONSULTANT OPHTHALMIC & OCULOPLASTIC SURGEON

2019 - Present

Appointed as a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon with specialist interest in Oculoplastic, Lacrimal and Orbital Disease. I undertake weekly general, emergency and oculoplastic clinics, participate in the emergency ophthalmic 'on-call' rota and perform operations at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Kidderminster Treatment Centre and the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch.

In particular, I look after people with:

Cataracts (including laser for capsular opacification)
General ophthalmic problems (sore, gritty, itchy, painful eyes, visual loss, double vision)
Benign lesions around the eyes, including eyelid cysts, lumps, skin tags and fatty deposits
Eyelid tumours (including cancers) requiring excision and reconstruction
In-turned (entropion) and out-turned eyelids (ectropion)
Droopy eyebrows (brow ptosis) and eyelids (upper lid ptosis) with and without excess upper lid skin 'hooding' (dermatochalasis) requiring removal (upper lid blepharoplasty)
Thyroid Eye Disease (and other forms of orbital/eye socket inflammation)
Eye problems related to facial weakness, including 'Bell's palsy'
Abnormal facial 'twitching' (blepharospasm or hemifacial spasm) requiring Botulinum toxin (Botox) treatment
Watery eyes (for example, due to blockages in the normal tear drainage system)
Dry Eyes (for example, due to blepharitis)
Artificial eyes, painful, blind eyes and socket issues in those who have previously had eye removal

ADNEXAL FELLOW - MOORFIELDS EYE HOSPITAL, LONDON

2018 - 2019

I undertook an advanced fellowship in Adnexal (eyelid, tear system, eye socket) disease at the world-renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital, London. This involved working and training with some of the world's best specialists in this area and gaining experience in the assessment and management of the most complex surgical cases.

OCULOPLASTICS FELLOW - UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL OF WALES, CARDIFF

2017 - 2018

I gained further advanced oculoplastics experience at this large tertiary referral ophthalmic unit. This involved working in a nationally-recognised Thyroid Eye Disease clinic, as well as multidisciplinary working with maxillo-facial and neurosurgical specialists in complex skull-base disease.

MY EXPERIENCE - OPHTHALMIC TRAINING

OCULOPLASTICS TSC FELLOW - BIRMINGHAM & MIDLAND EYE CENTRE

2016 - 2017

I undertook a year-long sub-speciality post in Oculoplastic, Lacrimal and Orbital surgery at this regional centre of excellence. This involved participating in all aspects of eyelid, tear system and eye socket assessment, diagnosis and surgery.

OPHTHALMIC SPECIALIST TRAINING - WEST MIDLANDS DEANERY

2006 - 2017

Over the course of 10 years I gained comprehensive experience in all ophthalmic subspecialties - oculoplastics, cornea, cataract surgery, glaucoma, medical and surgical retina, neuro-ophthalmology, paediatrics and emergency ophthalmology. I worked with Consultant Ophthalmologists throughout the West Midlands. This means that I am able to assess and diagnose the full range of eye abnormalities.

During the period 2014 - 2017 I combined my clinical and surgical work with experience as an Academic Clinical Lecturer in Ophthalmology at the University of Birmingham. In this role I undertook clinical and epidemiological research into my particular area of research interest, Thyroid Eye Disease.

WELLCOME TRUST CLINICAL RESEARCH FELLOW

2010 - 2013

I gained prestigious funding from the Wellcome Trust to undertake three years of full-time cutting-edge, laboratory-based research at the University of Birmingham and earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) based on my thesis - 'Investigation of Candidate Biomarkers in Graves' Disease and Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy'.

MY EXPERIENCE - PRIOR TO OPHTHALMOLOGY

SENIOR HOUSE OFFICER - NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS

2004 - 2006

I trained in a range of medical specialities relevant to ophthalmology and eye diseases - for example, rheumatology, diabetes and endocrinology, infectious disease and HIV medicine and elderly care medicine. I also completed a 6-month post in Neurosurgery at Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham.

SENIOR HOUSE SURGEON - AUCKLAND HOSPITALS

2003 - 2004

During my time in New Zealand I worked in Paediatrics at Starship Children's Hospital, Auckland and in Intensive Care Medicine at the North Shore Hospital, Auckland. This experience gave me a fantastic perspective on how medicine is practiced in a country other than the United Kingdom.

HOUSE OFFICER - BIRMINGHAM CITY HOSPITAL AND BIRMINGHAM HEARTLANDS HOSPITAL

2002 - 2003

Having qualified as a doctor from the University of Birmingham, my first junior training posts were in Gastroenterology and Endocrinology at City Hospital, Birmingham, followed by posts in Vascular and Colorectal Surgery at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital.