Lead Ophthalmic Clinician at The Hillingdon Hospital
Consultant Ophthalmologist at The Western Eye Hospital
Retinal Specialist.
Nicholas Lee has been an NHS Consultant at The Hillingdon Hospital and The Western Eye Hospital since 1997. He leads the Diabetic eye services at The Hillingdon Hospital and The Western Eye Hospital and is actively involved in the diabetic screening programmes of both Primary Care Trusts.
He specialises in “age related macular degeneration” (ARMD) and was one of the first centres to adopt Photodynamic Therapy in 2000. Since then he has kept very much at the forefront of the treatments for ARMD, procuring and using the very latest examination instruments including the new Optical Coherence Tomography machines.
He was an early adoptor of the current gold standard treatments of Lucentis and Avastin back in 2006.
Nicholas Lee has been running a very busy anti-VEGF injections programme since May 2006, both privately and under the NHS. He is quoted as saying "This is probably the most significant advancement in the management of medical eye diseases this decade". Mr Lee is very pleased to have Jumoko Adepegba the first Novartis Fellow to be working with him. They were awarded 3rd prize for a poster on AMD at the 11th Macular Degeneration Meeting in Lisbon in November
The Anti-VEGF treatment is not only for wet age related macular degeneration but is also used in the treatment of diabetic eye diseases (UK Licence January 2011. Currently NICE have accepted it is very effective but too Expensive for the NHS. The results of the Appeal unfortunately were negative and thus Lucentis for Diabetic Macular odema will not be available in the NHS. Mr Lee is most disappointed with the result though he understands the Dept of Health is in further discussions, so many not all is lost. In his NHS practice though Patients can continue to access Avastin for DME. Also Lucentis has been licensed for use in vein occlusions. Again NICE is reviewing this for use in the NHS. We have been using Lucentis and Avastin for the treatment of not only Macular Degeneration but also Diabetes and Vein Occlusions for the past 5 years now. I have been very impressed with our results that we regularly audit. Our latest results of Lucentis and Avastin in Diabetic Patients was presented this year 2011 at the Royal College of Ophthalmology meeting and the results are in line with other research groups.
As part of his general ophthalmology service Nicholas Lee specialises in cataract treatments - and uses a wide range of modern lenses including those used to correct astigmatism along with yellow lenses to protect the macular. He is particulary intesrted in small incision surgery and continues to strive to provide the very best Cataract surgery. Today 21/12/2011 European Product Manager visited Mr Lee from France to discuss and update him on the developments with the Hoya lenses. He is looking forward to trying the new preloaded Toric Lenses which Hoya are just about to launch.
September 2010 he achieved on of his goals at Western Eye Hospital of combing the Alcon Legacy micro tips, with the new Medicel 23g Irrigation aspiration instruments with the New pre loaded 2.4 mm Injectable Hoya 251 Intracoular lenses, to enable a true unenlarged micro incision cataract surgery of 2.4mm. Previously standard incision size was 2.9 and shaving off 0.5mm has been a major step forward. He is also the first to use the more Patient friendly way of dilating the pupil prior to surgery with the Medisert pledglet. No pain or discomfort compared to the standard drops. Mr Lee is well know to be an innovator and early adopter of new techniques always striving to offer the very best for his patients.
With his interests in Medical computing, Nicholas Lee is well know for his communication to General Practitioner’s and Optometrists - as well has having a very large collection of eye disease handouts for patients.
Contact Nicholas Lee for a private appointment here