Initially established in 1987 as a division” Neuro ophthalmology” under the department of neurosurgery, the ophthalmology services were upgraded to a full-fledged department in August 2013. This type of Neuro-ophthalmology setup, where an ophthalmologist is directly interacting with Neurosurgeon, Neurologist, Neuro-radiologist and Neuro-otologist is a unique and does not exist anywhere else in India.
Now the department has all the facilities besides Neuro-ophthalmology for managing the various disorders of anterior segment and posterior segment with latest equipment such as Anterior and Posterior segment OCT, Corneal Topography, Ocular response analyzer, Aberrometry Specular microscopy, Optical Biometer and high end phacomachines. Being a multispecialty Institute the department is managing various medical & surgical retinal procedures with high end diagnostic & therapeutic equipments such as Fundus camera, Spectral Domain OCT and Lasers for Posterior segment disorders. Vitreo-retinal surgical procedures are now being done by high end equipment constellation machine. The department has a electro physiology lab where ERG, EOG & VEP are being done to evaluate functions of optic nerve and retina. Besides the clinical work the department has involvement in various research projects and also multinational drug trials.
To develop excellent teaching and training programme for residents, the department of Ophthalmology has started a PDCC (Post Doctoral Certificate Courses) in Neuro-Ophthalmology and a Medical and Surgical (Ophthalmology, Retina) fellowship and corneal and refractive surgery and oculoplasty will be started soon. The department has various subspecialties Neuro-ophthalmology, orbit and squint, Cornea and uveitis, Cataract, Glaucoma, Oculoplasty, Medical and surgical retina.