BCLA award for discoverer of Duas layer

The award was presented to Prof Duaby the president of the BCLA, Susan Bowers.
In his presentation, entitled ‘The novel pre-Descet’s layer (Dua’s layer): its discovery, characterisation, clinical implications and surgical applications’, Professor Dua told delegates how the discovery of a distinct layer in the pre-Descet’s stroma had considerably improved current understanding of deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) and endothelial keratoplasty, and had made DALK a safer procedure.
With regards to surgical applications, Professor Dua predicted that pre-Descet’s endothelial keratoplasty (PDEK) would replace Descet’s mbrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) within the next few years.
“The anatomy of the human cornea has been redefined,” declared Professor Dua, whose June 2013 paper published in Ophthalmology described how the breakthrough could help surgeons to dramatically improve outcomes for patients undergoing corneal grafts and transplants.
After receiving his award, Professor Dua said: “The BCLA Pioneers & Visionaries Conference is a prestigious event that is held in high este in the United Kingdom eye conference calendar. It was an honour to be asked to deliver the 2014 Pioneers Lecture. The large attendance and the multitude of questions and comments my talk generated were particularly satisfying.”
Held at the Royal College of Physicians, the new format conference presented a full day of lectures, an exhibition, sponsor presentations on the latest industry innovations, and the chance to catch-up and network during coffee breaks, lunch and an evening drinks reception.
Presentations included an update on myopia control and current strategies to ploy in practice by Dr Nicola Logan, who predicted that 2015 would see the introduction of commercial lenses for myopia control.
Dr Logan said there were promising interventions but that the potential ‘rebound effect’ of accelerating axial growth, and knowing when to stop treatment, rained two key challenges.
Dr Nicole Carnt presented the results of a recent clinical audit of nearly 200 cases of acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) presented at Moorfields Eye Hospital mostly since 2000. She rinded the audience that AK was a rare and severe infection that was rising in incidence and severity, but that avoiding water contact could prevent 90 per cent of cases; she urged delegates to include AK in the differential diagnosis of contact lens wearers with infection.