ALLISTON, ON - Stevenson Memorial Hospital (SMH) is proud to announce that Dr. Baseer Khan and a team at Stevenson Memorial Hospital (SMH) recently became the third team in Canada to perform a Canaloplasty, a minimally invasive procedure, which provides the hope of managing glaucoma without medication or major surgery. Glaucoma, a group of diseases, results in optic nerve damage and is the second highest cause of blindness worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The innovative procedure was pioneered in South Africa and first performed in Canada by Dr. Ike Ahmed. It uses micron-sized catheters and fiber-optic guidance technologies to access key structures within the eye. Improper drainage of the Schlemm's canal of the eye causes interocular pressure and the optic nerve is damaged. In Canaloplasty, a microcatheter is used to access and dilate the Schlemm's canal of the eye. Then a suture is attached to the microcatheter, placed within the canal and tightened to keep the dilated canal open, allowing for proper drainage. It is outpatient procedure that takes about 30 minutes. Glaucoma cannot be cured and damage cannot be reversed, but Canaloplasty prevents further damage and loss of sight.

Dr. Khan was recruited to the Ophthalmology Program at SMH in 2006. He completed a Glaucoma and Anterior Segment Fellowship at the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto in 2006 with three preceptors, including Dr. Ahmed. In addition to his SMH practice, Dr. Khan is a lecturer at the University of Toronto and is also on Staff at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.

"The team at SMH provides exceptional service to ophthalmology patients. The awesome skills and flexibility of the nurses, as well as the support from the SMH administration made this milestone possible. Their professional approach made Stevenson Memorial the best choice for my first Canaloplasty," said Dr. Khan.

To date, Dr. Khan has performed seven procedures at SMH. Patients have experienced excellent visual recovery with significant reduction in eye pressure, which arrests the progression of glaucoma.

"It's great that Stevenson Memorial Hospital and Dr. Khan were available to get this urgent procedure done so quickly," said patient, Gary Christo. "The care was impressive and I have a noticeable difference in my left eye now."

"This is a prime example of quality of service being much more important than the size of a facility. We are happy to be able to provide this groundbreaking procedure to patients within our LHIN and beyond," said Gary Ryan, President and CEO of Stevenson Memorial. "We are all very proud of Dr. Khan, the SMH team and this accomplishment," he added.