OPTEGRA Launches New Fellowship Programme

OPTEGRA Launches New Fellowship Programme

Leading eye health care group, Optegra, is proud to announce the appointment of its first Fellow, Mr Fadi Alfaqawi, as it unveils its Cataract and Refractive Surgery Fellowship Programme. This ground-breaking initiative aims to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange within the field of eye health.

Mr Fadi Alfaqawi, 37, Consultant Surgeon, will be based at Optegra Eye Hospital Birmingham and Optegra Eye Hospital Yorkshire, dedicating equal time to performing NHS cataract surgery and vision correction procedures. His involvement extends to a 12-month research project with Optegra Eye Sciences, providing a comprehensive and immersive experience.

Under the mentorship of consultant ophthalmic surgeon Mr Shafiq Rehman, the Fellowship is overseen by Medical Director Mr Amir Hamid, ensuring a robust support structure for the professional development of Mr Alfaqawi.

Mr Rehman expressed his enthusiasm for the Fellowship programme, stating, “We are excited to launch this new Fellowship scheme as a means to attract new talent to Optegra and share our expertise with surgeons eager to expand their knowledge and gain valuable surgical experience. Optegra’s comprehensive range of treatments allows us to offer extensive learning opportunities and support talented junior consultants on their career path.”

Mr. Alfaqawi began his ophthalmology training in Birmingham in 2015, marking the inception of his professional journey in the field. Subsequently, he moved to Liverpool, where he completed his extensive ophthalmic training. Notably, his dedication and expertise were recognised with the NEOS (North of England Ophthalmological Society) oral presentation award. Now, he has returned to Birmingham, the city where his passion for ophthalmology first ignited.

His impressive achievements include earning prestigious titles such as FRCOphth (Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists) and FEBO (Fellow of the European Board of Ophthalmology). In addition, Mr. Alfaqawi obtained the Certificate of Laser and Refractive Surgery (CertLRS) designation.

Further enhancing his expertise, Mr. Alfaqawi completed an extensive Refractive, Cornea, and Lens Surgery course at Miguel Hernández University in Spain. He states “Bringing these skills and expertise, I am committed to staying at the forefront of technologies, empowering patients to customise their eye care for a better quality of life. This is made possible through the wide range of vision correction surgeries offered by the hospital group.”

Affirming his dedication to cataract, cornea, and vision correction, Mr. Alfaqawi expressed, “I am very pleased to pursue both cataract and vision correction paths as part of the Optegra Fellowship. I also value the importance of simulation and enjoy supporting junior doctors and optometrists in developing their skills. I look forward to continuing to be involved in providing that training while I myself learn from more senior colleagues.

“Working with Optegra is an honour, bearing in mind their clinical outcomes which are second to none, the thorough clinical pathways, the specialist clinical colleagues, and latest technologies.  Like me, they put the patient first in everything they do, so this is a great fit.”

As the inaugural Fellow in Optegra’s Fellowship scheme, Mr Alfaqawi sees the opportunity as uncharted territory that offers great possibilities for shaping his own future. Reflecting on his experience thus far, he mentioned, “The Fellowship has exceeded all my expectations. I felt settled very quickly – people genuinely listen and give constructive feedback instantly, which is amazing.”

Highlighting his fascination with eyecare and his dedication to enhancing patients’ quality of life, Mr Alfaqawi sees ophthalmology as a specialised and highly surgical field. “Fine detail is really my interest,” he added.

Fadi enjoys spending time with his wife and young son and is passionate about raising money for charity. ” I’m passionate about charity, completing a skydive and bungee jump to support St John’s Eye Hospital in Jerusalem, we have bought an iCare machine to measure intraocular pressure for children. A cause close to my heart with family ties to Palestine.”

Optegra Eye Health Care and is a specialist provider of ophthalmic services. Established in 2007, with its first hospital opening in 2008, it has completed over one million eye procedures from its 31 eye hospitals and over 60 locations across the UK, Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia.

Optegra brings together leading-edge research, medical expertise and state-of-the-art surgical equipment.  It performs more than 140,000 treatments annually, both private and publicly funded. Its top ophthalmic surgeons are renowned for their areas of expertise, offering excellent clinical outcomes and great patient service.