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Prof Gerard Sutton Ophthalmologist

Prof Gerard
Sutton
MBBS MD FRANZCO

Prof Gerard
Sutton
MBBS MD FRANZCO

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Complete the form below and we will contact you to arrange an appointment. You will need to bring a current referral letter from a GP or optometrist to your consultation. If you are interested in laser eye surgery and require a referral letter, an appointment can be arranged with one of our optometrists to organise this.

Do NOT use this form if:

  • You are concerned about your eyes and require an urgent consultation. Instead, please call one of our clinics during office hours or contact your nearest emergency department.

Prof Gerard Sutton is one of Australia’s leading ophthalmic surgeons and is internationally recognised as an expert in cataract surgery, laser vision correction and corneal transplantation. He is a highly experienced eye surgeon, having performed over 25,000 surgical procedures. Prof Sutton has significant expertise in vision correction (e.g. LASIK, ASLA/PRK, SMILE®, refractive lens exchange and implantable lenses) and can offer patients the latest intraocular lens products (including trifocal lenses).

Prof Sutton is the Sydney Medical School Foundation Professor of Corneal and Refractive Surgery and also established the world’s first university course in refractive (laser eye) surgery. He has published more than 100 scientific papers and been invited to present internationally on over 100 occasions. Prof Sutton has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the XOVA Award for Excellence in Ophthalmology and the Inaugural John Parr Medal.

In Focus

Professor Sutton’s team takes home gold in 2018 Cataract Surgery Olympics

After being the first surgeon to represent Australia in the Cataract Surgery Olympics in 2016, Professor Sutton returned as a member of Team Asia Pacific for the 2018 competition held at the World Ophthalmology Congress in Barcelona earlier this year.

Teams of leading cataract surgeons from around the globe participate by showing videos that demonstrate their surgical technique, particularly for difficult or complicated cases of cataracts. Competing against surgeons from Latin America, North America and Europe/Middle East, Professor Sutton’s team impressed the panel of judges and audience voters, and proudly took home the gold medal.

Professor Sutton is pictured here with the other members of Team Asia Pacific: Professors Soon-Phaik Chee, Ramamurthy Dandapani and Tetsuro Oshika.

Career highlights

Career firsts

  • First Australian surgeon to perform LASIK with the femtosecond laser
  • First Australian surgeon to perform corneal transplantation with the femtosecond laser
  • First Sydney surgeon to perform SMILE®
  • First Australian surgeon to be awarded an MD for a doctoral thesis in laser eye surgery
  • First surgeon to successfully use an artificial cornea in New South Wales
  • First Australian to be appointed to the Board of the Asia Cornea Society
  • First Australian to complete overseas fellowship training in laser vision correction surgery
  • First surgeon to represent Australia in the World Cataract Olympics in 2016 and at the upcoming session in 2018

Teaching

  • Douglas & Lola Douglas Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology & Eye Health, Sydney University, New South Wales
  • Professor of The University of Sydney, Save Sight Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health
  • Visiting Professor, the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Victoria
  • Visiting Professor, Eye Institute Auckland, New Zealand
  • Visiting Professor, University of Medicine, Mandalay, Myanmar
  • Established the world's first university degree for refractive vision corrective surgery training
  • Ongoing international guest lecturing commitments

Other professional achievements

  • Chief Medical Officer, iFix Medical Pty Ltd
  • Published the award-winning book 'The Naked Eye', co-written with Clinical Associate Professor Michael Lawless
  • Medical Director, Lions NSW Eye Bank
  • Invited guest lecturer, World Cornea Congress, San Diego, USA (2015), and World Ophthalmology Congress Conference, Guadalajara, Mexico (2016) and Barcelona, Spain (2018)
  • RANZCO Council Keynote Lecture (2016)
  • Chair of the Australian Commission on Cataract Standards (2017)
  • Chief Ophthalmologist, Sydney 2000 Olympics

Professional memberships

  • Professorial Fellow of the Australian Institute for Innovative Materials
  • Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists
  • Academy of the Asia Pacific Professors of Ophthalmology
  • American Academy of Ophthalmology
  • Asia Cornea Society
  • Fellow of the Academy of Asia-Pacific Professors of Ophthalmology

Research

Prof Sutton is an active researcher, with over 100 peer-reviewed publications. He has a strong research interest in corneal bioengineering, and is currently involved in the development of the Corneal Biopen to treat corneal conditions. Prof Sutton also undertakes research into clinical advances in cataract and laser eye surgery.

Professor Sutton was an invited lecturer at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2019 meeting in Vancouver, Canada. He discussed the advent of a bioengineered cornea. ARVO is regarded as the premier ophthalmology research meeting and the invitation was a reflection of Prof Sutton’s international reputation in ophthalmic surgery.

Community involvement & charitable work

Prof Sutton is the medical director of the Lions NSW Eye Bank, a not-for-profit organisation that recovers, prepares, stores and distributes corneas and sclera in NSW and the ACT. It also supports research into eye disease, and is committed to educating healthcare professionals and the community about tissue donation. The Eye Bank works with the Mandalay Eye Hospital in Myanmar, where corneal disease is a leading cause of blindness.

The Naked Eye Book

The Naked Eye (a book by Prof Sutton & A/Prof Lawless)Prof Gerard Sutton and A/Prof Michael Lawless have authored an award-winning book, The Naked Eye, which explains laser eye surgery in simple, easy-to-understand language. Readers will come away with a clear understanding of the surgical options available today that may allow them to see clearly with ‘the naked eye’. This book is the perfect introduction to modern laser eye surgery for anyone considering the alternatives to glasses and contact lenses, regardless of their age, occupation or understanding of science.

Awards

  • Professor John C. Parr Medal Lecture Award, RANZCO New Zealand branch (2019)
  • The Big Idea Innovation Award for the Corneal Biopen (2017)
  • Achievement Award, Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (2015)
  • Achievement Award, Lions International (2015)
  • International Excellence in Ophthalmology Award, XOVA (2015)
  • Independent Publishers Award for ‘The Naked Eye’, co-written with Clinical Associate Professor Michael Lawless (2014)

Education & training

  • Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, University of Sydney, New South Wales
  • Doctor of Medicine, University of Auckland, New Zealand
  • Ophthalmic training, Sydney Eye Hospital, New South Wales
  • Fellowship in laser vision correction surgery, Friedrich Alexander University, Germany and St Thomas' Hospital and Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK
  • Fellowship in refractive surgery, Vision Eye Institute Chatswood, New South Wales
SMILE® is a registered trademark of Carl Zeiss Meditec
Publications
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IMPORTANT: If you are concerned about your eyes and require an urgent consultation, DO NOT use this form. Please call one of our clinics during office hours or contact your nearest emergency department.