Prof. Paulo E. Stanga has worked in Ophthalmology for over 20 years and is currently a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Vitreoretinal Surgeon for the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. He is also Professor of Ophthalmology for the University of Manchester and Member of the Manchester Biomedical Research Centre.
Prof. Stanga specialises in vitreo-retinal disorders that require either medical or surgical treatment, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy, retinal vein occlusions, macular hole, retinal detachment, paedriatic retinal diseases, ocular trauma and cataract surgery.
Since 1993, Prof. Stanga has worked in the development and application of new outpatient and surgical therapies and technologies such as retrobulbar Interferon alpha-2a, genetics of AMD, retinal pigment epithelium translocation surgery, macular translocation surgery, micropulse diode and Pascal® laser photocoagulation, optical coherence tomography (OCT), wide-angle fundus fluorescein angiography (Optos®) and fundus autofluorescence technology, antiangiogenic intravitreal drugs and high speed phaco/vitrectomy surgical systems.
Prof. Stanga has set up and runs a Retina Research Fellowship Program.
Prof. Stanga’s current research interests are in the pharmacological, surgical and laser treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy and macular oedema, laser-tissue interaction, choroidal neovascularisation secondary to age-related macular degeneration and myopia, phototoxicity and wound construction during vitrectomy surgery and electronic retinal implants for artificial vision or "bionic eye"
Prof. Stanga has significantly contributed towards the field of Retinal Imaging.
In 1998, Prof. Stanga introduced Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging into the clinical setting in the UK. This technology is now an indispensable and everyday use examination tool in Ophthalmology.
In 2006, Prof. Stanga introduced into the EU the new retinal laser photocoagulation system Pattern Scan Laser (Pascal) and since then has been developing new retinal laser photocoagulation techniques/strategies for the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. As a result of the research that Mr Stanga leads, the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital and the University of Manchester are now one of the world leaders in this field.
Prof. Stanga also pioneers surgery for artificial vision in blindness that includes electronic epiretinal prosthesis implantation or “bionic eye”. Prof. Stanga is just one of only 4 doctors in the world currently being able to offer this surgery.
The Argus II implant, developed by American company Second Sight, aims to restore a basic level of useful vision in patients blind due to degenerative diseases of the outer retina.