Meet the OCL Directors - OCL Vision

At the heart of OCL Vision is our incredibly dedicated and hard-working team of OCL directors. Their vision brought OCL to life. Let’s meet each of them and learn a little more.

Mr Chien Wong

Experience

Mr Chien Wong, MBBS FRCOphth, FRCSEd PGC, is a Director and consultant ophthalmologist at OCL Vision, Moorfields Eye Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). He is a specialist in vitreoretinal surgery in adults and children and is the head of the UK national surgical centre for complex retinal detachment surgery in premature babies at GOSH.

Chien completed ophthalmic residency training in London before going on to an adult retinal surgical fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital, followed by paediatric retinal surgery fellowships in Detroit, USA and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in California. He has received over 20 awards over his career and was elected to membership of the Retina Society in the USA in 2018.

Chien Wong specialities

• Vitrectomy surgery
• Vitreoretinal surgery
• Eye floater surgery
• Macular hole
• Epiretinal membrane
• Vitreomacular traction
• Vitreous haemorrhage
• Retinal detachment
• Complex retinal detachment
• Diabetic eye disease
• Paediatric vitreoretinal surgery
• Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) retinal detachment
• Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy
• Coats disease
• Incontinentia pigmenti

National and international reputation

Mr Wong is a key opinion leader and educator in vitreoretinal surgery. His clinical expertise is exemplified by being one of very few retinal surgeons globally with expertise in both adult and pediatric diseases, particularly in acute retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) retinal detachment. International vitreoretinal surgical companies seek his opinion to advise on improvements of current and future technologies to optimise the safety and effectiveness of surgery. He also works with NGOs to train their vitreoretinal surgical teams and other consultant eye surgeons.

Understanding Mr Wong’s Approach

From the first consultation, Mr Wong makes the effort to understand the patient’s reason for attendance, evaluates and explains with an approach that is attentive to how individuals may prefer to receive medical information, allows room for any potential patient anxieties to surface, and considers cultural context. His audited results in retinal detachment surgery are above the national average.

Find Mr Wong in the media

Mr Wong continues to be featured in mainstream media for his work on complex vitreoretinal conditions and surgeries. Look at some of the links below to learn more.

First-in-man treatment for a rare retinal condition, LCA-4.

ITV. Paul O’Grady’s Little Heroes, series 2, episode 3.

BBC 1. NHS at 70: How the NHS Changed Our World

Kuwaiti mum relieved after baby daughter receives treatment for rare eye condition at London hospital.

Saving the sight of premature babies this World Sight Day

Read Mr Wong’s publications

Mr Wong is a leading vitreoretinal surgery expert, ranking in the top 0.17% globally for published authors in this field, securing the top position in the UK. He has authored over 45  peer-reviewed scientific publications and six book chapters. Mr Wong’s influence extends globally, with over 130 national and international conference presentations, including a keynote lecture in 2017. Additionally, he has been a surgeon and co-investigator in several phase I/II gene therapy clinical trials. Examples of his publications include:

Improving safety and quality in vitreoretinal surgery through patient safety reporting. Published: British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Macular hole surgery and the impact on cataract development – a prospective randomised controlled clinical trial. Published: Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Novel surgical technique in paediatric vitreoretinal surgery and retinal detachment. Published: Retina.

Mr Wong’s Charity Work

Since 2014, Mr Wong has worked closely with the Armenian Eye Care Project (AECP), helping establish the Centre of Excellence for the Prevention of Children Blindness for the Children of Armenia.

Between 2014 and 2017, Mr Wong provided quarterly on-site vitreoretinal surgical training to two of the country’s most experienced retinal surgeons, making ten trips in 3 years. A ground-breaking moment in the project occurred in 2016, whereby for the first time in the history of the project, high-risk ROP surgery was performed in an infant wholly by an Armenian surgical team in Armenia with only remote supervision, from Great Ormond Street Hospital in London via telesurgery.

Mr Wong also travelled to Rwanda to perform and teach paediatric retinal surgery at the Kabgayi Eye Unit Rwanda –

[Book a consultation with Mr Chien Wong today]

Mr Romesh Angunawela

Experience

Mr Romesh Angunawela BM MD FRCOPhth, FRCS, FWCRS Cert LRS, PCEO is a Director and Founding Partner at OCL Vision and Consultant at Moorfields Eye Hospital, where he specialises in cataract and lens replacement, laser eye surgery, and corneal transplantation.

Romesh received a doctorate for his research on corneal healing after laser eye surgery (MD) and the Certificate in Laser Refractive Surgery (Cert LRS) from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. Following residency training at St Thomas’ Hospital and Moorfields Eye Hospital, Mr Angunawela completed a further two and half years of specialist fellowship training at Moorfields Eye Hospital and the Singapore National Eye Centre. He was appointed as a consultant at Moorfields Eye Hospital in 2011 and formed OCL Vision in 2018. In 2023, Romesh was nominated as an inaugural board-certified fellow of the World College of Refractive Surgery and Visual Science (FWCRS).

He is an alumnus of the Chicago Northwestern Kellogg School of Management and completed the Physician CEO Programme in 2023.

Mr Angunwela’s Specialities

• Laser Eye Surgery
• Laser Eye Surgery: LASIK
• Laser Eye Surgery: LASEK
• Laser Eye Surgery: SmartSight lenticule extraction
• Refractive Lens Exchange
• Cataract Surgery
• Phakic IOLs: Evo ICL, Artisan IOL
• Corneal Transplantation: DSAEK, DMEK, DALK, PK, Endoart
• Keratoconus Management: Crosslinking, Keraring, Keranatural, DALK
• Advanced Surface Ablation: SmartSurface
• Reading Vision Correction: Presbymax
• Artificial iris surgery for reconstruction

National and international reputation

Mr Angunawela has received 23 national and international professional awards, including an Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmologists, a National Patient Safety Award and 3 Gold Medals from the UK and Ireland Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeon. He appears in the national top 10 surgeon list for cataract surgery and laser eye surgery in the UK and was recommended in Spears’ 500 as one of its top 10 UK eye surgeons.

Understanding Mr Angunawela’s Approach

Mr Angunawela takes a personalised approach for the best potential vision correction during surgery. He has extensive experience using premium lens implants and laser eye surgery to achieve this. He is also a specialist in the treatment of Fuchs dystrophy. Mr Angunawela has a reputation for kind, personal, patient-centred care and has been trusted by doctors and colleagues to operate on them and their relatives.

Find Mr Angunawela in the media

Mr Angunawela has appeared in the national top 10 surgeon lists for cataract surgery and laser eye surgery in the UK. He is often sought by national tabloids for opinions on eye health. He has won many national and international awards, including the National Patient Safety Award (2017).

Read Mr Angunawela’s Publications

Mr Angunawela was awarded a higher doctorate (MD) from the University of London for research into healing after laser eye surgery. Mr Angunawela has published over 50 research papers and two book chapters. He continues to be involved in research.

Mr Angunawela’s Charity Work and Teaching

Mr Angunawela travelled to the Nubra Valley as part of the Himalayan Vision Project, which aims to bring modern health care to remote communities as part of the Himalayan Health Project. He continues to support the charity.

As a lecturer to medical students at St George’s, University of London, Mr Angunawela has received commendations for his teaching. He is also a faculty member of the University College of London’s MSc program in ophthalmology. He teaches regularly on courses as part of the European Society of Cataract Surgeons, including highly rated courses on cataract surgery, DSAEK surgery for Fuchs’ dystrophy and complex lens exchange in cataract surgery.

[Book a consultation with Mr Romesh Angunawela today.]

Mr Ali Mearza

Experience

Mr Ali Mearza is a Director and Founding Partner at OCL Vision and a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon specialising in cataract and laser eye surgery, refractive lens exchange and other vision correction techniques. Mr Mearza completed his training in London and then underwent a specialist fellowship in corneal surgery at Moorfields NHS Trust. He followed this with an additional one-year laser refractive eye surgery fellowship at the prestigious Emmetropia Mediterranean Eye Institute in Crete, the birthplace of modern LASIK. Mr Mearza has been an NHS consultant for over 15 years and was the Clinical Director of Ophthalmology at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust between 2016-2021, where he led the transition to paperless records, expanded the department by 10 consultants and introduced high-volume cataract surgery to the Trust amongst his many achievements.

Ali Mearza specialities

• Laser Eye Surgery
• Laser Eye Surgery: LASIK
• Laser Eye Surgery: LASEK
• Laser Eye Surgery: SmartSight lenticule extraction
• Refractive Lens Exchange
• Cataract Surgery
• Phakic IOLs: Staar Evo ICL
• Corneal Transplantation: DSAEK, DMEK, DALK, PK
• Keratoconus Management: Crosslinking, DALK
• Advanced Surface Ablation: SmartSurface
• Reading Vision Correction

National and international reputation

Mr Mearza is an internationally recognised speaker and has presented his work at the European and the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons. He has also presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmologists and the Association of Research and Vision in Ophthalmology forums. He is regularly invited to speak at international conferences as a renowned surgeon and expert voice in his field.

Understanding Mr Mearza’s Approach

Mr Mearza aims to provide the highest quality personalised care using state-of-the-art technology and techniques. His YouTube channel, where he shares many surgical procedures and experiences, has over 500,000 views to date; he is also active on Instagram and TikTok where he shares many of his techniques and patients’ interactions.

Find Mr Mearza in the media 

Mr Mearza’s work has been featured in the National Press and on television, and he is regularly consulted for opinions on eye-related matters and developments. He has been featured in the Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail, the Evening Standard, and Men’s Health and has featured on the Discovery Channel and Channel 4.

Read Mr Mearza’s Publications

Mr Mearza has over 30 peer-reviewed publications and is an invited Journal Reviewer. His publications range from case reports, book chapters, and clinical reviews, as well as studies on new techniques and technologies. Details of his research and publications can be seen on ResearchGate or PubMed, both publicly available domains where research profiles and results are presented.

Mr Mearza’s Charity work

Mr Mearza has a strong interest in charitable ophthalmic work and has been on many trips abroad, helping some of the world’s most vulnerable people to see again. His charitable work began with a trip to India in 2001. Since then, he has visited Indonesia, Burma, Madagascar, Bangladesh, Ghana and Cambodia, restoring sight to cataract patients. Get a deeper insight into Mr Mearza’s charitable work here.

[Book a consultation with Mr Ali Mearza today.]

Mr Allon Barsam

Experience

Mr Allon Barsam MA (Hons) Cantab MB BS FRCOphth FWCRS Examiner Cert LRS is a director and founding partner of OCL Vision, where he specializes in advanced laser and lens vision correction surgery, cataract and corneal surgery. Mr Barsam was trained in several international centres of excellence. He graduated in 2002 from the University of Cambridge and University College London Medical Schools with honours and a distinction in surgery.

Mr Barsam’s residency training was at Moorfields, followed by a fellowship in New York, where he worked closely with two founders of modern cornea, cataract and laser vision correction surgery. Mr Barsam then completed an additional cornea, cataract and refractive surgery fellowship at the Western Eye Hospital in London. Mr Barsam worked in the NHS for over 20 years, 11 of which were as a Consultant (L&D Foundation Trust, UCL Partners), where he built and led a tertiary anterior segment service for which he received several excellence awards.

Allon Barsam Specialities

• Laser Eye Surgery
• Laser Eye Surgery: LASIK
• Laser Eye Surgery: LASEK
• Laser Eye Surgery: SmartSight lenticule extraction
• Refractive Lens Exchange
• Cataract Surgery
• Phakic IOLs: Staar Evo ICL
• Corneal Transplantation: DSAEK, DMEK, DALK, PK
• Keratoconus Management: Crosslinking, Kerarings. Topo guided laser
• Advanced Surface Ablation: SmartSurface
• Reading Vision Correction

National and international reputation

Mr Barsam has an international reputation for combining state-of-the-art technology with superb microsurgical skills. In 2022, he completed the UK’s first SmartSight (lenticule extraction/flapless keyhole laser vision correction) procedure.

In 2023, Mr Barsam was honoured to be invited to become one of a few inaugural board-certified fellows of the World College of Refractive Surgery and Visual Science. In addition, Mr Barsam is an expert opinion leader for the laser eye surgery and cataract surgery industry, frequently advising on best practices with existing and emerging advanced technology. Allon Barsam is an elected council member of the British Society of Refractive Surgery (BSRS).

Understanding Mr Barsam’s Approach

Mr Barsam recognises that each patient deserves both precision and personalisation for their vision. He has a passion and proven track record providing enhanced vision for many people whose livelihoods and wellbeing depend on sight. Mr Barsam values innovation and is meticulous with research, critical analysis, and a thorough evidence base for best practices before implementing new techniques or treatments.

Find Mr Barsam in the Media

Mr Barsam features on every independent patient and peer-reviewed list of the UK’s top laser eye and cataract surgeons. Mr Barsam is regularly invited to speak, chair and moderate at national and international conferences. He is a member of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists’ prestigious Microsurgical Skills Faculty.

Mr Barsam regularly features in the media across multiple platforms for his expertise in laser and lens vision correction surgery, including BBC News, The Times, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, Reuters and the Discovery Channel.

Read Mr Barsam’s Publications

Mr Barsam has published over 45 peer-reviewed scientific papers and 16 book chapters, and he is the co-author of a comprehensive textbook on Ophthalmology, which is now in its third edition. He is an editorial advisory board member and former section editor of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Today Europe. He wrote his Doctoral thesis at the University of Cambridge on Keratoconus and safety in laser vision correction.

Mr Barsam is a surgical innovator working closely with the industry to continually refine and advance existing techniques.

Mr Barsam’s Charity work

Mr Barsam has carried out several charitable missions abroad to help people experiencing poverty who do not have access to modern eye surgery. Most recently, he was part of a team of surgeons carrying out cataract surgery in Cambodia in 2017.

[Book a consultation with Mr. Allon Barsam today.]