The Miguel Hernández University Hospital (UMH) has announced that it will shortly be receiving military patients from Iraq from where the Ministry of Defence will be sending some of their most serious eye injuries to the Alicante hospital in order that complex surgeries and eye reconstructions can be carried out by the specialist surgeons Dr. Jorge Alió and Pilar Serrano.
The decision was taken following the visit to Baghdad by Dr. Jorge Alió where he examined and treated soldiers from the 2nd Iraqi Army who were injured by gunshots and shrapnel in the war afflicting their country.
Alió, professor of Ophthalmology at the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) in Elche, and one of the foremost optical surgeons in the world, was chosen by the Iraqi administration to carry out the treatment in Spain.
Whilst in Iraq Dr. Alió also had the opportunity to go to the children’s hospital ‘Luz de sus ojos’ where he was able to see at first hand the basic health and education needs of orphaned children with whom he plans to provide medical assistance. He was also able to meet a delegation from the Iraqi medical directorate with whom he had further talks.
This trip brings to an end a year “full of recognition” for the eye surgery expert, who recently entered the Forbes list of the hundred best doctors in Spain, just one of six Spanish ophthalmologists mentioned in the latest issue of the journal.
Dr. Alió was also awarded the ‘Life Achievement Honour Award’ by the American Academy of Ophthalmology – the first Spanish doctor to receive the award – for his career and contributions to eye surgery and the solution of eye diseases .
Earlier in the year the British magazine ‘The Ophthalmologist’ placed Dr. Alió in 12th place out of the 100 most influential ophthalmologists in the world, making him the only Spanish surgeon present on ‘The Power List 2018’, one of the most prestigious in the medical sector.
Jorge Alió is particularly well known for his studies with stem cells to cure advanced keratoconus and as a specialist in cataract surgery, intraocular lenses and glaucoma. He is also a pioneer in the introduction of refractive surgery in Spain, with new techniques for corneal transplantation and in the development of a technique to change the colour of the eyes for cosmetic or therapeutic reasons
Throughout his career he has authored and co-authored more than 775 scientific articles published in international journals. He has written 360 book chapters as editor or co-editor and has received a total of 103 international and national awards including the prestigious Vision of Spain award, which recognised his work with the association’s Presidency.
