About Dept. of Ophtalmology in TVGH

Department of Ophthalmology

  The eye care group in Veterans General Hospital (the precursor of Taipei Veterans General Hospital) was established in January 1959 by Dr. Ho-Ming Lin, as part of Surgery section. In 1975, the section of Ophthalmology became an independent unit under the great leadership of Prof. Ho-Ming Lin. In 1976, the first Argon Laser device for retinal photocoagulation in Taiwan was installed and the first case of intraocular lens implantation in Taiwan was performed here in Veterans General Hospital.

  As an independent unit, the section of Ophthalmology was located on the 6^th floor of the Second Outpatient Building since 1977. Chief Jorn-Hon Liu introduced microinvasive phacoemulsification and vitrectomy machine in 1982. The Department of Ophthalmology was formally given its name in 1989 and has five sections: General Ophthalmology, Oculoplasty and Reconstruction, Neuro-ophthalmology, Glaucoma, and Retina. In 1998, Dr. Wen-Ming Hsu became the Chair who was keen on promoting participation in all kinds of academic activities and encouraging doctors to pursue further academic achievement. Thereafter, a high-quality procedure room with the standard setting of an ophthalmic operation room was set up in our outpatient department thanks to Chair Fenq-Lih, Lee.

  In 2015, Prof. Catherine Jui-ling Liu took office as the Chair. She places even greater emphasis on medical research and pursuits the excellence of precision medicine, including the implementation of femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification surgery and microinvasive glaucoma surgery. Ray tracing technology, OCT angiography, Lipiview examination and Intense Pulsed Light treatment for dry eye were also adopted. With the expansion of professional work, the Department of Ophthalmology was moved into Seventh Floor of the brand-new Third Outpatient Building in 2017. With larger space and smarter interior design, the Department of Ophthalmology of Taipei Veterans General Hospital has entered a new era since then.

  Since 2022, Professor Shih-Jen Chen took over ther Chair of Department of Ophthalmology of TVGH. Under his emthusiasm and administration, he is leading us on the road to become premier ophthalmic center in Asia.

  The Department of Ophthalmology of Taipei Veterans General Hospital emphasizes the core value of medicine and quality of professional service; providing patients with cutting-edge diagnosis tool and treatment strategy, and pays much attention on patient education. Doctors in our department actively participate in research with regard to ocular diseases and vision science, including the development of slow-releasing topical medication system, artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis and follow-up of glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy using deep learning technology, analysis of tear film in dry eye disease, epidemiology study of myopia and its prevention in primary school  students, epidemiology and diagnosis as well as treatment of uveitis, etc. The Department of Ophthalmology of Taipei Veterans General Hospital is also the only medical center in Asia that participates in the international clinical trial of gene therapy for Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy.

Introduction of new medical techniques recently

• 2020, introduced Intense Pulse Light to treat Dry Eye Disease associated with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.
• 2019, introduced Lipiview Ocular Surface Interferometer to aid the diagnosis of Evaporative Dry Eye associated with Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.
• 2018, introduced Microinvasive Glaucoma Surgery with XEN45 gel stent implant. This approach allows lesser destruction of conjunctival tissue compared with traditional filtering surgery, lesser pain, and faster visual recovery.
• 2018, introduced Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK).
• 2017, introduced bionic eye system implantation, shedding light on treatment for end-stage retinitis pigmentosa.
• 2017, introduced Micropulse Laser Photocoagulation, offering a new treatment option for refractory glaucoma.
• 2016, introduced Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography, which allows detection of abnormal vessels in macular diseases noninvasively.
• 2014, introduced Femtosecond Laser-assisted cataract surgery system, advancing cataract surgery into a new era of higher precision
• 2014, introduced Microincision Vitrectomy Surgery.
• 2013, introduced Orthokeratology as a treatment option for myopia.