A/Prof George Kong, a glaucoma subspecialist and Dr Lukas Sahar have joined Dr Joseph San Laureano at Melbourne Eye Centre
A/Prof George kong
A/Prof. George Kong is a comprehensive ophthalmologist and Glaucoma subspecialist with a particular interest in cataract surgery, comprehensive glaucoma management, minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, and complex glaucoma caused by angle closure and inflammatory eye diseases. He also performs pterygium surgery, common eyelid surgeries and ICL refractive correction surgery.
A/Prof. Kong completed VCE in Melbourne finishing top of the state of Victoria in Mathematics. He then completed his medical degree (MBBS) from The University of Melbourne, Australia. He successfully completed his PhD in 2011 supported by National Health and Medical Research Council Postgraduate Training Scholarship. He was awarded the prestigious Eberhard Dodt Memorial Award from the International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV) for his work on retinal electrophysiology.
A/Prof. Kong completed RANZCO (Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists) accredited training at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Subsequently, he embarked on a subspecialty Glaucoma fellowship at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital where he gained medical and surgical expertise in the treatment of glaucoma. He then travelled to Cambridge, United Kingdom, where he gained expertise in the advanced management of complex cataract and glaucoma conditions such as glaucoma caused by inflammatory eye diseases (uveitis) and children’s glaucoma. He has also trained in laser procedures for glaucoma and in new surgical techniques of Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery.
A/Prof. Kong published over 50 international peer-reviewed journal articles, 5 book chapters and is a reviewer of several ophthalmology and optometry journals. He was instrumental in the development of the GONE (Glaucoma Optic Neuropathy Evaluation) website which has helped thousands of optometrists and junior ophthalmologists around the world improve their optic nerve examination techniques. He is a co-inventor of software for visual field testing software on iPad – Melbourne Rapid Fields. He is also the inventor of the Semi-open technique of XEN stent insertion. A/Prof. Kong was awarded the Gerard Crock Trophy in the RANZCO Annual Scientific Congress 2022 for his work on visual field home monitoring for glaucoma.
A/Prof. Kong speaks Mandarin and Cantonese fluently.
Dr Lukas Sahhar
Dr Lukas Sahhar is a comprehensive specialist ophthalmologist with additional training in complex cataract and refractive surgery.
He completed his medical degree at Monash University where he received several Dux awards as well as the Robert Power Prize in Surgery, the Neil Carson Prize in Medicine, the Monash Health Board of Management Prize, the Belinda Farrell Medicine Prize and the Hector Maclean Prize in Ophthalmology for Monash University. He received a scholarship to complete his Honours research degree with the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at Oxford University and has also completed a Master of Public Health.
He undertook his specialist training in Melbourne at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Alfred Hospital, Austin Hospital and Royal Children’s Hospital. As a registrar he was awarded the Australian and New Zealand Glaucoma Society Kath Holmes Prize. He undertook further subspecialist training as the Cataract Surgery Fellow at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne where he gained expertise in managing complex cataract surgery cases and in using modern premium lens technologies.
Dr Sahhar is a fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists and a member of the Australasian Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. He is a consultant ophthalmologist at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital where he also teaches ophthalmologists in training.
Dr Sahhar manages conditions including:
Cataract with use of modern premium corrective lenses
Age related macular degeneration requiring injections
Diabetic eye disease
Glaucoma
Blepharoplasty
Pterygium
Eyelid entropion and ectropion
General ophthalmology
He customises his care and lens selection for the individual patient, offering monofocal, multifocal and extended depth of focus lenses tailored to each patient. He employs modern cataract surgery techniques including pain-free anaesthesia with drops (safe for patients on blood thinners), small incision surgery without sutures and eye patch-free recovery to promote early return of vision.
Dr Sahhar grew up in Warragul, Victoria and enjoys the outdoors and spending time with family and friends. He values connecting with his patients and providing friendly and personalised care.