Brian Leatherbarrow
BSc MBChB DO FRCS FRCOphth
Consultant Ophthalmic Plastic Surgeon
Brian Leatherbarrow was appointed as Consultant Ophthalmic, Oculoplastic and Orbital surgeon at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe, in July 1992.
He has over 25 years of experience in ophthalmology and has been a specialist Consultant Surgeon for nearly 20 years. His major areas of expertise are oculoplastic, orbital, and lacrimal surgery for which he has a national and international reputation. He has also performed modern small incision cataract surgery (phacoemulsification) for over 19 years.
He performs over 1,000 specialist oculoplastic/orbital/lacrimal operations per year and has received referrals of patients requiring such surgery from all over the U.K. and from as far afield as Australia, Malaysia, Greece, India, Pakistan, Portugal, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, the Ukraine and the Middle East.
He graduated from Manchester Medical School in 1982, training in general ophthalmology at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital before undertaking subspecialty training fellowships in oculoplastic and orbital surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, and the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa, USA. He is the author of a major textbook ‘Oculoplastic Surgery’ (published by Martin Dunitz, 2002). The second edition of this major textbook was published by Informa Healthcare in Dec 2010 (http://www.eyelidsurgery.co.uk/blb-book.htm).
He was the Section Editor for oculoplastic and orbital surgery for EYE, the scientific journal of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, for over 10 years. He has been an examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
He was the founder Treasurer of the British Oculoplastic Surgery Society (www.BOPSS.org) 2001-2006 and is the President Elect of the society. He is a fellow of the Royal College or Ophthalmologists and a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
He is a member of:
- The British Oculoplastic Surgery Society (BOPSS)
- The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) *
- The European Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons (ESOPRS)
- The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)
- Manchester Medical Society
- The North of England Ophthalmological Society
- The British Medical Association
* Interspecialty member: www.baaps.org.uk
He has run an internationally renowned subspecialty fellowship for over 18 years, training surgeons from around the world. He has over 80 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has contributed 5 textbook chapters. He has presented scientific papers, given lectures and run courses in many countries including the United States, Canada, Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. He regularly operates with consultant colleagues in plastic surgery, ENT surgery, neurosurgery and neuroradiology.
He undertakes all operations within the fields of ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery, lacrimal surgery and orbital surgery. He is also well known for managing the complications of such surgery undertaken by plastic surgeons, maxillofacial surgeons and ENT surgeons. The operations undertaken include:
Cosmetic Oculofacial Surgery
- Blepharoplasty (cosmetic eyelid surgery) for hooded or puffy upper eyelids (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhPdOmNqkOg shows a video of the postoperative progress of one of Mr Leatherbarrow's patients following upper and lower eyelid blepharoplasty surgery)
- Blepharoplasty for puffy or baggy lower eyelids or “eye bags” (transconjunctival and transcutaneous blepharoplasty, tear trough / dark hollow surgery with fat repositioning, septal reset and orbicularis muscle suspension surgery)
- Eyebrow lifts including endoscopic brow/forehead lift, direct brow lift, small incision eyebrow lift, pretrichial brow and forehead lift, coronal brow and forehead lift, and transblepharoplasty eyebrow lift using Endotine implants
- Cosmetic ptosis correction ( droopy upper eyelid surgery)
- Mid-face or cheek lift surgery
- Facial lipostructure (Coleman fat injections)
- Fat pearl transfer for the management of upper and lower eyelid hollows (upper lid sulcus defects)
He also undertakes non-surgical cosmetic treatments including tear trough rejuvenation, facial anti-wrinkle injections and dermal filler injections (Restylane and Juvederm) which are used to enhance the results of such surgery, or where appropriate, to replace them entirely.
Eyelid, Eyebrow and Facial Surgery
- Eyelid/periocular tumour removal and reconstruction
- Reconstruction of Mohs’ micrographic surgery defects
- Ptosis surgery (correction of droopy upper eyelids)
- Upper lid blepharoplasty for hooded upper eyelids or loose skin (dermatochalasis)
- Ectropion correction (lower eyelids that turn out)
- Entropion correction (upper or lower eyelids that turn in)
- Orbicularis myectomy for blepharospasm
- Thyroid eye disease surgery for upper and lower eyelid retraction/blepharoplasty
- Surgery for facial palsy including gold weight implantation/mid-face lift/brow lift/watering eye
Orbital Surgery
- Orbital decompression surgery for thyroid eye disease (protrusive eyes)
- Orbital tumour removal
- Orbital fracture repair
Socket Surgery
- Enucleation/evisceration and orbital implant surgery including hydroxyapatite (coral) and bioceramic implants
- Exenteration surgery
- Secondary socket reconstruction with orbital implants/dermis fat grafts/expandable silicone pellet injections/Restylane sub-Q injections
Lacrimal Surgery (watering eye surgery)
- Endoscopic and external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) and stent
- Lester Jones tube insertion and nasal septoplasty surgery
- Punctoplasty and eyelid repositioning surgery
Cataract Surgery
- Cataract surgery (small incision phacoemulsification) with intraocular lens implantation.
He lives with his wife in Cheshire and has 2 children. His interests outside medicine include tennis, golf, cycling and playing the drums.
