Medical retina · Uveitis & ocular immunology
Dr Sara Rizvi Medical retina and uveitis specialist in Dubai
Two things damage sight quietly: diabetes at the back of the eye, and inflammation that keeps coming back. Both are what I trained for — a fellowship in medical retina and ocular immunology at Narayana Nethralaya, one of India's leading eye institutes, and thousands of procedures performed as the operating surgeon.
640+ intravitreal injections · 347 retinal laser procedures · 670+ cataract surgeries Each performed as the primary surgeon and verified by supervising heads of department. MBBS, MS, DNB, MRCS (Glasgow).
What I treat
Conditions I look after
If any of this sounds like your eyes, it is worth being seen properly.
Diabetic eye disease
- Diabetic retinopathyBleeding and leaking vessels at the back of the eye. Often no symptoms until it is advanced, which is why screening matters.
- Diabetic macular oedemaFluid at the centre of your vision. Reading gets harder, straight lines start to bend.
Retinal & macular disease
- Age-related macular degenerationA blur or blank patch in the middle of what you look at, while side vision stays fine.
- Retinal vein occlusionSudden painless loss of vision in one eye, often on waking.
- Choroidal neovascular membranesNew, fragile vessels that leak under the retina and distort vision.
Uveitis & eye inflammation
- Uveitis — anterior, intermediate, posterior, panuveitisA red, aching, light-sensitive eye, or a haze of floaters that will not settle. Recurrent attacks need a cause found, not just more drops.
- Retinal vasculitisInflammation of the retinal blood vessels, often linked to a condition elsewhere in the body.
- Scleritis and episcleritisDeep, boring eye pain that wakes you at night, or a stubborn red patch.
Infection & urgent problems
- Infectious uveitis — TB, viral retinitisInflammation driven by infection, where the treatment is the opposite of steroids alone. Getting the diagnosis right is the whole game.
- EndophthalmitisInfection inside the eye after surgery or injury. This is an emergency — call the same day.
Cataract & anterior segment
- CataractGlare at night, colours going flat, a prescription that keeps changing.
- PterygiumA fleshy growth creeping onto the cornea from the corner of the eye.
Children
- Retinopathy of prematurity screeningRetinal screening for babies born early, trained through the KIDROP tele-ophthalmology programme.
UrgentSudden loss of vision, a red painful eye after surgery, or a curtain across your sight should be seen the same day. Call +971 55 399 3690 or go to your nearest emergency department.
Procedures
Treatments I perform
Every figure below is a procedure performed as the primary surgeon, verified by supervising heads of department.
640performed
Intravitreal injections
Anti-VEGF and dexamethasone implants for macular oedema, AMD and vein occlusion. Topical anaesthetic, a few minutes, you walk out the same visit.
347performed
Retinal laser
Pan-retinal photocoagulation for diabetic disease, focal and grid laser for leakage, and subthreshold micropulse where the macula needs a gentler touch.
Fullclinic
Immunosuppression & biologic therapy
For uveitis that keeps relapsing. Steroid-sparing regimens planned and monitored properly, with rheumatology and pulmonology input where needed.
134performed
Diagnostic ocular sampling
Aqueous tap and vitreous biopsy to find the organism or the cause when inflammation does not behave the way it should.
672performed
Cataract surgery
Phacoemulsification with lens implant, and manual small-incision surgery for dense or complicated cataracts — including eyes with previous uveitis.
53performed
Combined and adjunct surgery
Cataract combined with trabeculectomy for glaucoma, pterygium excision with conjunctival autograft, and lid procedures.
Diagnostics
Imaging that finds what an examination misses
Retina and uveitis are diagnosed on images as much as on examination. Reading them well is a skill in itself — mine has won first prize at the APAO–AIOS imaging competition in New Delhi and at KOSCON.
OCT
A cross-section through your retina, layer by layer, accurate to microns. Shows fluid before you notice the blur.
OCT angiography
Maps retinal blood flow without any dye or injection.
Fundus fluorescein & ICG angiography
Dye studies that show exactly where vessels leak, close off, or grow where they should not.
Fundus autofluorescence
Reveals stress and loss in the retinal pigment layer that a standard photograph cannot show.
B-scan ultrasonography
Sees the retina through a dense cataract or a haemorrhage, when no camera can.
About
Trained where the difficult cases go
I am a specialist ophthalmologist with sub-specialty training in medical retina and in uveitis and ocular immunology — the second of which is a small field, and a scarce one in this region.
My fellowship was at Narayana Nethralaya in Bengaluru, a postgraduate eye institute that takes referrals from across India and beyond. I trained under Dr Padmamalini Mahendradas, head of uveitis services and president of the Uveitis Society of India, managing infectious and non-infectious uveitis, retinal vasculitis, endophthalmitis and scleritis alongside a full medical retina caseload.
Before Dubai I ran an independent consultant practice at Chandra Super-speciality Eye Hospital, an NABH-accredited unit in Lucknow, covering retina, uveitis and cataract surgery. I hold the MRCS in ophthalmology from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and graduated as university gold medallist in my MS examination.
Qualifications
- MRCS (Ophthalmology)Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow, 2025
- Fellowship — Uveitis, Ocular Immunology, Medical Retina & ROPNarayana Nethralaya, Bengaluru, 2023–2025
- DNB (Ophthalmology)National Board of Examinations, India, 2022
- MS (Ophthalmology)MJP Rohilkhand University — university gold medallist, 2022
- MBBSEra's Lucknow Medical College, ranked 5th in cohort, 2019
Memberships
EURETINA · Uveitis Society of India · All India Ophthalmological Society · Delhi Ophthalmological Society · Karnataka Ophthalmic Society · Women Ophthalmologists Society · International Society of MSICS Surgeons
What happens
Your first visit
Allow two to three hours. Your pupils will be dilated, so bring sunglasses and do not plan to drive yourself home.
- 1
History and vision
We go through your symptoms, your general health and your medications — for uveitis especially, the answer is often somewhere other than the eye.
- 2
Examination
Pressure check, slit-lamp examination of the front of the eye, then dilating drops. These take about 30 minutes to work and blur your near vision for a few hours.
- 3
Imaging
OCT, and angiography or autofluorescence if the picture calls for it. Done in the same visit, not booked for another day.
- 4
The plan
What you have, what it will do if left alone, what the options are, and what each one costs you in time and in money. In writing, and a copy to your referring doctor if you have one.
Research
Published, and still asking questions
Twelve peer-reviewed papers in indexed journals, chief or first author on five, plus invited faculty talks.
Selected publications
- Tear fluid inflammatory factor profile in patients with HLA-B27-associated uveitisOcular Immunology & Inflammation, 2026
- Failure of primary immunosuppressive agents in uveitisIndian Journal of Ophthalmology, 2025
- Rosai-Dorfman disease as a cause of sclerokeratouveitis with epibulbar nodulesIndian J Ophthalmol Case Reports, 2025
- Seroreversion in HIV-associated bilateral CMV retinitisOcular Immunology & Inflammation, 2025
Awards and invited talks
- First Prize — FFA/ICGA category, APAO–AIOS Imaging Competition, New Delhi (2025)
- First Prize — Artistic Photography in Ophthalmology, KOSCON, Udupi (2024)
- Invited faculty — “A New Era in Treating Auto-immune Scleritis”, AIOS International Ophthalmic Conclave (2025)
- University Gold Medal — first position, MS examination (2022)
Questions
Before you book
Do I need a referral?
No. You can book directly. If your GP, endocrinologist or rheumatologist has sent a letter or previous scans, bring them — it saves repeating tests.
Does an eye injection hurt?
It is uncomfortable rather than painful. The eye is numbed with drops and a gel, the injection itself takes seconds, and most people describe a pressure sensation. The eye can feel gritty for a day afterwards.
I have diabetes but my vision is fine. Should I still come?
Yes. Diabetic retinopathy causes no symptoms until it is well advanced. A dilated examination once a year — more often if your control has been difficult or you are pregnant — is the whole point of screening.
My uveitis keeps coming back. Is that normal?
It is common, but it is not something to accept. Recurrent uveitis needs a cause looked for, and often a steroid-sparing treatment plan rather than repeated courses of drops. That workup is the core of my practice.
Will I be able to drive home?
No. Dilating drops blur your near and mid-range vision for three to six hours and make everything glare. Arrange a lift or a taxi, and bring sunglasses.
Which languages do you consult in?
English, Hindi and Urdu.
Get in touch
Book a consultation
Tell me what is happening with your eyes and when you would like to be seen. Urgent problems — sudden vision loss, a red painful eye after surgery, new flashes and floaters — should be phoned through, not emailed.
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This website gives general information about ophthalmic services. It is not medical advice and does not replace an examination. In an emergency, call 998 or go to your nearest emergency department.