“It is immensely satisfying to see the improvement in quality of life that can be achieved for so many people with the rapidly developing surgical techniques we have available for dealing with eye problems.”
Associate Professor Steve Wiffen has been a Consultant Ophthalmologist at Lions Eye Institute and Fremantle Hospital since 1997. He is the Director of the Lions Eye Bank of Western Australia and Lions Laser Vision Centre. He specialises in corneal transplantation, cataract and refractive surgery.
He is a graduate of the University of Queensland medical school and worked in country Queensland in Emerald, Charters Towers and Bundaberg for three years before training in ophthalmology in Western Australia. He undertook two-year fellowships in cornea and refractive surgery at the Corneo-Plastic Unit, East Grinstead, UK, and the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
He was Director of the Corneo-Plastic Unit and Eye Bank in East Grinstead from 1993-1994.
Areas of clinical specialty
- Corneal transplantation
- Laser and refractive surgery
- Cataract surgery
- Pterygium surgery
- Keratoconus management
- Anterior segment disorders and surgery
- Ocular surface disorders
Research interests
- Improving outcomes of corneal transplantation
- Corneal endothelial transplantation
Professional Achievements
- Medical Director, Lions Eye Bank of Western Australia 1997 – present
- Director Lions Laser Vision Centre 2019 – present
- Member RANZCO Council 2017 – present
- Head, Department of Ophthalmology, Fremantle Hospital 2005 – 2007
- Chair, Cornea Standing Committee, TSANZ 1999 – 2007
- Chair, Eye Banks Australia and New Zealand 2003 – 2005
- Member, RANZCO WA Branch Executive 1998 – 2012
- Qualification and Education Committee Chairman, RANZCO WA Branch
- 1999 – 2008
- Member Clinical Advisory Committee, Centre for Excellence in e-Medicine 2005 – 2010
- Chair, Scientific Program, RANZCO Annual Scientific Congress 2007
- Fellowship at the Corneo-Plastic Unit, East Grinstead, UK 1991-1993
- Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA 1994-1996
- Rupert Newman Bursary, Emmanuel College, University of Queensland, 1979
- Queensland Freemasons Scholarship, University of Queensland, 1982
- Queensland State Public Service Scholarship, 1982-1983
- Castroviejo Cornea Society Fellows’ Prize, October 28, 1995
- ARVO/Eye Bank Association of America Travel Fellowship, April 1996
- APSCRS Inaugural Scientific Meeting Best Free Paper, March 1998
Professional memberships
- Fellow Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists
- Fellow Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
- American Academy of Ophthalmology
- International Society of Refractive Surgery
- Cornea Society
- Eye Banks Australia and New Zealand
- RANZCO Cornea Special Interest Group
- Australian Medical Association
- Australian Society of Ophthalmologists
