There are practitioners and there are consultants, there are experts and there are also prodigies…. but there’s only one ‘Eye’nstein of Ophthalmology – and it’s none other than our very own Dr. Cyres Metha, whose accomplishments and breakthroughs in eye-care has not just the whole nation, but the entire world, raising a toast to his innumerable achievements. As India’s leading eye specialist and one of the tallest feathers in the Parsi Pride cap, Dr. Cyres’ takes the time to off from his choc-o-block appointments, to chat with Parsi Times for our Jamshedi Navroz Special issue, as we are privileged to share with our readers, the lesser known nuances, about this larger-than-life ‘Eye’nstein of Ophthalmology!

PT: How it feels to be the most sought-after Ophthalmologist?

Dr. Cyres: I’m just being true to who I set out to be. Being a doctor isn’t just about having a career – it’s a way of life, a passionate calling that you respond to and give your soul to. The need to heal is all-consuming and the central mission of your life is to alleviate the pain of others. If you do not feel a sense of genuine joy in curing the suffering of others, and look upon a medical profession as just a means of livelihood, you will never be happy with your choice of profession – especially one which deals with one of the most delicate organs of the body, and is probably the most prized of all the senses for us humans. It gives me a sense of contentment to be able to heal.

PT: Your list of awards and recognitions is endless and still counting… tell us about your initial successes and your current count!

Dr. Cyres: Honestly, that’s really not important to me. I’m grateful for my recognitions but there is still so much more I wish to do for eye-care, and am constantly working towards it. When I started out, the European Society of Cataract Surgery first recognised my work and potential and made me Editor of the Indian edition of ‘Eurotimes’ – a great honour for me then as I was just thirty-four years of age! That will always stay close to my heart. Even post that, they’ve showered recognitions on me a number of times. It was also humbling to be recognised by the All India Ophthalmologists Society and the Governor of Maharashtra. Of course, things have come a long way since – I think so far I have would have received in excess of twenty-five national and global awards. While such appreciation for one’s hard work surely feels good, I’d like to state that nothing compares to the feeling of seeing a smile, relief and gratitude on the patient’s face, when they are healed. There is no greater award or recognition than that!

PT: You’re also a Super-biker! Tell us about your passion for bikes. 

Dr. Cyres: Like a true-blue Bawa, I nurse a deep passion for bikes and cars! I’ve been riding fast bikes for over twenty years now. Riding bikes on the track is a skill which everyone who rides should learn. I’ve completed 4 levels of the California Superbike School as well, which teaches you how to handle Superbikes in great detail to ensure all the thrills of speed, with safety.

PT: There’s a lot of buzz about your swanky, revamped clinic which boasts of some of the state-of-the-art equipment globally…

Dr. Cyres: I’m happy to share that The International Eye Centre has the most modern eye diagnostics equipment anywhere in the world! Just last year, we acquired Mumbai’s only Angiovue Dyeless Angiography OCT System as well as the new upgraded IOLMaster 700.

 PT: What is the latest breakthrough in eye-procedures that your International Eye Center offers?

Dr. Cyres: The person suffering from ‘dry eyes’ is one of the most harassed patients – the eyes are continually itchy, hazy, tearing and sensitive to light. Till date the only solution applying eye-drops 8-10 times a day, which only partially and symptomatically addressed the issue. Relevant research has recently revealed that 9 out of 10 cases of dry eye are ‘Meibomian Gland Disorders’ or MGD. For the very first time in Mumbai, we offer a revolutionary treatment for dry eyes –an Italian system which targets the oil glands in the eyelids – which have become non-functional due to age or allergies – and gets them functional. Most cases of Dry eyes are resolved with this simple, 4-minute procedure, eliminating the need for eye-drops ever again! Numerous patients, after cataract surgery or laser vision correction or even due to the air-pollution, have MGD, which is easily treated by this system. We’ve had great results with this system in the last two months, since I returned from Italy.