Dr Ralph Higgins cMBBS, BS, DO, FRANZCO, FRACS, FRCOphth

Dr Higgins’s area of clinical expertise is general ophthalmology with a special interest in glaucoma and cataract surgery. He  redeveloped the glaucoma unit at Sydney Eye Hospital over the past 25 years, which is now at the stage where it is a full glaucoma unit with an overseas Fellow attached. Dr Higgins has been involved in progressive advances with cataract surgery and was one of the early phacoemusification surgeons, having started phaco surgery in 1987 at Sydney Eye Hospital (when only a handful of doctors throughout Australia were using this technique). 

He was the first to introduce laser surgery to Sydney Eye Hospital in 1974 having travelled extensively around the world to learn about this then new technology LASER treatment in ophthalmology was only in its infancy then (lasers having only been discovered in 1968 and introduced in ophthalmology about 1970-71) . 

Dr Higgins provides his specialist services at Vision Eye Institute, Bondi Junction.

Background

Dr Higgins undertook his medical training at Sydney University. He did a Fellowship in retina at Sydney Hospital and then headed up the retinal vascular unit and started the laser unit at Sydney Eye Hospital. He then rebuilt the Glaucoma unit at Sydney Eye Hospital after the resignations of so many of the skilled medical staff during and after the medicare dispute in 1982-3. He was the chairman of the Medical staff of Sydney Eye Hospital from 1989 to 2003 .

Dr Higgins also worked in US and UK  and Switzerland developing his specialist skills in cataract surgery, retinal vascular work and glaucoma. He was awarded an OAM for his leadership in the rebuilding of the New Sydney Eye Hospital in Macquarie Street and in moving the Hospital from Woolloomooloo to its current  Macquarie Street site at  the Sydney /Sydney Eye Hospital campus

Professional Credentials

Dr Higgins has been a Visiting Medical Officer at Sydney Eye Hospital since 1975. He has a particular involvement with medicine in the community through his committee appointments including three state government committees and two federal government committees.He was a member of RANZCO QEC committee state and federal for 15 years and was NSW QEC chairman for 5 of those years. He was a councillor of RANZCO for 10 years and a member of the CPD committee for 6 years.

He is the current national chair of the RANZCO ophthalmology matching program and over the past 5 years  He was a lecturer at Sydney University for many years and has made a number of presentations over the years at scientific congresses and published in peer reviewed literature.

Beyond Work

Dr Higgins enjoys golf, walking, swimming and spending time with his family.