Miss Fiona Irvine

Fiona Irvine is a full time Consultant at The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in Exeter specialising in all aspects of eyelid, lacrimal and orbital disease as well as general ophthalmology. Fiona set up the oculoplastic service there 11 years ago which provides oculoplastic, orbital, lacrimal and paediatric services for the South West. She has run a private practice in parallel carrying out many procedures including aesthetic procedures such as upper and lower lid blepharoplasties. Fiona qualified from the Royal Free Hospital Medical School in London and pursued a career in Ophthalmology doing her foundation surgical training in Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge and higher surgical training at The Tennent’s Institute in Glasgow. She then gained the world-renowned fellowship in oculoplastics, orbital and lacrimal surgery with Mr Alan McNab in Melbourne, Australia. Thereafter she set up an oculoplastics service as a Consultant in Northampton until finally returning to the South West as a Consultant in Exeter and setting up an oculoplastic service in Exeter. Since her appointment as Consultant Ophthalmic, Oculoplastic and Orbitofacial Surgeon in 2007, Miss Irvine has performed over 400 specialist oculoplastic/orbital/lacrimal operations per year (plastic surgery operations around the eyes). She has a good working relationship with colleagues in other specialties including dermatology, plastic surgery, maxillofacial surgery, radiology, histopathology, ENT surgery and oncology.   Miss Irvine also runs a renowned subspecialty training fellowship in oculoplastic, orbital and lacrimal surgery which has been running for 10 years, training surgeons from the UK and internationally, many of whom come from Australia and New Zealand following on from her previous training in Melbourne. Philosophy Miss Irvine is very approachable and honest. She believes that a thorough discussion and examination is essential to assess the complex changes around the eye and that it is paramount to pursue the correct surgery which will not compromise the eye, to give good advice and only consider surgery if it is right for the patient. Blepharoplasty is an excellent cosmetic procedure but it is important to restore the appearance and avoid an unnatural outcome. She aims to explain issues in detail and to create a relaxed environment during surgery and deliver anaesthesia so it is as pain free as possible. Her priority is to provide the best possible cosmetic outcomes, safely.