A general ophthalmologist receives comprehensive training in all aspects of eye specialist care and this includes treating common retinal conditions such as macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy. 

A retinal specialist undertakes further year(s) of dedicated training on treating all aspects of retinal conditions ranging from the common to rare diseases, and thereby obtains more in-depth knowledge and experience in retina including treating more complex or atypical cases, laser therapy, intravitreal injections, and retinal imaging technology. Dr John Chang is a retinal specialist who has completed retinal fellowship training after obtaining his general ophthalmology qualification.

Dr John Chang has extensive experience in clinical trials and research, and has been awarded a PhD as a clinician-scientist. In recognition of his retinal subspecialist qualification and his interest in providing the latest developments in eye treatment for his patients, he has been invited to be a principal investigator in retinal clinical trials. This means that Dr Chang’s patients can be offered early access to the newest treatments and in some cases, have access to the latest treatment or technology for free, as part of a clinical trial.

Dr Chang and his team are recruiting patients currently being treated with Eylea or Lucentis for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Eligible patients can be changed over to Faricimab (Vabysmo), the newest registered treatment for wet AMD. This is a multi-centre phase 4 clinical trial, and eligible patients will receive Vabysmo treatment free of charge for 12 months.

Cataract surgery must be performed in an accredited hospital and requires sophisticated technology, lens implant prosthesis, and expert team including theatre nurses, anaesthetist and highly skilled eye surgeon. The main factor that determines cost of cataract surgery depends on whether the patient has appropriate hospital cover with their private health insurance. Usually only the top tier hospital health insurance policy covers eye surgery. Medicare only covers a small proportion of the total fees (ie. part of the doctor’s fees, but none of the hospital fee).

Dr John Chang provides transparent, up-front explanation of the surgery fees to his patients and an informed financial consent is provided prior to proceeding with cataract surgery. Individualized quote is provided for each patient depending on type of eye surgery required and lens implant. Insured patients are charged $500 known gap surgeon’s fee and insured pensioners are charged “no gap” by Dr Chang.

Whilst Dr Chang does not operate in the public hospital, he is involved in the teaching and training of the next generation of eye surgeons. Dr Chang participates as a surgical supervisor in the Northern Sydney Private Hospital network of Sydney Eye Hospital registrar training program. Eligible uninsured patients of Dr Chang’s private clinic can be booked onto the Medi-Aid charity program surgery list, where cataract surgery can be provided free of charge, performed by a training eye doctor under Dr Chang’s supervision.