About Us
As a society we seek to facilitate improvements in the safety and quality of care for patients undergoing ophthalmic surgery as well as providing a foundation for education, training and research.

Key Activities
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Best Practice. We advise UK national bodies on matters relating to ophthalmic anaesthesia and contribute to best practice guidelines.
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Education. BOAS is committed to training and mentoring the next generation of ophthalmic anaesthetists and allied health professionals. Each year we aim to hold an Annual Scientific Meeting and, as a member you will be entitled to a discounted rate on your registration.
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BOAS Journal. Each year we publish a journal and a Newsletter which is available to all members in our exclusive online member’s area. Access is also granted to all previous editions dating back to 2013.
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Global Network. The British Ophthalmic Anaesthesia Society supports the European society of Ophthalmic anaesthesia (ESOA) and the World Congress of Ophthalmic Anaesthesia (WCOA).
BOAS Council Members


Dr Andrew Presland
BOAS President
Dr Andrew Presland is an anaesthetic consultant and the current President of BOAS. He trained mainly in London, and, since 2002 has been a consultant at Moorfields Eye Hospital, practising exclusively in the field of ophthalmic anaesthesia. He has a wide experience in both paediatric and adult practice for all ophthalmic subspecialties and also have a keen interest in education. A member of BOAS council since 2017, he has organised and contributed to numerous meetings, authored national guidelines, and a number of book chapters on ophthalmic anaesthesia.
Dr Adrian Kwa
BOAS Secretary
Dr Adrian Kwa is an anaesthetist and Head of Service for Ophthalmology at Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust. He led Ophthalmic Anaesthesia from 2017 to 2023 and has been a BOAS council member since 2018, serving as Honorary Secretary since 2022. Adrian created an ophthalmic block simulator and has run the BOAS Ophthalmic Block Workshop since 2019. He developed the award-winning NUH Guidelines app and contributed to the RCOphth/SALG Gas in Eye Wristband. His Nottingham Faster Turnover Cataract Pathway earned him the 2023 Clinician of the Year Award and a 2024 NHS Innovation Awards shortlist.
Dr Junia Rahman
BOAS Treasurer
Junia Rahman is a consultant anaesthetist at Moorfields Eye Hospital where her main area of work is adnexal and extraocular surgery. She is currently the treasurer of BOAS and her interests include medical law and ethics.


Mr Tom Eke
BOAS Past President
Mr Tom Eke is an ophthalmologist specialising in safer, more efficient anaesthetic techniques for eye surgery. He has led studies on local anaesthesia safety and contributed to the 2012 Royal Colleges’ National Guideline and its upcoming update. Passionate about promoting kinder anaesthesia, he developed a technique for cataract surgery in patients unable to lie flat. Tom has trained anaesthetists globally and helped organise two World Congresses of Ophthalmic Anaesthesia. With over 20 years of involvement, he values BOAS’s role in improving patient care worldwide and is proud to be associated with the organisation.
Dr Jonathan Clarke
Journal Editor
Dr Clarke has had a major interest in ophthalmic anaesthesia for 25 years. During this time, he has had a career in Australia with the Flinders Medical School and the Flinders Eye Centre. He has been a BOAS council member for 3 years with a role in the journal and now editor. More recently, he has worked solely in ophthalmic anaesthesia in private practice. Outside work, he enjoys a sunny day, of which we have many, and a good dose of exercise. A further interest is being involved in raising guide dog puppies, which has been exceptionally rewarding.
Dr Santhana Kannan
Council Member
Dr. Kannan is a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, Birmingham, UK since 2003. He is a BOAS Council member and has served as the Treasurer of BOAS (2017-2023) and Editor-in-Chief of ‘Ophthalmic Anaesthesia’ journal (2020-2023). He has contributed to GPAS guidelines in Ophthalmic Anaesthesia. He has keen interest in research and has more than 60 publications including chapters in books. He has been invited faculty for several conferences nationally and internationally. His hobbies include playwrighting and has penned 5 plays to date.



Dr Anand Arora
Council Member
Dr Anand Arora is a senior consultant at the Birmingham and Midlands eye centre ( BMEC) as a consultant anaesthetist and lead for ophthalmic anaesthesia. He has been involved with the BOAS council in various roles including arranging national and international conferences and managing the website over many years. He has a special interest in ophthalmic local anaesthesia blocks. Outside medicine, he loves travel and cooking.
Dr Andrey Varvinskiy
Council Member
Dr Andrey Varvinskiy, a Consultant Anaesthetist at Torbay Hospital since 2001, specialises in ophthalmic and regional anaesthesia, difficult airway management, and education. He has been Ophthalmic Anaesthesia Lead and Nurse Practitioners training programme Lead since 2004. Andrey has chaired the BOAS 2023 meeting and presented at various BOAS events. He’s an EDAIC examiner, past Chair of the ESAIC Examinations Committee, and co-founder of the Peninsula Primary FRCA MCQ Course. He’s taught at numerous workshops, published anaesthesia articles, and translated anaesthesia textbooks into Russian. A keen triathlete and cyclist, he also enjoys long-distance swimming.
Dr Jawaad Malik
Council Member
Dr Jawaad "Bobby" Malik is a Pain Medicine Specialist and Consultant Anaesthetist at Ashford and St Peter's Hospital, joining in 2023. He graduated from St Bartholomew's and the Royal London in 2008 and trained at prestigious hospitals like The Royal Marsden, Moorfields Eye Hospital, and Imperial. Bobby completed fellowships in Pain Medicine and Ophthalmic Anaesthesia. He has contributed to the Guidelines for the Provision of Anaesthetic Services (GPAS) in the UK and has a special interest in ocular neuropathic pain. Outside work, he enjoys travelling and spending time with family and friends in Surrey.


Dr Senthil Vijayan
Council Member
Dr Senthil K Vijayan is a Consultant Anaesthetist at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, with a strong passion for improving Ophthalmic anaesthesia through global collaboration. He is also the Director of the Consultant Interview course at Moorfields and teaches on the MSc programme at UCL Institute of Ophthalmology. With experience in various healthcare systems worldwide, he is keen to adopt best practices for the NHS. A proponent of Patient Safety, he focuses on Human Factors and team communication in theatre. Outside work, he enjoys cooking, and his "Curry on" talks are quite popular.
Dr Stefanos Ioannidis
Trainee Council Member
Dr Stefanos Ioannidis is an anaesthetic registrar and trainee council member. During his fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital, he was extensively involved in ophthalmic anaesthesia, a subspecialty he greatly enjoys. He keeps an active interest in the field by sitting on the national ‘local anaesthesia for ophthalmic surgery’ guideline development group. Through his passion for teaching and recruitment, Stefanos has set up an ophthalmic anaesthesia day for London trainees and an interview course for anaesthesia higher training. He warmly invites trainees to consider this exciting subspecialty for their future careers and join the welcoming BOAS community.
Dr Friedrich Lersch
European Liaison Officer
Dr Friedrich Lersch is head of the anaesthetic team (Eye hospital & Plastic surgery) at Inselspital, Berne University Hospital. he is board certified in anaesthesia, critical care and internal medicine and has a Masters in Sleep Neuroscience. He is also a Board member of Swiss Association of Regional Anaesthesia. Interested in perioperative EEG, Neuroscience, Multimodal Anaesthesie, Teaching


Prof Chandra Kumar
Co-Founder of BOAS
Dr Chandra Kumar has had a distinguished career, serving as a Senior Consultant Anaesthetist at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore (2011–2023) and as Consultant Anaesthetist at James Cook University Hospital, UK (1987–2011). He held visiting professorships at Newcastle University (2016–2024) and the University of Teesside (2004–2014). A founder of the British Ophthalmic Anaesthesia Society and the World Congress of Ophthalmic Anaesthesia, he has co-founded the Society for Education in Anaesthesia (UK). His expertise spans ophthalmic, elderly, and regional anaesthesia, with over 200 peer-reviewed articles and contributions to 8 anaesthesia textbooks.
Dr Chris Dodds
Co-Founder of BOAS
Dr Chris Dodds, a founding member of BOAS and its second President, played a key role in its inception under Prof Chandra Kumar. He served as President of the Cairo WCOA in 2008 and was an invited speaker at WCOA and WFSA until 2012. Dr Dodds received the BOAS Lifetime Achievement Award and has been a council member since BOAS's formation. Additional roles include VP and Council member of RCOA, Clinical Director of a Sleep Clinic, Associate Medical Director at James Cook University Hospital, and Visiting Chair at Durham and Teesside Universities. He also co-founded the Age Anaesthesia Association, earning its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Benefits of BOAS Membership
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Exclusive access to the BOAS Member's Area
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Discounts on future BOAS scientific meetings & webinars
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Subscription to the current and previous editions of the Ophthalmic Anaesthesia Journal
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Access to a members forum where you can obtain advice from experts in the field
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Eligibility for election to the BOAS Council
