Mr Peter Cackett
MB BS BSc FRCOphth

Specialty: Ophthalmology
Appointments tel: 0131 447 2340
NHS post: Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion

Clinical interests

General ophthalmology with a special interest in the diagnosis and management of medical retina conditions.  A large proportion of his workload lies in the treatment of Age Related Macular Degeneration, Retinal Vein Occlusions and diabetic retinopathy.

The advent of new treatments such as intravitreal anti-VEGF (ranibizumab and bevacizumab) gives potential for restoring sight for these conditions which up until recently often resulted in irreversible blindness.  He also treats other less common medical retina conditions such as Central Serous Retinopathy, Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy, Pathological Myopia, Retinitis Pigmentosa, Stargardt’s Maculopathy and Uveitis.

Training and background

Mr Peter Cackett trained in medicine at the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy’s and St. Thomas’, London and qualified in 1995.  After completion of a series of junior doctor posts in both England and Brisbane, Australia he undertook ophthalmology surgical training in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

In 2008 he trained as an International Fellow at the Singapore National Eye Centre gaining further subspecialty experience in medical retina.  During this fellowship he conducted research into the genetic and epidemiological risk factors of Age Related Macular Degeneration.  This research has been published in peer-reviewed ophthalmic literature and presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting, USA.

On returning to Scotland in 2009 Mr Cackett was appointed Ophthalmology Consultant with a special interest in Medical Retina at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, Edinburgh.

Mr Cackett has published over 30 peer-reviewed papers in journals such as the British Medical Journal, Ophthalmology, the American Journal of Ophthalmology and Retina.  He is also a reviewer for several journals including 'Ophthalmology'.  He is the NHS Lothian College Tutor for training in Ophthalmology.  He chairs the Edinburgh – Malawi Ophthalmology charity link for improving Ophthalmology services in Malawi.  He both organises and participates on trips to Lilongwe, Malawi to train the local medical teams.

Selected recent publications

Laude A, Cackett PD, Vithana EN, Yeo IY, Wong D, Koh AH, Wong TY, Aung T.

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and neovascular age-related macular degeneration: same or different disease?

Prog Retin Eye Res 2010 Jan;29(1):19-29. Epub 2009 Oct 23.

Cackett P, Htoon H, Wong D, Yeo I.

Haemorrhagic pigment epithelial detachment as a predictive feature of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy in a Chinese population.

Eye (Lond) 2010 May;24(5):789-92. Epub 2009 Sep 11.

Cackett P, Wong D, Cheung CM

Combined intravitreal bevacizumab and argon laser treatment for Coats’ disease

Acta Ophthalmologica 2010 Mar;88(2):e48-9. Epub 2009 Jun 4.

Cackett P, Wong D, Yeo I

A Classification System for Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy

Retina 2009 Feb;29(2):187-91.

Cackett P, Wong TY, Aung T, Saw SM, Tay WT, Rochtchina E, Mitchell P, Wang JJ

Smoking, Cardiovascular risk factors and Age-related Macular Degeneration in Asians: The Singapore Malay Eye Study

Am J Ophthalmol 2008 Dec;146(6):960-7.e1. Epub 2008 Aug 23.

Cackett P, Tay WT, Aung T, Wang JJ, Shankar A, Saw SM, Mitchell P, Wong TY

Education, Socioeconomic Status and Age-related Macular Degeneration in Asians: The Singapore Malay Eye Study

Br J Ophthalmol 2008 Oct;92(10):1312-5. Epub 2008 Jul 29.

Cackett P, Cheung N, Wong TY

Age-related macular degeneration and mortality from cardiovascular disease or stroke.

Br J Ophthalmol 2008 Nov;92(11):1564

Outside work

Mr Cackett is married with three children and two cats.  He likes to escape to the great outdoors whenever he gets the chance – walking, climbing, canoeing and mountain biking.