Dr Riyaz Bhikoo

Cataract Surgeon
Ocular Oncologist
Vitreoretinal Surgeon
Medical Retina Specialist

About Riyaz’s career

Born and raised in New Zealand, Riyaz completed his medical training at the University of Auckland, where he was awarded the Calvin Ring Prize for best undergraduate medical student in ophthalmology. He completed his ophthalmology training in the North Island and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Australian and New Zealand Ophthalmologists (RANZCO).

A recipient of several postgraduate travel scholarships, he received advanced surgical training at some of the world’s leading hospitals and institutions, including the University of British Columbia (Canada), Houston Methodist Hospital (USA), Royal Perth Hospital and the Lions Eye Institute (Australia). During that time, he completed the Area of Focused Competence (AFC-Diploma) program in Retina, and is the first vitreoretinal surgeon in New Zealand to have his surgical training recognised by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Canada (DRCPSC Retina).

Riyaz is one of two trained ocular oncologists in New Zealand, with expertise in diagnosing and managing ocular tumours, including uveal melanoma (choroid/iris/ciliary body), ocular metastasis and lymphoma. In addition to Auckland Eye, he provides subspecialist care at the Greenlane Clinical Centre and Middlemore Hospital. He is also strongly interested in clinical research, with many of his findings featured in local and international publications. In 2014 he focused his efforts on improving surgical outcomes for cataract patients at the Pacific Eye Institute in Fiji, through the Fred Hollows Foundation. He remains affiliated as an honorary fellow at the University of Auckland.

About Riyaz

Riyaz says the best part of being an ophthalmologist and retinal subspecialist is offering his patients hope by providing them with expert care and advice. He is highly regarded by his patients as an empathetic and professional healthcare practitioner. He always takes the time to make sure his patients understand their conditions without complex medical jargon.

Outside work, Riyaz enjoys long-distance running and has completed several marathons in Australia and North America. He also enjoys skiing and touch-rugby, but most of all, Riyaz cherishes time with his wife and two young children.

Dr Bhikoo’s area of expertise

Surgical retina:

• Posterior vitreous detachment and floaters
• Retinal detachment
• Epiretinal membrane
• Vitreomacular traction
• Macular hole

Medical retina:

• Age-related macular degeneration
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Retinal vascular diseases
• Intraocular tumours

Cataracts, including complications following complex cataract surgery