Consultant Profile

Dr Albena Dardzhikova MD

Dr Dardzhikova is an experienced Consultant Ophthalmologist and private Glaucoma specialist practising at Spencer Private Hospitals in Ashford and Margate.

She is the Glaucoma Lead for East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust and has more than 30 years of experience in clinical and surgical Ophthalmology, including advanced glaucoma surgery, cataract surgery, and laser treatments.

Dr Dardzhikova speaks English, Bulgarian, German, and Russian.

Practising at: Ashford and Margate

Specialties: Cataract Surgery, General Ophthalmology, Glaucoma - Clinical and Surgical, Glaucoma Drainage Devices Surgery, Glaucoma Revision Surgery, Glaucoma Surgery, Laser Treatment for Glaucoma, Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS)

Special clinical interests:
Angle Closure Glaucoma
Complex Glaucoma
Primary Open Angle Glaucoma
Secondary Glaucoma (Uveitic and Neovascular)
Trabeculectomy
YAG Laser Capsulotomy
YAG Laser Iridotomy

Research interests:
Glaucoma

Current NHS and /or university posts:
Consultant Ophthalmologist and Glaucoma Lead, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust.

Year of first medical qualification and medical school attended: 1989, Medical Academy of Sofia, Bulgaria

Current membership(s) of professional, national and regional bodies:
CCT on the UK GMC Specialist Register (Ophthalmology)
LMCC (Canadian Medical Board) - Canada
CCST Ophthalmology, Medical University - Sofia, Bulgaria
Medical Doctor Diploma - Medical University - Sofia, Bulgaria
MDU (Medical Defence Union)
BMA (British Medical Association)
Member of the Canadian Ophthalmology Society (COS)
Member of the Bulgarian Ophthalmology Society (BOS)

Background Information

Dr Dardzhikova is a Consultant Ophthalmologist with a special interest in clinical and surgical Glaucoma, acting as the Glaucoma Lead and responsible for Glaucoma services at the East Kent University Hospital NHS Trust.

In addition, Dr Dardzhikova covers an Urgent Eye clinic weekly at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford and has weekly Glaucoma / Cataract Theatre sessions there and at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital in Canterbury.

Education and research

Dr Dardzhikova obtained her medical degree at the Medical Academy of Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1989 and completed her Ophthalmology training at the same university in 1996.

She then worked in a Military Hospital in Kuwait for 7 years before moving to Canada, where she did a 3-year Advanced Refractive Surgery and Research Fellowship with Professor Howard Gimbel at the Gimbel Eye Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Following this, Dr Dardzhikova completed a 1-year Glaucoma Fellowship at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, under the supervision of Professor Mikelberg.

In 2011, Dr Dardzhikova came to England and worked as a Glaucoma fellow for 3 years with Professor Ansari and, upon completion, completed another year of Glaucoma/Cataract Fellowship at the University of Bristol under the supervision of Professor Sparrow.

In 2018, she started as a substantive Glaucoma Consultant for the East Kent NHS Trust and holds Glaucoma and Glaucoma Laser clinics at the Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, the Kent and Canterbury Hospital in Canterbury, the Buckland Hospital in Dover, and the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.

Dr Dardzhikova has contributed to published clinical research in Ophthalmology.

She is a co-author of a study comparing Deep Sclerectomy techniques for controlling intraocular pressure, published in the Pakistan Journal of Ophthalmology (2020).

In addition, Dr Dardzhikova was also acknowledged as a contributing investigator in the TAGS randomised controlled trial, a major multicentre study for newly diagnosed advanced Glaucoma.

Accolades

As Glaucoma Lead, Dr Dardzhikova is responsible for the Glaucoma service across the Trust, and is consistently rated 5 out of 5 by patients on iWantGreatCare for her care at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital.

Pricing

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