If you are looking for a Greek ophthalmologist in London, there is one with a private practice right on Harley Street. Mr Vasilios P. Papastefanou MD, PhD, ASIS FRPS, MRCOphth is a Consultant Ophthalmologist, Ocular Oncologist and Oculoplastic Surgeon, and for many Greeks and Cypriots in the capital, being able to talk through an eye problem in Greek, with someone trained in both Athens and some of the UK’s leading eye hospitals, makes the appointment far less daunting.
Mr Papastefanou practises from 9 Harley Street, in Marylebone, central London. He was formerly a Consultant at the Royal London Hospital, Barts Health, and at Moorfields Eye Hospital, and trained as a Clinical Fellow at some of the country’s best known eye units: Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, St Bartholomew’s Hospital, Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and St James’s University Hospital in Leeds. He completed his medical degree and PhD at the Medical School of the University of Athens, has over 30 peer reviewed publications and more than 100 presentations at UK, Greek and international meetings, and was on the faculty of the Clinical Ophthalmology MSc at UCL for six consecutive years. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and of the Royal Photographic Society.
His areas of practice are medical retina and ocular oncology, which covers the diagnosis and management of eye tumours, together with oculoplastic surgery of the eyelids and the area around the eye. As a Greek ophthalmologist in London, he is registered with the main UK private health insurers, including BUPA, AXA, CIGNA, AVIVA, VITALITY, WPA and HEALIX, and also sees self pay patients.
Getting there: 9 Harley Street, London W1G 9QY. Nearest stations are Regent’s Park and Great Portland Street. This article is general information only, not medical advice, and is not a recommendation of any treatment. Mr Papastefanou’s practice is a Greek List member.
For Greek and Cypriot families in London, a lot of healthcare is still arranged the way it would be back home: by word of mouth, through a friend who has already been, or through a community list rather than a search engine. Being able to explain symptoms in Greek first, and then have the medical detail confirmed in English, removes one layer of stress from what can already be a worrying appointment. Mr Papastefanou, as a Greek ophthalmologist in London, is one of several Greek speaking doctors and specialists featured on Greek List’s own guide to Greek doctors in London, which is worth bookmarking if you or your family ever need a GP, dentist or specialist who speaks Greek.
The clocks went back on 25 October this year, which means darker evenings for the rest of autumn and winter. The NHS publishes general information on eye health and reminds people that sudden changes, such as flashes, floaters, a shadow across part of the vision, or a change in a mole or mark on or around the eyelid, are worth getting checked rather than waiting. Opticians and driving safety groups also use the clocks going back each year to remind drivers that night vision and glare sensitivity can quietly get worse without anyone noticing in day to day life, which matters for anyone doing the school run or the commute home in the dark.
None of this is medical advice, and this article does not make any claims about outcomes or treatment. The general rule from the NHS is simple: a routine eye test is normally done through an optician, while anything more specific, such as a lump, a growth, or a condition affecting the retina or the eyelid, is usually looked at following a referral from a GP or optician to a specialist, which for some Greek families in London will mean an appointment with a Greek ophthalmologist in London such as Mr Papastefanou. You can read the NHS’s own general information on eye conditions on the NHS website.
A few general, non medical habits that opticians and the NHS often mention at this time of year: book a routine eye test if it has been more than a year or two since the last one, keep spare glasses or a prescription note in the car if you drive, give your eyes a break from screens during the evening, and make sure headlights and windscreens are clean before the dark commute. Children and older relatives are usually the easiest to forget, since neither group tends to mention a gradual change in their own eyesight, so it is worth asking directly rather than waiting for a complaint. If you notice a persistent change in your vision or in the appearance of your eyelid, or a mark that has changed shape or colour, speak to your GP, your optician, or a specialist, rather than searching the symptom online and assuming the worst or the best.
None of the above is specific to any one patient, and nothing in this article should be used to self diagnose. It is simply a reminder, repeated by opticians and the NHS every year as the clocks go back, that eye health is easy to put off until the darker months make it harder to ignore.
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Mr Papastefanou, Kima and Opso are all Greek List members. Over 100,000 Greeks and Cypriots in the UK read Greek List every month, across the site, the newsletter and the Ellines sto Londino Facebook group, and member listings rank first on Google for Greek searches in their area.
Know a Greek business owner on Harley Street or nearby, or have your own eye health question for the community? Share this with them, or post it in the Ellines sto Londino Facebook group.
