Experience

Dr Skippen graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Medicine/Surgery with Honours.

After working at St Vincents Hospital in Sydney and in Armenia with Medecins Sans Frontieres, Dr Skippen completed general ophthalmology training at Sydney Eye Hospital and a rigorous Clinical Oculoplastic and Orbital Fellowship at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, United Kingdom.

Dr Skippen gained further cosmetic and reconstructive eyelid, facial and orbital subspecialty expertise in Italy, where he undertook Clinical Fellowship training in Genoa and Milan with Dr Francesco Bernardini.

As an Ophthalmologist with over seven years specialist training and practice Dr Skippen has an interest in all general ophthalmology, such as cataract surgery, macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic eye disease.

Dr Skippen’s subspecialty focus is on eyelid, lacrimal and orbital surgery in adults and children, as well as cosmetic surgery around the eye.

Dr Skippen has an ongoing involvement in clinical research, focusing in particular on reconstructive and cosmetic oculoplastic surgery. He has published numerous articles in the international scientific literature and presented research findings at many ophthalmology and oculoplastic conferences, both in Australia and overseas. He is a current reviewer for the American journal, Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Dr Skippen is a member of The British Oculoplastic Surgery Society (BOPSS) and Australian Society of Ophthalmologists (ASO). He trains eye registrars from Sydney Eye Hospital and teaches medical students from the University of New South Wales and the University of Notre Dame. He is a current examiner in Anatomy for the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

Dr Skippen is an Ophthalmology Visiting Medical Officer at Wagga Wagga Rural Referral Hospital in New South Wales, Australia. He also operates at Calvary Riverina Hospital and Riverina Day Surgery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Medical Science
• Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (Honours) (University of Sydney)
• Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
• Fellow of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmology

Professional Memberships

• Australian and New Zealand Society of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgeons (ANZSOPS)
• British Oculoplastic Surgery Society (BOPSS)
• European Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ESOPRS)
• Australian Society of Ophthalmologists (ASO)
• Australian Medical Association (AMA)
• American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS)

Publications

1. Juniat V, Golnik KC, Bernardini FP, Cetinkaya A, Fay A, Mukherjee B, Pakdel F, Skippen B, Saleh GM. The Ophthalmology Surgical Competency Assessment Rubric (OSCAR) for anterior approach ptosis surgery. Orbit. 2018 Feb 14:1-4.
2. Bernardini FP, Skippen B, Zambelli A, Riesco B, Devoto MH. Simultaneous Aesthetic Eyelid Surgery and Orbital Decompression for Rehabilitation of Thyroid Eye Disease: The One-Stage Approach. Aesthet Surg J. 2018 Jan 24.
3. Skippen B, Hourihan M, Lane C, Morris DS. A case of mistaken identity: the role of lacrimal gland pleomorphic adenoma tissue diagnosis. Accepted by International Ophthalmology, November 2016.
4. Skippen B, Bernardini FP, Fezza J, Hartstein ME. Autologous fat transfer for management of post-blepharoplasty lower eyelid retraction. Accepted by Plast Reconstr Surg Global Open, October 2016.
5. Skippen B, Nozza P, Rossi A, Bernardini FP. Paediatric Orbital Osteoradionecrosis. Accepted by Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg, March 2016.
6. Skippen B, Bernardini FP. Re: "Pediatric Acute Dacryocystitis". Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg. 2016 Mar-Apr;32(2):155.
7. Skippen B, Hamilton A, Evans S, Benger R. One-Stage Alternatives to the Hughes Procedure for Reconstruction of Large Lower Eyelid Defects: Surgical Techniques and Outcomes. Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg. 2016 Mar-Apr;32(2):145-9.
8. Skippen B, Tomlinson J, Tumuluri K. Periorbital Nodular Fasciitis in Pregnancy: Case Report and Review of the Literature. Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg. 2016 Jan-Feb; 32(1): e1-3
9. Nash M, Skippen B, Gal A, Benger R. “The role of routine biopsy of the lacrimal sac during dacryocystorhinostomy surgery.” Orbit 2015 Dec;34(6):320-3.
10. Skippen B, Gal A, Tumuluri K. Necrotizing dacryometaplasia: a rare lacrimal lesion mimicking malignancy. Clin Experiment Ophthalmol. 2015 Jul; 43(5): 490-2.
11. Karaconji T, Skippen B, Di Girolamo N, Taylor SF, Francis IC, Coroneo M. Doxycycline for treatment of blepharochalasis via inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases. Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg. 2012 May; 28(3): e76-78 21.
12. Skippen B, Tsang H, Assaad N, Coroneo M. Rapid response of refractory ocular surface dysplasia to combination treatment with topical all-trans retinoic acid and interferon alpha-2b. Arch Ophthalmol. 2010 Oct; 128(10): 1368-9.
13. Hamilton A, Crocket R, Skippen B. Australia’s response to swine flu in 2009 – Has it been appropriate? Journal of Rural and Tropical Public Health. 2010 (9): 14-18.
14. Rochford M, Skippen B, Duffy M. Difficult airway equipment in Australian adult emergency departments. Emergency Medicine Australasia. 2008; 20(2): 184-5.