Durban Retinal AssociatesDurban Retinal Associates

Dr Matt Young

Dr Matt Young grew up in Somerset West. He completed his undergraduate medical degree at the University of Cape Town and his internship at Edendale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg where he subsequently worked for 2 years before commencing his training in ophthalmology under Prof Colin Cook. It was while in the United Kingdom that he underwent further training at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading and the Ophthalmology Department of the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford.

After returning to South Africa in 1998, Dr Young took up a position working under the KZN Blindness Prevention Programme in Northern KZN, where he helped to establish four rural eye clinics and a center for cataract surgery at Bethesda Hospital. He moved to Durban in late 1999 to further his training under Prof Anne Peters and graduated as a Fellow of the College of Ophthalmologists of SA in 2002, receiving the Justin van Selm medal for the top qualifying candidate in 2002. He worked as a consultant in the Department of Ophthalmology at UKZN until 2005, when he accepted a position at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne, Australia to train in the Vitreoretinal Surgery Unit. In 2006, he returned to Durban to start in practice at Entabeni Hospital. He continues to work as an Honorary Lecturer at UKZN and is a part-time consultant at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital.

Dr Young was a member of the EXCO of the Ophthalmological Society of South Africa (OSSA) for 12 years, and served as President from 2017-2019.  He also was an EXCO member of the SA Vitreoretinal Society (SAVRS) and has been a council member  of the College of Ophthalmologists of South Africa and an examiner for the Fellowship final examinations.  He is also a Trustee of the Right to Sight Trust.

Matt is married to Lauren, who is a Palliative Care Practitioner in Durban. They love the journey of life with their son and two daughters.

Dr Brian Gundry

Dr Brian Gundry grew up in Durban and matriculated from Michaelhouse.

He did his undergraduate MBChB degree at the University of Cape Town and the completed his internship at Edendale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg in 1997. He started his Ophthalmology training there under Prof Colin Cook and then moved to London where he spent 2 years working The Western Ophthalmic Hospital and The Royal Free Hospital.

He returned to complete his training in ophthalmology under Prof Anne Peters at the Department of Ophthalmology, UKZN and graduated as a Fellow of the College of Ophthalmology (SA) in October 2004. He took up a consultant post at Addington Hospital and continued his interest in vitreoretinal surgery for a further 4 years. He joined Dr Matt Young in September 2008 to form Durban Retinal Associates.

Dr Gundry has served as secretary of the SA Vitreoretinal Society (SAVRS) for which he remains active on the Academic Advisory Committee.

Brian is married to Elaine and they have 2 girls.

Dr Viresh Dullabh

Dr Viresh Dullabh grew up in Johannesburg and completed his MBBCh Medical degree at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2006. He completed his internship at Tygerberg Hospital. He worked at Sebokeng Hospital in 2010 where he received extensive exposure in cataract surgery. He completed his Ophthalmology specialty training under Dr Linda Visser at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and was admitted as a fellow of The College of Ophthalmologists of South Africa in 2013. He has volunteered in various outreach and public health organizations.

Dr Dullabh is an excellent listener, taking time to fully understand the patients concerns. He makes every effort to treat all patients with empathy and one-to-one care while offering each a personal diagnosis and treatment plan for the presenting eye problem. The patient’s health, well-being and vision is his top priority. Dr Dullabh has good experience in a wide range of eye- diseases, with special interests in diseases of the vitreous and retina.

Viresh is married to Niriksha, an anaesthetist and they have two boys. Outside of medicine, he loves to spend time with his family and likes to travel and enjoy sports.

Dr Mzwandile Mjwara

Dr Mzwandile Mjwara (or Dr MJ, as he is known to most!) began his academic journey at Pretoria Boys High School and went on to earn his undergraduate medical degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). He completed his internship at the Pietermaritzburg (PMB) Complex, followed a year of community service at Murchison Hospital on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. It was during this time that his passion for ophthalmology was ignited, inspired by the profound impact of cataract surgery on patients’ lives. 

Dr. Mjwara pursued further experience in ophthalmology as a Medical Officer at Port Shepstone Regional Hospital, and subsequently at St Aidan’s and McCord Hospitals. He undertook his postgraduate specialist training in ophthalmology under the mentorship of Dr. Visser at UKZN. 

He holds both the Fellowship of the College of Ophthalmologists of South Africa [F.C.(Ophth) SA] and a Master of Medicine (MMed) in Ophthalmology from UKZN. After qualifying, Dr. Mjwara remained at the Department of Ophthalmology at UKZN as a consultant, where he led the Uveitis Clinic and performed vitreo-retinal procedures. He was also actively involved in both undergraduate medical education and postgraduate training of ophthalmology registrars. 

Dr. Mjwara has served as an EXCO member and former Chairman of the OSSA YO (Young Ophthalmologists) Society, demonstrating his ongoing commitment to the advancement of ophthalmology and the development of young professionals in the field. 

He is married to Thobile, who is an oncologist and they have a young daughter.