Local focus delivers immediate solutions for surgeons and patients
Connecticut Close-Up
Local focus delivers immediate solutions for surgeons and patients
For more than 50 years , Eversight Connecticut has worked to educate its communities about the importance of eye donation , improve access to vision care , and provide tissue for patients in need of sight-restoring transplants .
Today , as part of the Eversight network , Eversight Connecticut becomes the first eye bank in the Northeastern United States to provide local services including tissue for emergency surgeries and specialized tissue preparation for surgeons and their patients .
In addition , Eversight Connecticut laboratory staff are specially trained to prepare tissue to meet precise specifications and excellent quality standards for the best possible transplant outcomes .
“ Corneal tissue can be prepared in a number of ways to accommodate specific patient needs and surgeon preferences ,” Cady said . “ Traditionally surgeons have done the preparation themselves , which takes a great deal of training , equipment and , most importantly time away from patients .”
On Saturday , May 14 , in conjunction with our affiliate partner Eversight New Jersey , we hosted our first DMEK wet lab at Yale University . DMEK is a surgical procedure preferred by many surgeons for patients suffering from certain conditions , such as Fuchs ’ dystrophy , resulting in better post-transplant outcomes .
Local surgeons who attended the day-long training received one-on-one instruction , as well as insight into best practices and helpful techniques from experienced surgeons including : Dr . Shahzad Mian , University of Michigan ; Dr . Lorenzo Cervantes , Opti Care Eye Health and Vision Center , Waterbury ; Dr . Pankaj Gupta , University Hospitals at Case Western Reserve , Ohio ; Dr . Christopher Hood , University of Michigan ; Dr . Kevin Shah , Cleveland Clinic ; and Dr . Scott Wagenberg , Cleveland Clinic .
And in June , Eversight Connecticut will welcome five ophthalmology residents from Yale University for a presentation on eye banking and hands-on surgical training .
“ For patients suffering from an acute eye infection or severe injury , time is of the essence to repair the damage and , in many cases , save their sight . We now have the staff and the service capabilities to respond immediately to these urgent requests .”
Providing high-quality , prepared tissue is just one of the many ways Eversight Connecticut supports our surgeons and their patients . We also offer educational and handson training programs , or wet labs , to help surgeons practice the latest surgical techniques .
“ We are grateful for our partnership with local surgeons who are excited to come together and participate in valuable learning opportunities ,” Cady said . “ The DMEK wet lab was a great success and will ultimately help us continue to provide the gift of sight to all those in need .”
Spring 2016 | VISION | Page 4